On Monday, April 9, Hastings College will host its annual Jazz Festival, which includes performances by a dozen regional jazz bands and an evening concert featuring the Hastings College Jazz Ensemble, guest clinicians and a vocal jazz ensemble.
A long-standing tradition, the Hastings College Jazz Festival is an excellent opportunity for middle and high school bands to study with guest clinicians and gain performance experience.
It also provides an opportunity for the Hastings community to experience performances from young musicians in the area and from Hastings College.
Student performances begin at 8:00 a.m. in French Memorial Chapel on campus, with each group receiving ratings and comments from the guest clinicians.
The annual Jazz Festival Concert featuring the Hastings College Jazz Ensemble with guest clinicians will perform at 7:30 p.m. under the direction of Dr. Marc LaChance in French Memorial Chapel. The Hastings College Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Kara Baxter will also perform.
All performances are free and open to the public.
The 2018 Jazz Festival clinicians include Dr. Bob Fuson, saxophone, from Hastings College; Dean Haist, trumpet, from Arts Incorporated in Lincoln, Nebraska; and John Jacobs, drums, from Minden High School.
Schedule for Schools on Monday, April 9 — French Memorial Chapel
- Blue Hill High School, directed by Leighann Campbell (8:00 am)
- Grand Island Senior High, Jazz II, directed by Dr. Daniel Laing (8:30 am)
- Grand Island Northwest, directed by Shawn Pfanstiel (9:00 am)
- Grand Island Senior High, Jazz 1, directed by Dr. Daniel Laing (9:30 am)
- Hastings Senior High School, directed by Erin Beave (10:00 am)
- Norris High School, Jazz I, directed by Dr. Evan Lee (10:30 am)
- Waverly High School, directed by Jim Kucera (11:00 am)
- Norris High School, Jazz II, directed by Dr. Evan Lee (11:30 am)
- Lexington Middle School, directed by Frankie Pineda (12:30 pm)
- Lincoln Southwest High School, Jazz I, directed by Alyssa Wilhelm (1:00 pm)
- Hastings Middle School, directed by Troy Ehmke (1:30 pm)
- Lincoln Southwest High School, Jazz II, directed by Megan Manning-Kechely (2:00 pm)
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With 64 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
