Members of the Honors Jazz Ensemble represented seven Baltimore County high schools.

On January 21 and January 24, in two different venues listening to two different genre of music, audience member after audience member reached the same conclusion: Baltimore County Public Schools produces outstanding musicians.

The event on January 21, held at Franklin High School, was the third annual BCPS Honors Jazz Concert. Before an intimate audience of family and friends, jazz bands from Dulaney High School and Franklin High School and the countywide Honors Jazz Ensemble performed. This year’s Honors Jazz Ensemble included 19 students from seven high schools, all of whom auditioned for their places in the group.

Side by Side Student Musicians

Violin Melanie K., Dulaney High Alena W., Towson High Yang J., Catonsville High Christina Z., Towson High Mary L., Dulaney High Lily L., Loch Raven High Andrew C., Perry Hall High Laura G., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Viola Billy R., Towson High Thomas D., Catonsville High Stephanie S., Towson High Bass Alex H., Pikesville High Wyatt G., Pikesville High Mike G., Pikesville High Flute Marian L., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Ani P., Dulaney High Clarinet Alice L., Perry Hall High Michael H., Dulaney High Oboe Brittany K., Dulaney High Bassoon Alicia B., Perry Hall High Elizabeth A., Dulaney High Trumpet Nicholas C., Owings Mills High Willis S., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Chad G., Franklin High French Horn Zach F., Dulaney High Katelyn C., Parkville High Morgan C., Towson High Trombone Jon G., Perry Hall High Brad O., Owings Mills High Tuba Jamie B., Perry Hall High Percussion Anthony S., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Sarah F., Perry Hall High

While the other bands performed two selections each, the Honors Jazz Ensemble performed eight pieces, including “Gorilla Man Blues,” “In a Mellow Tone,” and “How High the Moon.” Directing the ensemble was guest conductor Dr. N. Keith Wiley, a member of the music faculty at Millersville University, co-founder and leader of the Jazz Ministers Big Band and Combo, and musical director for Hershey Area Playhouse summer productions.

Three days later, 34 high school musicians performed alongside members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Side by Side Concert at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in downtown Baltimore. Andrew Constantine, associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, served as conductor for this third annual Side by Side Concert.

According to Lisa Sheppley, director of education for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, “Side by Side concerts are important to us for many reasons, but one of the most important is the fact that they are the most in-depth, fully interactive experience we offer. We have been programming concerts for young people since 1924. We make all kinds of considerations in order to make the concert experience fully engaging for young people, but the Side by Side concert is the one and only event in which students are able to participate in the music making with the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. This kind of first-hand experience can illustrate precisely what is required from musicians performing at this level. Students have the rare opportunity to experience what it feels like to be a member of a major symphony orchestra. The experience could be compared to a high school football player having the opportunity to play a game with a team from the NFL.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Honors Jazz Ensemble rehearsing for their January 21 concert

The student performers, all members of the county’s high school honors band or orchestra, were selected through a highly competitive audition process. The selected students participated in a master class with members of the BSO and participated in two rehearsals. The honor music students represented Catonsville, Dulaney, Franklin, Loch Raven, Owings Mills, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Pikesville, and Towson high schools.

The concert featured a solo performance of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor by “Young Soloist” Alena W., a Towson High violin student.

The Honors Jazz Ensemble

Alto Saxophone1 – Matt W., Catonsville High Alto Saxophone 2 – Elliott C., Towson High Tenor Saxophone 1 – Daniel W., Carver Center for Arts and Technology Tenor Saxophone 2 – Wils A., Towson High Baritone Saxophone – William S., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Trumpet 1 – Chad G., Franklin High Trumpet 2 – Willis S., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Trumpet 3 – Laura H., Dulaney High Trumpet 4 – Jon S., Towson High Trumpet 5 – Josh C., Pikesville High Trombone 1 – Sam P., Towson High Trombone 2 – Brandon B., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Trombone 3 – Ben H., Towson High Trombone 4 – Byron J., Owings Mills High Guitar – Michael J., Franklin High Piano – Teresa L., Patapsco High and Center for the Arts Bass – Alec H., Pikesville High Vibes/Auxiliary Percussion – Simon H., Franklin High Drum Set – Paul R., Towson High

Approximately 1,500 students from Baltimore County middle and high schools attended the performance. These students prepared for the performance by studying the concert repertoire, which included music by Brahms, Sibelius, and Tchaikovsky.

Music teacher Kate Bradford of Catonsville Middle School called it a “great performance,” and music teacher Kelly Boyle of Arbutus Middle School said that “it was a wonderful concert” and “a wonderful opportunity for our students.”

The collaborative concert was a tribute to the high quality music program in Baltimore County Public Schools.

In 2004, the nation’s leading music education and advocacy organizations honored Baltimore County as one of the 100 top communities in the nation for music education.

Story by Diana L. Spencer, Communications Officer. Photos courtesy the Office of Music.