Amidst rows and rows of passionate high-school musicians, all eyes turned to the Harker Jazz Band as they took center stage at the Essentially Ellington Festival held at the Phillips Center of Performing Arts in Florida. The hall buzzed with excitement as talented students converged for an opportunity to showcase their talents on a national stage and immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of jazz history. Harker performed a song from the Ellington repertoire, attended several collaborative jam sessions and received valuable feedback from renowned Lincoln Center clinicians.
Juniors Elena Wang and Miki Mitarai won Outstanding Pianist and Outstanding Vocalist, respectively. Elena enjoyed watching performances and getting exposure to other schools’ jazz programs.
“We watched the top schools in Florida and it was inspiring to hear them play at such a high level,” Elena said. “They were just so passionate about the music and I think everyone in our band felt inspired by that. I enjoyed talking with people from other schools and being able to meet people my age.”
Senior Isha Kotwalar, who has been part of Jazz Band throughout her high school career, echoes these sentiments. She found the trip to be an educational and fun bonding experience with her fellow band members.
“The trip was really significant for me because I’ve been part of Jazz Band for so long so it felt full circle,” Isha said. “It was great to hear other kids play and listen to the panelists. I was able to really form connections with my bandmates after spending the entire day together at the jazz festival. The experience helped us feel much more unified as a band.”
Beyond performances, students were able to attend masterclasses tailored to their instruments, such as the drumming session led by Jason Marsali and Steve Fidyk. Elena admired their unique way of conducting the class.
“The class was taught by Jason Marsali, who is the brother of a really famous trumpet player,” Elena said. “Our music teacher went and he came back really happy about how Jason took the participants on a journey through the history of drums.”
To end the trip, the band went to NASA Kennedy Space Center and visited Disney World. Dr. Dave Hart, co-director of Jazz Band, considers the trip a milestone moment that demonstrates the growth of the program during his time at Harker.
“This is the first time the jazz band has traveled in this capacity and it’s really special,” Hart said. “When I first started, we had a budding jazz program that seemed to be on the cusp of doing some new things. This is the first group of students who have been invited to travel outside of the state of California to participate in a festival. It highlights the progress we’ve made as a program over the last 13-plus years.”