“It was a great festival, and we were thrilled to be back making music and jazzing post-pandemic,” said Margaret Schultz, Northeast music instructor and festival director. “It was delightful to have students from across the Midwest back on campus for the festival.”
The two-day event, sponsored by the Northeast Music Department, drew 77 musical groups featuring 1,532 students from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The competition hosted jazz bands and show/jazz choirs for schools in four levels. Twenty-five trophies were presented at the end of each competition over the two days for first, second, third, and fourth place and solo and instrumental awards.
Schultz said the Jazz Festival helps students develop as musicians and shows them what other schools are doing. She said the most rewarding part is the award ceremonies as recognition is given to the top four groups and an outstanding soloist in each category.
“The hushed anticipation and then the cheers and applause for each group announced never gets old,” Schultz said. “The quality adjudication comments provide musicianship growth to both students and directors. All in all, the festival ran very smoothly due to the support of the College and the Northeast students who help work the festival. Those in attendance expressed their enjoyment and joy to be back listening to these young musicians.”
Results from the Jazz Festival include:
DAY 1 TROPHY PLACEMENTS
Level IV Band City
1st Place Norfolk Junior High #1 Norfolk
2nd Place Norfolk Junior High #2 Norfolk
3rd Place Norfolk Catholic Norfolk
Outstanding Soloist: Brynn Sterud-Vibes, Norfolk Jr. High #1 Norfolk
Level IV Show Choir City
1st Place Westridge Middle School Grand Island
2nd Place Fremont Middle School Fremont
3rd Place Norfolk Catholic Junior High Norfolk
4th Place Norfolk Junior High Norfolk
Outstanding Soloist: Caroline Love, Norfolk Catholic Jr. High Norfolk
Level III Band City
1st Place Elk Point-Jefferson High School Elk Point, SD
2nd Place Pender Public School Pender
3rd Place Ponca Public School Ponca
4th Place Hartington-Newcastle High School Hartington
Outstanding Soloist: Henrik Nelson-Drums, Brownell Talbot Omaha
Level III Show Choir City
1st Place Bishop Neumann Catholic High School Wahoo
2nd Place Ord High School Ord
3rd Place Aquinas Catholic High School David City
4th Place Bloomfield Community School Bloomfield
Outstanding Soloist: Deagan Puppe, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Laurel
Level III Vocal Jazz City
1st Place Brownell Talbot Omaha
2nd Place Stanton Community School Stanton
3rd Place Miller High School Miller, So. Dak.
4th Place Ponca Public Schools Ponca
Outstanding Soloist: Alice Chan, Brownell Talbot Omaha
DAY 2 TROPHY PLACEMENTS
Level II Band City
1st Place Glenwood Community School Gold I Glenwood, IA
2nd Place Blair High School Blair
3rd Place Dakota Valley School District North Sioux City, SD
4th Place Pierce High School Pierce
Outstanding Soloist: Seth Andre-Guitar, Norris High School Firth
Level II Show Choir City
1st Place Seward High School Seward
2nd Place York High School York
3rd Place Minden High School Minden
4th Place Boyden-Hull Community School Hull, IA
Outstanding Soloist: Leah Davis, York High School York
Level I Band City
1st Place Millard South High School #1 Omaha
2nd Place Norfolk High School #1 Norfolk
3rd Place South Sioux City High School South Sioux City
4th Place Norfolk High School #2 Norfolk
Outstanding Soloist: Tanner Miller-Bari Sax, South Sioux City High School South Sioux City
Level I Vocal Jazz City
1st Place Columbus High School - New World Singers Columbus
2nd Place Thomas Jefferson High School Council Bluffs, IA
3rd Place Columbus High School - Neptune's Angels Columbus
4th Place Glenwood Community School - Rhapsody in Gold Glenwood, IA
Outstanding Soloist: Jenna Taylor, Columbus High School Columbus
Level I Show Choir City
1st Place Norfolk High School Norfolk
2nd Place Denison High School Denison, IA
3rd Place Thomas Jefferson High School Council Bluffs, IA
Outstanding Soloist: Ali Gorman, Denison High School Denison, IA
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) SHOW CHOIR RATINGS
School Level City
Aquinas Catholic High School III David City
Bishop Neumann High School III Wahoo
Bloomfield Community School III Bloomfield
Boyden-Hull Community Schools II Hull, Iowa
Cedar Catholic High School III Hartington
Denison High School I Denison, Iowa
Fremont Middle School IV Fremont
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge III Laurel
Minden High School II Minden
Norfolk Catholic Jr. High IV Norfolk
Norfolk Jr. High IV Norfolk
Norfolk High School I Norfolk
Seward High School II Seward
Thomas Jefferson High School I Council Bluffs, Iowa
Wausa Public School IV Wausa
Westridge Middle School IV Grand Island
York High School II York
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) JAZZ CHOIR RATINGS
School Level City
Brownell Talbot III Omaha
Columbus High School #1 I Columbus
Columbus High School #2 I Columbus
Columbus High School #3 I Columbus
Glenwood Community School #1 I Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood Community School #2 I Glenwood, Iowa
Miller High School III Miller, So. Dak.
Stanton Community School III Stanton
Thomas Jefferson High School I Council Bluffs, Iowa
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) JAZZ BAND RATINGS
School Level City
Aurora High School #1 II Aurora
Blair High School II Blair
Brownell Talbot III Omaha
Centennial High School III Utica
Dakota Valley School District II North Sioux City, So. Dak.
Elk Point-Jefferson Schools III Elk Point, So. Dak.
