Sun Prairie Band Boosters

Sun Prairie Jazz Festival Swings Through Pandemic

2/21/2021

The Annual Sun Prairie Jazz Festival embraced a new format for this year. As the pandemic has limited how we can all interact as musicians our sessions went virtual to allow the festival to continue.

Throughout the afternoon students were able to access eleven sessions including masterclasses on each instrument, and several jazz improvisation sessions. Clinicians included Reggie Thomas-piano, Rick Haydon-guitar, Jeff Campbell-bass, Jim Huwe-drums, Doug Stone-saxophone, Eric Jacobson-trumpet, and Steve Horne-trombone. Improvisation sessions included "Finding Lyricism through the Blues" with Reggie Thomas, "Stepping Stones: Strategies for Internalizing Tunes" with Doug Stone, "Jazz Patterns: A Systemic Approach to Improvisation," with Eric Jacobson, and "Improvising on the Drum set" with Jim Huwe.

We were joined by students from West DePere High School, Fond du Lac High School, Cedarburg High School, Oak Creek High School and Sun Prairie High School and Cardinal Heights. This was a great day of digging deeper into our craft, and we are looking forward to a live festival next year.

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Rhythm Section Fires Up

2/15/2021

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After an 11 month hiatus, we were able to get the rhythm section together for some work in the band. Members stayed socially distant and wore masks, but were able to come together and play with other people in a live format for the first time this year.

Students were able to play with masks on, work on some roles and interaction and even play some tunes together. It felt good for the return of swing!

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Virtual Big Band

10/14/2020

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Sun Prairie Jazz students put together a virtual big band recording for the 2020 Madison Area Music Association Awards. Students rehearsed on their own and spent time at Audio for the Arts in Madison to put the whole thing together. The recording was put together by having students work in isolation booths and lay down their parts individual and mixed into one. Through the work of the professionals at Audio for the Arts it sounds like the band was actually playing together!

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What Better Time to Move Ahead...

4/6/2020

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While "distance learning" can certainly be stressful for all of us, what better way to relieve some stress than by exercising your creative side? As we have seen on the news, youtube, facebook and many other media of which I am not aware of, music can be a very therapeutic activity to engage in. Why not pursue online private jazz instruction?

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Jazz I Plays for Packed House At Colonial

2/20/2020

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The SPHS Jazz Ensemble played for a full house at the Cremer Auditorium at the Colonial on Thursday, February 20, 2020. The one hour show featured many big band classics by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller and others. Both musicians and audience members had a great time. It was said that this is the most popular program of the year and it felt like it