JDCHS Jazz Band hits the high notes

Intermountain Catholic

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Juan Diego Catholic High School's Jazz Band performs at the state competition, held Friday at Jordan High School.

SANDY — For a three-year-old, Juan Diego Catholic High School’s Jazz Band has racked up quite a résumé: back-to-back trips to the state festival and a performance at Disneyland, as well as several graduating seniors with musical scholarships to college.

Each of the musicians were awarded a superior rating – the highest – at the regional competition, and the band as a whole was the only one from the region to be invited to the state festival March 26-27 at Jordan High School. Although the state ratings weren’t available at press time, director David Faires said he saw the review sheets and the band received "very, very favorable ratings" even though they played much more challenging music than last year. "There’s definitely progress and the students recognize that progress as well," he said. "The sight-reading scores were higher than last year and that’s a good indicator of the musicianship of the band."

Qualifying for state was a huge milestone, "especially for a program that’s still growing," said JDCHS senior Carey McComas, who plays trombone. "It’s just totally amazing that we’ve come so far in such a short time."

Attending state and hearing bands from different regions is good exposure for the musicians, Faires said. "Every time we have a chance to hear another group, it keeps their minds inquiring on how they can do better."

Lessons from last year helped this year, said senior Cameron Williams, who plays trumpet. "I’m paying more attention to offbeats and different rhythms that I’ve never really understood."

At state, the band played "In a Mellow Tone," a traditional jazz swing piece by Duke Ellington; "Accentuate the Positive," a vocal ballad; and ,"Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" a piece in the Latin jazz style. Eric Lies had the vocal solo; he is an accomplished vocalist who has been to state for choir, although this was his first year with the band, where he plays the trombone. "It was an amazing experience, being able to come in and mesh with the group and perform as well as we did," Lies said. "It’s going to be a great memory."

The week before the state festival, the Jazz Band joined the Symphonic Band in Disneyland, where they not only attended a workshop presented by professional musicians but also performed in the park.

"We played some really smashing tunes so people would just sit and listen," said trumpeter Courtney McComas, Carey’s twin sister. "We attracted a pretty big crowd. At state, bands are assigned to listen to you, and when you’re at Disneyland people have a choice. They can watch and sit or they can just walk by. So it was pretty cool that people chose to listen to us."

The highlight of the Disneyland trip was the bands’ service project at the Buena Park Senior Center, Faires said. "It ended with the Jazz Band playing several Glenn Miller tunes and the senior citizens getting up and dancing with the Juan Diego students. There was an all-out impromptu swing dance that happened. The students loved that."