Hartington-Newcastle Schools III Hartington
Homer Community School III Homer
Glenwood Community #1 II Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood Community #2 II Glenwood, Iowa
Millard South High School #1 I Omaha
Norfolk Jr. High School #1 IV Norfolk
Norfolk High School #1 I Norfolk
Norfolk High School #2 I Norfolk
Norris High School II Firth
Pender Public School III Pender
Pierce High School II Pierce
Ponca Public Schools III Ponca
South Sioux City School I South Sioux City
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) SHOW CHOIR RATINGS
School Level City
Auburn Middle School IV Auburn
Centennial High School III Utica
Elk Point-Jefferson High School III Elk Point, So. Dak.
Elkhorn Valley Jr. High School IV Tilden
Elkhorn Valley High School III Tilden
Holdrege High School II Holdrege
Norfolk Catholic High School III Norfolk
Ord High School III Ord
Wilber-Clatonia High School III Wilber
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) JAZZ CHOIR RATINGS
School Level City
Ponca Public Schools III Ponca
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) JAZZ BAND RATINGS
School Level City
Allen Consolidated Schools III Allen
Aurora High School #2 II Aurora
Bloomfield Community School III Bloomfield
Brownell Talbot #2 III Omaha
Cedar Catholic High School III Hartington
Elkhorn Valley High School III Tilden
Millard South High School #2 I Omaha
Nebraska City High School II Nebraska City
Norfolk Catholic Jr. High School IV Norfolk
Norfolk Catholic High School III Norfolk
Norfolk Jr. High #2 IV Norfolk
Stanton Community Schools III Stanton
Wilber-Clatonia High School III Wilber
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL GOOD (III) JAZZ CHOIR RATINGS
School Level City
Dundy County School III Benkelman
Jones County School III Murdo, So. Dak.
VOCAL SOLO AWARDS
Aquinas Catholic High School, David City - Noah Grady, Natalie Kovar, Mara Yindrick.
Bishop Neumann High School, Wahoo - Veronica Fritsch, Cadin McGuigan, Teresa Quinn, Jack Wyllie.
Bloomfield Community School - Alexandra Eisenhauer, Andrew Hochstein, Madie Ziegler.
Brownell Talbot/Omaha - Alice Chan, Maia Su.
Columbus High School #2 - Jenna Taylor.
Columbus High School # 3 - Olivia Brittenham, Riley Gausman, Sarah Lasso, Alyvia Williams.
Denison (Iowa) High School - Shelby Kastner, Ali Gorman, Antonio Rodriguez.
Glenwood (Iowa) Community School - Dana Cutshall, Shannon Morely, Aubrey Mullanix, Josh Nizmann.
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge - Jaclyn Kempf, Deagan Puppe.
Norfolk Catholic Jr. High - Jonah Ash, Caroline Love.
Norfolk Catholic High School - Addison Carr, Alberto Cartela.
Norfolk High School - Jay Koozer, Cameryn Skiff, Marlee Weidner.
Ord High School - Callee Alexander, Maya Brown, Garrett Severance.
Seward High School - Morgan Craig, Karnie Gottschalk, Michael Perry, Wyatt Swanson.
Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa - Tyson Bentley, Gabe Russell.
York High School - Leah Davis.
INSTRUMENTAL SOLO AWARDS
Aurora High School #1 - Daniel Helzer-Mellophone, Jeremy Hunter-Tenor Sax, Alex Peters-Trumpet.
Aurora High School #2 - Layton Hohm-Alto Sax.
Blair High School - Caleb Funk-Alto Sax, Kyle Gross-Trumpet, Peter Lux-Trumpet.
Brownell Talbot#1/Omaha - Allie Froendt-Trumpet, Henrick Nelson-Drums, Calvin Snyder-Bass.
Elk Point-Jefferson/Elk Point, So. Dak. - Claire LaFerrier-Trumpet, Ella LaFerrier-Tenor Sax.
Glenwood High School # 2/Glenwood, Iowa - Spencer Ford-Tenor Sax.
Hartington-Newcastle High School - Seth Pinkelman-Trombone, Alan Santiago-Alto Sax, Isaac Santiago-Alto Sax.
Homer Community School - Shelby Benson-Trombone, Bradie Johnson-Trumpet.
Millard South High School #1/Omaha - Sam Christensen-Trombone, Jackson Phinse-Alto Sax, Davin Seeger-Vibes.
Millard South High School #2/Omaha - Gabriella Barrientes-Voice, Vincent Rotolo-Trumpet.
Norfolk Catholic Jr. High - Caroline Love-Trumpet.
Norfolk Jr. High #1 - Parker Rabbass-Trumpet, Brynn Sterud-Vibes.
Norfolk Jr. High #2 - Ryker Dahlkoelter-Trombone, Brooklyn Dickey-Alto Sax.
Norfolk High School # 1 - Tyler Wisnieski-Flugelhorn.
Norris High School/Firth - Seth Andre-Guitar, Rath Jen-Piano.
Pender High School - Easton Dutcher-Guitar, Evan English-Trumpet.
Pierce High School - Alexus Sindelar-Trumpet, Spencer Sindt-Trombone.
Ponca Public School - Lucas Hoesing-Tenor Sax, Matthew Lente-Trombone.
South Sioux City High School - Pierce Gavin-Bass, Tanner Miller-Bari Sax, Angel Rodriguez Villalobas-Trombone.
Stanton Community School - Shelby Jenkins-Alto Sax.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Members of the Norfolk High School Show Choir “Velocity” perform during Northeast’s Community College’s 40th Annual Jazz Festival. The group took first place in the Level I Show Choir category. The two-day event, sponsored by the Northeast Music Department, drew 77 musical groups featuring 1,532 students from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.