The Mahoney Middle School Performance Jazz Band earned a Gold Award at the 2017 Maine State Middle School Instrumental Jazz Festival in Division II on Saturday, March 25th at Stearns Junior/Senior High School in Millinocket, Maine. The band, under the direction of music teacher Sandy Barry, scored 96 out of 100 possible points, and was one of only two bands in their division to earn the Gold Award.

8th Grade Alto Saxophonist Rosie Saffer-Meng was awarded a State Jazz Festival "Outstanding Musicianship" award, presented to the top 5 student performers in all of Division II.
Numerous individual Mahoney musicians also received Jazz Festival Awards for excellent improvisation or soli work, including Digby Roberts, Marina Brandao, Jada Briley, Wylie Roberts, Ellie Lomangino, Hailey Greene, Truly Chillemi, Ruby Lynch, and Lucy Hartley.

Rounding out the jazz band’s 2017 roster are musicians Cullen Adams, Alice Cardale, Meghan Perry, Olivia Petersen, Alice Bonnevie-Rothrock, Aidan Gorneau, Theo LeBlanc, Sky Jordan, Jane Bonnevie-Rothrock, Blake Kierstead, Ahliysen Kearns, Marcella Hesser, Jonah Diaz and Jacob Costin.

The band performed three selections of varying styles for a panel of three judges. The student musicians are adjudicated for their ability to perform stylistically in the jazz idiom. Judging categories include technical merit, artistic merit, solo/improvisation, and programming/ presentation, which also includes degree of difficulty of musical the selections performed.

The music performed by Mahoney Middle School included an original blues rock tune entitled “Mystic Traveler" written by Michael Sweeney, the classic ballad, “Harlem Nocturne” by Rogers and Hagen, arranged by Larry Norred, and the exciting jazz shuffle “Groovin’ Hard” by Don Menza, arranged by Dave Barduhn.

Judges comments shared with the band include, “Great set, nice diversity”, “excellent concept of swing styles, very mature section sounds”, and “great program, great band!”

The Performance Jazz Band members are selected each fall by audition. The band rehearses two mornings per week September through March to prepare for district and state level jazz festivals as well as numerous school and community performances.

Sandra Barry
Mahoney Middle School
240 Ocean Street
South Portland, Maine 04106
207-799-7386
barrysa@spsd.org

The Maine High School Instrumental Jazz Festival, hosted by Nokomis High School on March 17 & 18, 2017, brought schools from across the State to a two day festival of music and competition.  Competing in small combos and large ensembles, students were adjudicated by professional jazz musicians and jazz educators.

South Portland High School brought two Jazz Combos and two Jazz Ensembles to the festival under the direction of Craig Skeffington, In addition, SPHS brought home top awards in many categories.

Under a newly adjudicated system, which awards gold (95 or above), silver (90-94) and bronze (85-89) medals to bands for achieving appropriate scores, the first day of performances saw both the South Portland H.S. Jazz Band II and Combo B awarded silver medals.  Receiving an Outstanding Musicianship Award for Jazz Band II was sophomore Alex Rowell on tenor saxophone, and receiving the inaugural Dale Huff Superior Musicianship Award for Combo B on trombone, sophomore Max Saffer-Meng.  Later in the day, Combo A was awarded a gold medal and honored two Outstanding Musicianship awards…one to junior Thomas Costin on piano and another to senior Owen Doane on trombone.

The second day of the festival featured the South Portland High School Jazz Ensemble playing in the afternoon with hopes of qualifying for a trip to play in the evening’s showcase of gold medal bands.  Living up to stellar jazz performances in the past, the SPHS Jazz Ensemble was awarded a gold medal for their performance and three musicianship awards.  Recognized for Outstanding Musicianship Awards on lead trumpet, junior Jesse Pearlman, on alto and soprano saxophones, senior Ellen Stanton and awarded the Dale Huff Superior Musicianship Award on trombone was senior Owen Doane.

The evening’s performance showcased 6 gold medal bands, qualifying from a field of 33 jazz ensemble groups.  The newly designed night kicked off with a performance by the Portland Jazz Orchestra. Taking the stage after PJO were gold medal performers, beginning with the SPHS jazz ensemble who entertained the crowd, playing three songs. Kicking off the program with Surfin’ the Big Wave, written by Craig Skeffington, a ballad, Lifelong Friends, by Kris Berg and a crowd favorite, Gaea by Nate Kimball.  Other gold medal performers were, George Stevens Academy, Greely H.S., Hampden Academy, Old Town H.S. and Westbrook H.S.

Chorus

Band / Orchestra

Italian Heritage Center, Portland, ME: Take a walk down memory lane with a jazz tribute to Don Doane from 7-8pm. Dance the night away with the Carmine Terracciano Band from 8-10pm.