At the Mass Association for Jazz Education (MAJE) district festival on February 29th, NHS Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Needham Fine and Performing Arts HS Music Teacher Spencer Parrish, won a Gold Medal with a perfect score! The following students were recognized with Outstanding Musicianship Awards: Justin Han, Ben Kelly, Avery Zakarian; Division 1 MVP was awarded to Senior Zach Weiskopf.
District Gold Medal achievement qualified the Ensemble for MAJE State Finals where, for the second year in a row, the Jazz Band received a Gold Medal after its stellar performance of music by Duke Ellington, Mario Bauzá, and Billy Strayhorn. Two members of the ensemble—Zach Weiskopf and Ben Kelly—also received Outstanding Musicianship awards from the judges in recognition of their individual contributions to the ensemble.
The group is now slated to perform in the MAJE Gold Showcase at the Hatch Shell in Boston on Sunday, May 5!
Mass Association for Jazz Education (MAJE) is a service organization dedicated to increasing the worldwide growth and development of jazz and jazz education. The Association initiates programs which nurture and promote the understanding and appreciation of jazz and its heritage, provides leadership to educators regarding curricula and performance, assists teachers and practitioners with information and resources, and takes an active part in organizing clinics, festivals, and symposia at the local and state level. The state chapter of MAJE provides regional festival competitions; Medals are awarded to recognize school band achievement.
