Thanks to the student musicians, band directors, chaperons, family, and community members who attended the 60^th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival from January 25-27. Nearly 60 middle school and high school jazz bands performed and delighted the appreciative audience—from toddlers to seniors. I’m pleased to announce the 2024 Jazz Festival results. 

The top award of the competition is the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy, named after the Clark College band instructor who brought the jazz festival to our campus so many years ago.  

Top award: 2024 Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy: Bothell High School Jazz 1, Bothell 

View the Results

Middle School Silver Division Jazz Ensemble: 

• 1^st place: Beaumont Middle School, Portland 
• 2^nd place: Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground 
• 3^rd place: Eckstein Middle School, Seattle 

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musicians: 

Aspire Middle School, Lacey 

• Dylan Her  
• Nate Richardson 

Beaumont Middle School, Portland 

• Marilyn Ruthruff 
• Iris Ruthruff 
• Nate Lyon 

Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis 

• Ben Mittge  
• Maxton Hill 

Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground 

• Gavin DeMoss 
• Eli Lennick 

Eckstein Middle School, Seattle 

• Emily Chen  
• Ellie Bailey  
• Margo Cox  
• Oren Sternberg 

Hockinson Middle School, Brush Prairie 

• Oliver Armstrong 

Laurin Middle School, Battle Ground 

• Cody Halley 
• London Coy 

Liberty Middle School, Camas 

• Rowan Armintrout 
• Charlotte Summers 
• Katie Evert 

Skyridge Middle School, Camas 

• Elliot Foster 
• Daniel Liu  
• Jacob Weinstock 

South Whidbey Middle School, Langley 

• Lhamo Doryang 
• Judah Macarro 
• Dante Churchill 

Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver 

• Danica Jahr  
• Zach Pan 

View Ridge Middle School, Ridgefield 

• Lizzy Bloom 

Wy’east Middle School, Vancouver 

• Tyson Ruark 
• Henry Ormson 

A Division—Outstanding Jazz Ensemble:      

• 1^st place: South Whidbey High School, Langley 
• 2^nd place: Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver 
• 3^rd place: Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground 

A Division—Outstanding High School Musicians: 

Adna Middle/High School, Adna 

• Jordan Stout  
• Myra Medina 

Columbia High School, White Salmon 

• Anna Zendt – Columbia High School, White Salmon 
• August Peterson – Columbia High School, White Salmon 

Concordia Christian Academy, Tacoma 

• Danny McCarthy 
• Jason Nguyen 

Henrietta Lacks High School, Vancouver 

• Jeremy Solis  
• Graham Rank  

La Center High School, La Center 

• Kristin Dunlap 
• Dominic Stub  
• Aleks Chygasov 

Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver 

• Joseph DiPrima 
• Parker Zaemann 
• Kyler Dixon  
• Stephen Samwel 

South Whidbey High School, Langley 

• Olin Nelson 
• Corbyn Orchard 

Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground 

• Lincoln Toland 
• Jackson Pierce 
• Basil Middlemas  

Woodland Middle/High School, Woodland 

• Stacti Dore 
• Emma McCaullough  
• Sam Purcell  
• Harland Wakefield  

AA Division—High School Jazz Ensemble: 

• 1^st place: Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie 
• 2^nd place (tie): Richland High School Freshman, Richland 
• 2^nd place (tie): Lakewood High School, Lakewood 

AA Division—Outstanding Middle School and High School Musicians:  

Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground 

• Hayden McCarty 
• Chloe Kalson 

Bishop Blanchet High School, Seattle 

• Zandy Owens 

Columbia River High School, Vancouver 

• Preston White 

Heritage High School, Vancouver 

• Naomi Halbrook 
• Cynthia Reyes-Mendoza  
• Jocelyn Cole 

Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie 

• Thilo Kluth  
• Jack Smith  
• Levi Brown 
• Adam Haunreiter  
• Blake Bruning 

Lakewood High School, North Lakewood 

• Leo Sandoval  
• Isaias Fuentes-Palominos 

Richland High School, Richland 

• Henry Van Mason 
• Victor Zinchuk 

Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield 

• Michael Grove  

W.F. West High School, Chehalis 

• Amanda Linwood  
• Parker Morrison  

AAA Division—High School Jazz Ensemble:             

• 1^st place: Heritage High School Jazz I, Vancouver 
• 2^nd place: Bothell High School Jazz II, Bothell 
• 3^rd place: Battle Ground High School Intermediate Jazz I, Battle Ground 

