Jazz bands play NEIBA

Cedar Falls Jazz One and Jazz Too! wil play during the NEIBA Festival on March 4. Both of the jazz bands will be performing at Waterloo West High School for the NEIBA Jazz Festival, with the Jazz Too, directed by Gerald Ramsey, playing first at 1:45 p.m. and Jazz One, directed by Kyle Engelhardt, performing at 3:50 p.m. 

A handful of jazz bands around Iowa schools will participate in this year’s NEIBA, including Cedar Falls, Waterloo West, Linn-Mar, CR Kennedy, CR Prairie, CR Washington and Clinton. 

“I vastly enjoy jazz, and I think my enjoyment has only increased since I started playing Jazz One, and I think I’ve just progressed in my cleanliness and understanding of playing,” senior alto saxophone player August Phillis said. “It’s hard to say what in specific I’ve learned about jazz. I’ve always had a knack for getting the feel of jazz down. I’d say I just understand articulation a bit more, and I think I have a better grasp of how to make improv sound good.”

Students in the jazz bands are encouraged to help load the percussion equipment into a truck to transport to Waterloo West at 11:15 a.m., and students will be arriving an hour later at 12:15 p.m. When the performances from both CFHS jazz bands are over, equipment will be loaded back onto the truck and transported to Cedar Falls at 4:35 p.m. The awards ceremony will be held at 5:05 p.m. 

“My favorite thing about improving and playing music is getting to listen and play with people who are much more talented than I,” Phillis said, “and considering Luther Is one of the top music schools in Iowa, I’m very excited to be a part of their program!”

A photoshoot will take place at 2:10 p.m. with all the band students. Parents and families will be able to place orders for photos as well.