By Amanda Tennant, staff writer
It’s Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2014. Music by Stevie Wonder and Count Basie fill the In- dian Trail High School and Academy mu- sic wing as band students prepare for one of the most anticipated rehearsals of the school year, the first Jazz Band practice.
“It’s really great to be in Jazz Band again this year,” says Anna Matson, a junior at In- dian Trail High School and Academy.
The Indian Trail Jazz Band program is one of the most populous extracurricular activities in the school with over 80 stu- dents dispersed among three jazz bands known as Jazz 1, Jazz 2, and Jazz 3.
Ken Wiele, ITHS and A band director and director of the jazz bands, already has a tight-packed schedule for the jazz bands this year.
“We have an exciting set of concerts scheduled, and some of those concerts are a trip to Lawrence University jazz festival, University of Wisconsin-Parkside jazz fes- tival, Kenosha jazz festival,” said Wiele.
In March, the Indian Trail Jazz Bands participated in the solo and ensemble festival at Indian Trail and two of the Jazz Bands advanced on to state. However, the accomplishments do not end there. Over the summer, 20 Indian Trail jazz band students took part in the district wide jazz band known as The Jazz All-Stars.
Wiele said the jazz bands provide support to the jazz community.
“I like to think that we contribute strong musicianship and style,” Wiele said.
For the school, the bands bring spirit to the pep assemblies, he said.
As another perk, participating in the bands can also help with the academic success of it members. According to pbs.org, language development and improved test scores are just a few of the benefits of playing an instrument and engaging in music.
Music planned for this year includes Count Basie, Steely Dann, Stevie Wonder, and Lester Young. Challenges Wiele hopes the band will overcome this year are learning to improvise melodic lines in a jazz style.
The first performance that all three jazz bands will be participat- ing in this year is the KUSD jazz festival on Nov. 15. So, mark your calendars and anticipate the sweet, tuneful sound of the Indian Trail jazz bands.