Newtown Middle School Jazz Band Performs At NH Festival

By Eliza Hallabeck

Following a recent trip to take part in the Clark Terry University of New Hampshire Jazz Festival, the Newtown Middle School Jazz Band reflected on Monday, March 19, on both the trip and the festival.

Overwhelmingly members of the Newtown Middle School Jazz Band said they enjoyed the trip.

“It was pretty sweet,” said eighth grader Danny Toby, “because we got to be together and jam. And we bonded as a band.”

Other students also said the trip brought the group closer together.

“It was like we all became a family,” said fellow eighth grader Amanda Walsh.

The festival began on Saturday, March 10, and the NMS group spent the night in the area to attend the second day of the festival. The Clark Terry University of New Hampshire Jazz Festival include bands from high school bands, middle school bands, jazz combos, jazz choirs, as well as solo vocalists, according to the University of New Hampshire.

“It was really cool to see really talented jazz musicians,” said eighth grader Emma Wolfman.

Watching the other bands play, Emma said, showed the NMS group a wide range of talent, from bands that needed improvement to bands that are really good.

NMS Jazz Band director Mark Mahoney said the group witnessed big university bands and seasoned professionals play at the festival, and he said his band became motivated by the great performances instead of being intimidated.

Mr Mahoney also said the Clark Terry University of New Hampshire Jazz Festival featured 50 to 60 bands and is the largest event of its kind.

Each year the middle school group has students try out for a spot in the Jazz Band. Roughly half of the students in this year’s Jazz Band are eighth grade students, and last year the group won Gold, the highest rank, at the Norwalk Jazz Festival.

The after school student group has also performed at a Western Connecticut State University jazz festival.

The trip to the New Hampshire festival, Mr Mahoney said, went “as well as it could. I think it was perfect.”

No scores were given out to performing bands at the festival, he said, but judges gave feedback to each band.

Mr Mahoney said his group performed four musical pieces for the festival.

The NMS Jazz Band is made up of eighth graders Amanda Walsh, Jimmy Craig, Emma Wolfman, Matt Carino, Matt Ingwersen, Dan Toby, Scott Alexander, Sarah Lyon, Cally Peterson, Trevor Gaines, Jimmy Buck, and Brandon Johnson, and seventh graders Jillian Milano, Pau Lleonart Calvo, Tim Cervera, Adam Wielebinski, Jordan Klein, Cameron Mitchell, Quinlan Hart, Evan Kohlsaat, Jack Palermo, Dylan Cortese, and Devon Covert.

Before attending the Clark Terry University of New Hampshire Jazz Festival, Mr Mahoney said he hoped for the band to play at their best, and following the festival he said the group played better than they ever have before.