AAA Division—Outstanding High School Musicians: 

Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground 

• Logan Gillespie  
• Janae Clark 

Bothell High School, Bothell 

• Christian Oversvee-Choi  
• Nathan Bardsley  
•  Sachita Kadievelu  
• Aliah Bragg 

Grant High School, Portland 

• Nathan Lauruhn 

Heritage High School, Vancouver 

• Gavin Williamson 

Kamiak High School, Mukilteo 

• Heidi Anderson  
• Ryan Jackson 

Ingraham High School, Seattle 

• Maggie Roth  
• Felix Lewis 

Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens 

• Allison Llubit  
• Mark Rodeheaver 

Prairie High School, Battle Ground 

• Kyle Davenport  
• Judah Bollock 

Richland High School, Richland 

• Cannon West  
• Tyler Hornell 

Skyview High School, Vancouver 

• Liam Purcell 
• Cadence Sempk 

Union High School, Camas  

• Cooper Givens  
• Kieran Iyer  

Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver 

• Sam Arslanian  
• McKelvey Brewer 

AAAA Division—High School Jazz Ensemble:          

• 1^st place: Bothell High School Jazz I, Seattle 
• 2^nd place: Lake Stevens High School Jazz I, Lake Stevens 
• 3^rd place: Grant High School Jazz I, Portland 

AAAA Division—Outstanding High School Musicians: 

Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground 

• Andie Townsend 
• Carter Stafford 

Bothell High School, Bothell 

• Dylan Reed  
• Thomas Holmes  
• Aaron Mamula 
• Nicholas Ang 

Buchanan High School, Clovis, Calif. 

• Kono Tiyaamornwong  
• Will Damrose  
• Trevor Nix 

Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds 

• Gavin Bunbury  
• Addisyn Johnson 

Grant High School, Portland 

• Sasha Burns  
• Xander Buck  
• Oli Rangle 

Ingraham High School, Seattle 

• Henry Goss  
• Nathan Doyle 

Kamiak High School, Mukilteo 

• Ethan Park  
• Ian Park 

Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens 

• Phineas Ruji  
• Jack Santos 

Richland High School, Richland  

• James Brady  
• Henry Rice  

Skyview High School, Vancouver 

• Alejandro Santana  
• Sean Malcom  

Union High School, Camas 

• Izzy Cryan  
• Evelyn Lo  

If you’re a fan of jazz, you’re in for a treat, thanks in large part to the dedication of Dr. Doug Harris and the intrepid Shelly Williams, who bring the Clark College Jazz Festival to our campus every year. 

Clark College will host the 60th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival in three full days of exhilarating big band jazz on Thursday through Saturday, January 25-27 in the Gaiser Student Center at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.  

Middle and high school jazz ensembles from Washington and Oregon are scheduled to perform in addition to a new attraction, a ticketed fundraising concert by the Grammy-nominated The One O’Clock Lab Band^® from the University of North Texas on Wednesday, January 24. The Clark College Jazz Band will kick off the fundraiser event at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 if purchased online through Jan 22 and $25 (cash only) at the door. All proceeds from the festival will go directly to student scholarships. View ticket info. 

“We are so excited to present this year’s Clark College Jazz Festival, now celebrating our 60^th anniversary. We are adding new attractions to this year’s festival,” said Clark’s Director of Bands and Festival Director Dr. Doug Harris. “We are thrilled to present the University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band^® directed by Alan Baylock. This band is recognized as the preeminent collegiate big band in the world—and has held that distinction for decades. It will be a performance no jazz lover will want to miss.” 

Special festival performances by the Clark College Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Harris:

• 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 25 
• 7:45 p.m. on Friday, January 26 with guest soloist Yamaha trumpet artist Allen Vizzutti  
• 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 27 

Another new event is that legendary trumpet player Allen Vizzutti will appear with the Clark College Jazz Band on Friday night. Harris said, “I first heard Allen when I was a freshman at the University of Florida and was amazed, as I’m sure our audience will be.” 

The three-day event will culminate with last year’s Beacock Award-winning band, Mountain View High School Jazz I, directed by Sam Ormson performing on Saturday night. 

Competition Highlights  

During this year’s competition, 56 middle and high school jazz ensembles from Washington and Oregon are scheduled to perform in this year’s competition with trophies presented to the top three jazz ensembles for middle schools and division A through division AAAA high schools.  

