MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – NMU’s annual Jazz Festival returned Thursday, bringing in high school and middle school ensembles from around the Upper Peninsula.
Thursday morning began with performances from Bothwell Middle school and Escanaba Junior and Senior High school bands, followed by a guest performance from Grammy nominated brass quintet, The Westerlies.
Seven schools are participating in this year’s two-day event to perform their long-practiced pieces, with each band undergoing a learning clinic with NMU faculty, and members of the westerlies themselves.
“Students spend a lot of time throughout the year preparing music with this event in mind,” said NMU Jazz Director, Dr. Mark Flaherty. “We spend a lot of time talking about the basics of combo playing, also a lot of the things about the history of this music and just understanding the styles that we’re dealing with.”
Public performances by The Westerlies, NMU Jazz Band, and NMU Jazz Combo are scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings. Those tickets can be found here.
