High school bands bring their swing to Maplerock Jazz Festival at Ashland U

ASHLAND − Sounds of toe-tapping jazz music filled Hugo Young Theatre for several hours Friday afternoon as young musicians put their musical prowess on display for the 42nd showing of the Maplerock Jazz Festival.

Held in Ashland University’s Center for the Arts, high school jazz bands from Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Ashland, Galion and Crestview offered the audience familiar standards, including “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “I Got Rhythm."

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During the show, the bands also showcased solo performances from musicians.

In addition to performing, each jazz band participated in a half-hour workshop with guest artists who helped the young musicians fine-tune their individual playing skills and also learn to play better together as a group.

Capping off the evening was the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra, directed by Scott Garlock, who is also a professor of music at the university.

The orchestra incorporated several guest artists who led clinics for the high school students in the afternoon.

According to a university news release, these artists are Rob Parton (trumpet), Christopher Burge (saxophone), Jackie Warren (piano) and Sammy DeLeon (Latin percussion).

Garlock said the festival is one of the oldest jazz festivals in Ohio, and is named for the process by which the region’s indigenous people extracted maple syrup, the release states.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: High school bands bring their swing to Maplerock Jazz Festival