State Conference Among Jazz Band's Upcoming Gigs

Members of the Carroll Jazz Band have a very busy spring semester. Students are in full swing rehearsing for a list of high profile performances scheduled in the coming months.

On Friday, February 14 the Carroll Jazz Band will perform at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference in San Antonio. Invitation to play at the conference goes to only one group a year.The band is chosen by a blind audition process by a panel of judges who are college educators from around the state.

Carroll Jazz will take the stage with guest artist Stockton Helbing. Helbing is formerly the drummer and musical director for the Maynard Ferguson Big Band and is now the drummer for trumpeter Doc Severinsen.

“I’m greatly looking forward to my performance as guest artist with Carroll High School’s top jazz band at TMEA this February, Helbing said. “Carroll’s top jazz group is always one of the most talented high school groups that I get to work with each year thanks to the hard work of the students and the world class jazz education provided by my good friend David Lown, who is also a top not jazz saxophonist in his own right.”

“This is our highest-profile event this spring,” said David Lown, Director of Jazz Bands for Carroll ISD. “The TMEA Invited High School Jazz Ensemble is our top group; it’s similar to the Honor Band system for concert bands in Texas.” A publicity video for the TMEA performance is featured below.

In addition to the TMEA Conference performance, Carroll Jazz will also be playing the Jazz Education Network Annual Conference in Dallas on Friday, Jan. 10. More performances will follow later in the spring including the UTA, TCU and UT Jazz Festitvals, as well as the Allen Jazz Festival, Southlake Jazz Festival, Art in the Square and the Carroll Jazz Spring Concert.