Individual outstanding musician awards will be presented at the end of each division’s preliminary competitions. On Saturday evening, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award will be presented to one outstanding band selected from the entire festival.   

Dr. Harris said the event is not just a competition, but also a learning opportunity for the young musicians to participate in “valuable clinics from an outstanding group of jazz educators.” 

The clinicians are Dr. Nate Jorgensen, Director of Jazz Studies at the University of New Hampshire on Thursday, and Seattle-based Yamaha artist Allen Vizzutti on Friday. 

Overview – Clark College Jazz Festival

(Complete Jazz Festival schedule) 

• Special! Wednesday, January 24: The festival will kick off with a 7:30 p.m. ticketed fundraising concert by The One O’Clock Lab Band from the University of North Texas 
• Thursday, January 25: Middle school bands and Division A high school bands 
• Friday, January 26: Division AA high school bands  
• Saturday, January 27: Division AAA high school bands and Division AAAA high school bands 

Admission is $10 per day. Clark College students and children under 12 accompanied by an adult will be admitted free of charge.  

About Guest Artists   

Yamaha Artist Allen Vizzutti has performed in 70 countries and every U.S. state with notable artists and ensembles including Chick Corea, Doc Severinsen, NBC Tonight Show Band, Army Symphony Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Woody Herman, New Tokyo Philharmonic, Budapest Radio Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Leipzig Wind Symphony, and Slovenian National Orchestra. The Seattle-based musician is also a composer and recording artist. 

Nominated for seven Grammy Awards, The One O’Clock Lab Band^® from the University of North Texas jazz studies program is noted for its exceptional individual musicianship and tight ensemble performance. The band has performed throughout the U.S. and in 18 countries. The band also has performed at major jazz festivals, including Monterey, and at major jazz venues, including Birdland in New York City.  

About Clark College Jazz Festival   

Dr. Doug Harris has been director of bands at Clark College since Fall 2018. Previously, he was assistant director of bands at Western Kentucky University, director of bands at Santa Clara University and Southern Utah University and a high school band director in Florida. Harris received his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Florida and his Master of Arts and Doctor of Arts degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. As a freelance trumpet player, Dr. Harris has performed with the Madison Scouts, Sacramento Mandarins, Teal Sound and Suncoast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps. He is an active clinician, adjudicator, composer, arranger, and transcriber.  

History of the Clark College Jazz Festival  

• 1962: The beginning: Hud­son’s Bay High School band director, Don Cammack, organized a one-day high school stage band invitational, the Southwest Washington Jazz Festival, for schools from Clark and Skamania counties.  
• 1962-1969: The festival was organized by Vancouver and Evergreen public schools. Fort Vancou­ver High School and Evergreen High School took turns hosting. In the early days, trophies were made by middle school band director Jack Ager, who constructed musician figures from miscellaneous hardware and car parts. 
• 1965: The festival grew to include bands from 8 high schools and 3 junior high schools. The program, called Jazz at the Fort, was directed by music educator Dale Beacock. 
• 1970: Dale Beacock, then band director at both Clark College and Fort Vancouver High School, held the invitational Clark Stage Band Contest for the first time at Clark College. This inaugural event hosted 17 high school jazz bands with preliminary competitions held in the Gaiser Hall dining area, with finals in the gymnasium. Beacock’s vision of a competitive jazz showcase for schools throughout Washington and greater Portland promoted the growth of the festival.  
• 1971: The festival grew to 32 bands held over two days.  
• 1976: The number of participating bands grew to 52, welcoming bands from Oregon and Idaho. 
• 1985: Chuck Ramsey became festival coordinator, a position he held for 22 years. He brought consistency to festival operations, increased student involvement, set the ground­work for the educational enhancement, leadership, teamwork, and a sense of ownership by Clark student volunteers.  
• 2008: Richard Inouye became festival director. His professional and educational experience brought a new dynamic by encouraging a focus on jazz education and using technology to promote community awareness, public support, and streamline festival operations.  
• 2012: Clark College Jazz Festival celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. Highlights included the Clark College Alumni Band directed by Chuck Ramsey featuring Clark band alumni from three generations of Clark band directors. Beacock and Ramsey were presented Legacy Sweepstakes Awards for their historic contributions to the festival.  
• 2013: The festival went international, welcoming two bands from Tsawwassen, B.C. 
• 2021-2022: The festival was on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• 2024: The 60^th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival welcomes 56 middle and high school jazz ensembles, more than 1,200 student musicians and more than 3,000 people during the three-day event.  

