Multiple Hoover students selected for all-state jazz band

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Numerous Hoover middle and high school students packed up their instruments in late January and headed to Montgomery, where they performed in the all-state jazz band festival.

The festival, held in conjunction with the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, is a big deal, said Mark Foster, the band director at Mountain Brook Junior High School who also is jazz chair for the Alabama Bandmasters Association and in charge of coordinating all aspects of the jazz festival. 

“The selection process can be highly competitive,” Foster said. “It’s quite an honor to be selected for one of the all-state jazz bands.”

Interested students from across the state submit audition recordings to the ABA in November of each year in order to be considered for the all-state jazz band. A panel of judges evaluates the submissions blindly, meaning they do not know who is playing or their school, Foster said.

From there, high school students who make the cut are placed into one of three jazz bands based on their skill level: gold, silver or bronze. A fourth band is made up of middle school students. This year’s performances were set for Jan 21-23 at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center.

The students from Hoover who were selected for the 2015-16 all-state jazz band were:

Bumpus Middle School

► Tyner Patterson: Trumpet

Hoover High School

► Josh Constantine: Alto saxophone, Gold Jazz Band

► Rahul Shah: Baritone saxophone, Gold Jazz Band

► Daniel Johnson: Trumpet, Gold Jazz Band 

► Joseph Phillips: Vibraphone, Gold Jazz Band 

► Tyler Greengard: Tenor saxophone, Silver Jazz Band 

► Ben Solomon: Trumpet, Silver Jazz Band 

► James Parker: Trumpet, Silver Jazz Band

► Nathan Solomon: Piano, Silver Jazz Band

► William Ayers: Guitar, Silver Jazz Band 

► Sawyer Patterson: Alto saxophone, Bronze Jazz Band 

► Daniel Phillips: Trumpet, Bronze Jazz Band 

► Carson Fehler: Bass trombone, Bronze Jazz Band

► Aaron Edwards: Drum set, Bronze Jazz Band 

Spain Park High School

► Ernest Grimes, Alto saxophone, Gold Jazz Band