February 6th & February 7th 2015
Sept 15, 2014
Fellow Band Directors:
I hope that you and your students are off to a swingin’ start in 2014! We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the 19th Annual Bellevue College Jazz Band Festival. We are also very excited to announce our guest artist for this years’ festival. Scott Wendholt, the featured trumpet soloist with the Village Vanguard Orchestra will be presenting clinics and performing with the Bellevue College Jazz Band. In addition to his playing credits, which are too numerous to mention, he is on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. Scott is a remarkable musician and a well respected educator. Please check him out at http://www.scottwendholt.net/
The festival will take place on February 6th and 7th and will feature middle and high school jazz bands from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Traditionally, junior high and middle school bands have performed on Friday and high school bands have performed on Saturday. If needed, we are happy to host a high school band on Friday if it helps with your travel arrangements.
The Bellevue College Jazz Festival remains competitive in nature, but the true value in any festival comes from the performance experience and the post performance clinics. The response to last years expanded clinic length was overwhelmingly positive and we will continue that practice in 2015. Jr. High & Middle school bands will perform for 20 minutes and will receive a 35 minute clinic. High school bands will perform for 30 minutes and will receive a 45 minute clinic.
At the end of the Junior High and Middle school competition on Friday, soloist awards, a winner and two runners up will be selected and announced. At the end of the day on Saturday, soloist awards will be announced and three high school bands will be selected to perform in the evening concert. All high school bands, including those that perform on Friday are eligible to be selected as showcase bands on the Saturday evening concert. Places are determined solely by your afternoon scoring. The three showcase bands will lead off the evening concert, and the performance order will be determined by a random draw. The evening program will also feature our guest artist, trumpeter Scott Wendholt and the Bellevue College Jazz Band.
Scott will present a clinic at noon on Friday and Saturday for all participants. This is a wonderful opportunity for students and directors to interact with our guest artist and to address some individual concepts for playing and teaching jazz.
ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR REGISTRATION CAN BE FOUND HERE:
www.bellevuecollege.edu/music/jazz-band-festival/
If you wish to participate, please send your completed application form and the entry fee of $250 by December 10th, 2014. All applications received after December 10th will be subject to a $25.00 late fee. In the event that your school requires an invoice, I have included one for your convenience. Please make checks payable to the BC Music Band Department or submit a copy of the PO with the Application. There are no refunds for cancelations after January 10th, 2015.
Due to time constraints, we are limited to the number of bands that we can accept. Therefore, we regret that we may not be able to accommodate all applicants. Registration fees for schools that are not accepted will be returned in a timely manner. Acceptance letters will be sent as soon as possible.
Tickets for the Saturday concert featuring the high school finalists and the Bellevue College Jazz Band with guest artist Scott Wendholt are $10. Tickets for this event will be available in the theater lobby Saturday afternoon and online at www.brownpapertickets.com. All student participants from Friday and Saturday’s competition will be admitted free with their complimentary ticket. Parents/chaperones will need to buy a ticket.
We look forward to hosting an exciting weekend of Big Band Jazz.
Sincerely,
Jim Sisko
Director of Jazz Bands
Instrumental Music Coordinator
Trumpet
425.564.4059
Lyneen Patnoe
Performing Arts Manager
425-564-3114