For Jazz Festival details, contact Shelly Williams, 360-992-2662 or sjwilliams@clark.edu 

Useful links: 

• Purchase Jazz Festival tickets here 
• University of North Texas’ The One O’Clock Lab Band^® (Jan. 24 fundraising concert) 
• Clinicians Nate Jorgensen (Thursday) and Yamaha Artist Allen Vizzutti (Friday) 
• 60^th Jazz Festival memorabilia merchandise 
• Donate to the Clark College Jazz Festival here 
• View the schedule for all Clark College Music Department 2024 concerts. 

Photos (unless noted): Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Every year during the last weekend of January, the Clark College Jazz Festival fills Gaiser Hall with swinging tunes from middle and high school bands. This year was no exception, with a total of 1,116 students from 55 schools flocking to the highly regarded festival–including some from as far away as Alaska.

But among the bright jazz tunes were a few bittersweet notes, for this festival marked the last to be helmed by music professor Richard Inouye.

On Saturday night, at the conclusion of the AAA and AAAA Finals, President Robert Knight got on stage to recognize Inouye for his 11 years of service with Clark College as the Director of Bands. Knight praised his teaching in the classroom, his conducting skills with Concert Band and the Jazz Ensemble, his leadership of the Annual Jazz Festival, and his committee and leadership work across the campus.  President Knight presented Richard with a collage canvas print of the colored jazz festival covers which were directed by Inouye during his tenure.

Behind the scenes, Clark students decorated the festival’s “green room” with some of their favorite “Richisms,” including, “Own it, fix it,” “Results, not excuses,” “You set the tone,” and “Rhythmic resistance.”

The 56th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival’s Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy was awarded to Mead High School Jazz Band I from Spokane, Washington. Other honorees included:

Thursday Middle School Silver Division jazz ensemble finals results:

• 1^st place – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA
• 2^nd place – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
• 3^rd place – Chief Umtuch Middle School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA

Blue Division Judge’s Award – Chief Umtuch Middle School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musician certificates were presented to:

• Parker Bruning – Hockinson Middle School, Hockinson, WA
• Adam Haunreiter – Hockinson Middle School, Hockinson, WA
• Connor Cuff – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
• Deitrich Vu – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
• Tai Beaulieu – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
• Mireia Pujol – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA
• Mason Calaway – Wahluke Middle School, Mattawa, WA
• Isaac Moroshan – Laurin Middle School, Vancouver, WA
• Justus Jones – Carmichael Middle School, Richland, WA
• Shelby McCombs – Pleasant Valley Middle School, Vancouver, WA
• Dominic Mendoza – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, WA
• Reagan Speakman – Skyridge Middle School, Camas, WA
• Grady McHenry – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA
• Chris Moore – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
• Nate Moore – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
• Parker Casazza – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA
• Lacy George – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle, WA

Friday, January 26, 2018 A and AA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

A Division:

• 1^st place – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
• 2^nd place – Petersburg High School, Petersburg, AK
• 3^rd place – Woodland High School, Woodland, Wa

Outstanding high school musician awards for the A Division were presented to:

• Jesse Weaver – Douglas High School, Winston, OR
• Noah Pratton – Mcloughlin High School, Milton Freewater, OR
• Ciaran Healey – University Prep, Seattle, WA
• Ursula Sargent – University Prep, Seattle, WA
• Adam Kennedy – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
• Tristan Lowman – Northwinds High School, Port Angeles, WA
• Isaac Hall – Woodland School District, Woodland, WA

AA Division:

• 1^st place – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
• 2^nd place – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
• 3^rd place – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AA Division were presented to:

• Kara Stella – RA Long High School, Longview, WA
• Saunder Borst – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA
• Elaine Scott – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
• Meggie Rodewald – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
• Kaylin Woods – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
• Grant Hobbs – Columbia River High School, Columbia River, WA
• Cade Lilley – Fife High School, Tacoma, WA
• Kaelyn White – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
• Emily Johnson – Washougal High School, Washougal, WA
• Jack Broer – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
• Riley Lyons – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
• Erik Hawkins – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA
• Zeke Dodson – Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA

Saturday, January 27, 2018 AAA and AAAA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AAA Division:

• 1^st place – Mead High School Jazz I, Spokane, WA
• 2^nd place – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
• 3^rd place – Mt. Spokane High School Jazz I, Spokane, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAA Division were presented to:

