About SPHS Jazz
The Sun Prairie High School Jazz Ensemble Program consists of three performing jazz ensembles as well as multiple jazz combos. The bands meet as an extracurricular activity two to three times per week from October through March, student run sectionals. The Jazz Ensembles include students in grades 10-12 and all jazz students must also perform in the concert band. All bands perform concerts locally and host an annual big band dance in December.
The SPHS Jazz Ensemble I has traveled throughout the Midwest and Germany and have earned numerous awards and performed at several conventions, including the Midwest Clinic with Wynton Marsalis. The band has been recently featured statewide at the Martin Luther King celebration in Madison and the Mary Lou Williams tribute concert, also held in Madison. They have been an “Essentially Ellington” finalist in New York eight times, placing third three times.
Over the past several years students of the ensembles have had the opportunity to host and interact with great jazz musicians at SPHS. A partial list includes:
as well as mentors
The band also hosts its annual Sun Prairie JazzFest during February attracting bands from across the state and clinicians from across the country. For more information on the Sun Prairie High School Jazz program contact Matt McVeigh at msmcveigh@sunprairieschools.org
The Sun Prairie High School Jazz Ensemble Program consists of three performing jazz ensembles as well as multiple jazz combos. The bands meet as an extracurricular activity two to three times per week from October through March, student run sectionals. The Jazz Ensembles include students in grades 10-12 and all jazz students must also perform in the concert band. All bands perform concerts locally and host an annual big band dance in December.
The SPHS Jazz Ensemble I has traveled throughout the Midwest and Germany and have earned numerous awards and performed at several conventions, including the Midwest Clinic with Wynton Marsalis. The band has been recently featured statewide at the Martin Luther King celebration in Madison and the Mary Lou Williams tribute concert, also held in Madison. They have been an “Essentially Ellington” finalist in New York eight times, placing third three times.
Over the past several years students of the ensembles have had the opportunity to host and interact with great jazz musicians at SPHS. A partial list includes:
- Clark Terry
- Terell Stafford
- Ed Thigpen
- Arturo Sandoval
- Richard Davis
- Wycliffe Gordon
- Bobby Shew
- Ted Nash
- Frank Mantooth
- Vincent Gardiner
- Matt Wilson
- Maxine Gordon
- Pharez Whitted
as well as mentors
- Ron Carter
- Reggie Thomas
- Rick Haydon
The band also hosts its annual Sun Prairie JazzFest during February attracting bands from across the state and clinicians from across the country. For more information on the Sun Prairie High School Jazz program contact Matt McVeigh at msmcveigh@sunprairieschools.org