From the MCPASD website:

The MHS 7 O'Clock Jazz Band was selected as one of 15 finalists to perform at the 24th a

nnual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York on May 9-11.

This is a huge honor,'' MHS principal Steve Plank said. "To be selected as one of the best 15 jazz ensembles in the country is an incredible achievement. It's also a wonderful learning opportunity for our students."

The bands were selected from a competitive pool of 112 after submitting recordings of three tunes performed from the Essentially Ellington library. While in New York, the MHS students will participate in workshops, jam sessions and sectionals before competing for top honors. A concert and awards ceremony will take place featuring the top three bands alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

The MHS jazz band is directed by Doug Brown. Members include:

Woodwinds: Max Newcomer, Ben Foster, Amanda Roesch, Jonathan Downs, Lucy Croasdale and Andrew Stine

Trumpets: Ben Petersen, Rachel Roberson, Alexis Stahnke and Kyra Ginsberg

Trombones: Jack Ohly, Tyler Huff, Greg Scheer and Aaron Stettner

Rhythm: Charlotte Buck (vocals), Rohan Shah (guitar), Althea Wincek (piano), Aaron Brenton (bass), Logan Frey (drums), and Jude Fleischmann (drums)

Two of the other 14 finalists are from the Big Eight Conference: Beloit Memorial and Sun Prairie. The other finalists are: Denver School of the Arts, Dillard Center for the Arts (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Foxboro (Mass.) High School, Garfield High School (Seattle), Mount Si High School (Snoqualmie, Wash.), Neward Academy (Livingston, N.J.), Rio Americano High School (Sacramento, Calif.), Roosevelt High School (Seattle), San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, Tarpon Springs (Fla.) High School, Philharmonic Association (Raleigh, N.C.), and William H. Hall High School (West Hartford, Conn.).

''Essentially Ellington shows off America’s young people at their best,'' Jazz at the Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis said in a statement. "High school students from across this nation have worked tirelessly on the highest quality of our orchestral music. They’ve met the challenge of mastering vocal effects on horns, of improvising fresh, new individual ideas, and of swinging, which means embracing and nurturing the common ground, and in these divisive times, it’s important to teach and celebrate our most scared values: freedom of speech, empathetic listening, and constructive engagement with others. These kids have a lot to teach us. I’m looking forward to hearing them play, and to being instructed and inspired by them.

"Duke Ellington envisioned the unlimited creative possibilities afforded to all of us by our way of life. This musician shared that vision and made it real. This is the banner under which we fight. It more enlightened and engaged America.''

Visit the Jazz website to read the news release. Check out the Jazz Academy section to learn more about the program.

Jean Laurenz is an eclectic musician who loves variety and collaboration. As a performer, Jean has enjoyed appearances with Adele,The Hanson Brothers,The Boston Pops, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Her favorite genre is chamber music and she frequents this arena with innovative ensembles including Seraph Brass, The Knights, A Far Cry, Alarm Will Sound, and with Carnegie Hall’s resident fellow chamber group, Ensemble Connect.

Jean is also a vocalist and stage performer who enjoys multi-dimensional artistic performances which combine theater, singing, trumpet, and visual arts. She will appear with the Knights in the theatrical production of “The Head and The Load”, and has toured Europe with Lucerne Festival’s dance and theatrical production of Divamania. As a vocalist, she has performed the national anthem and other musical services at most major Chicagoland sporting arenas, including performances with the Cubs, The White Sox, and the Chicago Fire. Jean holds degrees in trumpet performance and Choral Education from Yale University and Northwestern University. She is a passionate educator, social activist, and Teaching Artist. Her work with Handel and Haydn Society and Carnegie Hall has connected her to public school students in Boston and the Bronx who have helped shape her artistic perspective. Jean has curated Children’s shows for both Carnegie Hall and The Boston Symphony, and she is a current META Fellow. When she is not performing or teaching, she shares her passion as a youth coach at her local climbing gym.

Without question, it is wonderful to hear an evening filled with so many excellent performances by students here at MHS.All of the participants in this year’scompetition are to be commended for their dedication and hard work—every one of them should be proud of his or her accomplishments. The judges commented on the great number of excellent performances. It was mentioned that most schools would be pleased to have merely a fraction of the musicians who appeared last night at our auditions. Middleton High School and your community are honored to have you here. The MHS Music Department extends our congratulations to all performers—you are all winners!

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