Last week, our Pleasant Grove Jazz Band competed in our All Region Jazz tryouts and had 11 students claim a spot in the All Region Jazz Band. 9 of these students will advance to the Area Level Jazz Tryout and compete again in October.
The All Region Band roster has 20 spots available and our kids took 11 of those. A total of over 80 students participated with 26 of them coming from PG.
PG Students selected:
Deanna Dyer – 1st chair Bari Sax, Area
Michael Marshall – 3rd chair Trumpet, Area
Parker Phelan – 4th chair Trumpet
Antonio Morell – 5th chair Trumpet
Gavin Turner – Trumpet alternate
Luke Williams – 1st chair Trombone, Area
Aaron Evers – 2nd Chair Trombone, Area
Owen Braza – Trombone alternate
Phillip Lam – 2nd chair Bass Trombone, Area
Jayla Tank – 1st chair Guitar, Area
Tucker Keeney – 1st chair Piano, Area
Jackson Teague – 1st chair Bass Guitar, Area
Mason Hammonds- 1st chair Drumset, Area
Peyton Glover – Drumset alternate.
Director of Jazz, Ed Grissom on the Jazz Band’s success and growth of the program: “I am so thankful that Hawk Nation has decided to make Jazz education a priority for our kids. We have 36 total students in our program and will be dividing it into 2 complete bands with Mr. Sipes assisting me. The quality of our product continues to improve and PG is becoming known as the “jazz school” of the area. We are increasingly being invited to perform at community functions and a few of the kids are forming bands of their own. A few of our kids have even been called onstage to sit in with professional jazz groups. This semester at least 10 of our former jazz students are in various university jazz bands.”
