All that Jazz

Annual Jazz Fest brings schools from around state to RV

RV+students+who+worked+the+Jazz+Festival+get+a+chance+to+take+a+backstage+break+during+a+performance.

Photo by Katie Dillaman

RV students who worked the Jazz Festival get a chance to take a backstage break during a performance.

Tessa Peterson, Staff Writer

Cases cluttered the halls and musicians were everywhere you looked, wearing neon pink shirts reading, “Mile High Jazz Festival Staff.”

A smooth, grooving, powerhouse was created by every band that took the stage.  It could be heard from the main hall and groups were seen dressed in uniform carrying shinny instruments for all to admire.

Do you remember the jazz festival that Ralston Valley hosted last week?

Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 4-6, RV Band Leader, Mr. Ken Sawyer, ran around making sure everything went as planned, and RV band/orchestra students helped make the show go on.

There were problems along the way, but isn’t that expected of every major event?

Quickly and quietly, students fixed the problems, unbeknown to the audience.

Senior Brook Farris worked at the check-in booth for all of the jazz bands that came from all over the state. Working every day the festival ran, she was able to see the emotions of all the grounds as they came.

“[I saw] excitement. I think that there was a lot of excitement, but also anxiety,” Farris explained. “You want to be at the Jazz Fest to have fun, and see other bands perform, but you also get a score and that can be freighting.”

Well, working at the check-in booth is very important, but so is taking each band onto stage. Freshman Lucas Maldonado shared how most band members, “seem nervous, some excited to be performing.” Further describing how, “It’s fun to work back stage; it’s a new experience that is also really enjoyable.”

Sophomore Emma Tomlinson was in charge of the judge’s paperwork. She would run scoring sheets to the judges and make sure they had every need handled.

“I just like to be around jazz, it makes me happy,” Tomlinson said. “The atmosphere is so upbeat.”

A couple interesting things did happen during sophomore Kristen Kimble’s shift.

“The recorder broke, and they had to find a new one,” Kimble said. “A bass player got left behind also.”

Many bands traveled to Ralston Valley over three days, all creating an atmosphere of clutter and enjoyment. Many students worked the Jazz Festival, making everything go as planned and creating a memorable event for Ralston Valley and every musician that entered our school.