• Ashton Hemming – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
• Dominic Mendoza – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
• Jacob Khawaja – Lakeridge High School, Lake Oswego, OR
• Penelope Tharp – Lakeridge High School, Lake Oswego, OR
• Isaac Ford – Kelso High School, Kelso, WA
• Tony Brence – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
• Ericka Mecham – Prairie High School, Brush Prairie, WA
• Josh DeQuiroz – Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA
• Ricky Gagliardi – Mead High School, Spokane, WA
• Connor Brennan – Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, WA
• Chris Ramirez – VSAA Focus, Vancouver, WA

AAAA Division:

• 1^st place – Bothell High School Jazz I, Bothell, WA
• 2^nd place –Battle Ground High School Advanced, Battle Ground, WA
• 3^rd place – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAAA Division were presented to:

• Justin Foley – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
• Amy Boedigheimer – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
• Mairead Rising – Glacier Peak High School, Snohomish, WA
• Galin Hebert – Glacier Peak High School, Snohomish, WA
• Hannah Whitlow – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
• Cameron Roche – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
• Anthony Bolden – West Salem High School, Salem, OR
• Mario Esquivel – Chiawana High School, Pasco, WA
• Benito Ramirez – Chiawana High School, Pasco, WA
• Gabe Aldape – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA
• Manuel Aldape – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA
• Chase Williams – Union High School, Camas, WA
• Sean Grimm – Union High School, Camas, WA
• Gary Hobbs – Union High School, Camas, WA
• Gabe Bradley – Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA
• Nick McClatchey – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA
• Preston Lee – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA
• Laney Pham – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA
• Shane Walz – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Shelly Williams contributed this article. Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley.

 

The 56th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival presents three full days of exhilarating big band jazz on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 25-27, 2018 in Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Admission is $5 per day. Clark College students and children under 12 accompanied by an adult will be admitted free of charge.

Sixty middle and high school jazz ensembles from throughout Washington and Oregon are scheduled to perform in this year’s competition with trophies presented to the top three jazz ensembles for middle schools and A through AAAA division high schools. Individual outstanding musician awards will also be presented at the end of each division’s preliminary competitions.  At the end of Saturday evening, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award will be presented to one outstanding band selected from the entire festival.

Preliminary competitions for the 2018 festival will start on Thursday with middle schools from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with middle school finals starting at 5:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, competition will begin at 8:00 a.m. with the A and AA division jazz bands performing on Friday and AAA and AAAA jazz bands taking the stage on Saturday. Finals competitions will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings ending with the trophies presentation.

The Clark College Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Festival Director Richard Inouye, will perform at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, noon and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday. The 2017 Sweepstakes Band, Garfield High School Jazz Band (Seattle, WA), under the direction of Clarence Acox, will hold the spotlight on Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m.

For complete information about the Clark College Music Department concerts featuring the orchestra, band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/index.php.

The History of the Clark College Jazz Festival

The heritage of the Clark College Jazz Festival dates back to 1962 when Hud­son’s Bay H.S. band director, Don Cammack, began organizing a one-day high school stage band invitational for schools from Clark and Skamania coun­ties. Organized by the Vancouver and Evergreen public schools, Fort Vancou­ver H.S. and Evergreen H.S took turns hosting the festival each year. Sponsors of the festival included Southwest Washington Music Association and Lower Columbia River Music Educators Association. In the early years, the trophies were made by middle school band director, Jack Ager, creatively construct­ing musician figures from miscellaneous hardware and car parts! In 1970, Dale Beacock, then the band director at both Fort Vancouver H.S. and Clark Col­lege, held the invitational “Clark Stage Band Contest” for the first time at its current home, Clark College. This inaugural event hosted 17 high school jazz bands with preliminary competitions held in what was then known as the Gaiser Hall dining area, with finals in the gymnasium. Dale’s vision of a competitive jazz showcase for schools throughout Washington and greater Portland pro­moted the growth of the festival and in 1971 the festival grew to 32 bands held over two days on Friday and Saturday. In 1976 the number of participating bands grew to 52, welcoming bands from Oregon and Idaho. In 1985, Chuck Ramsey took over the reigns as Festival Coordinator successfully organizing the festival for the next 22 years. Chuck’s achievements bringing consistency in the operations of the festival and increased student involvement set the ground­work for the educational enhancement, leadership, teamwork, and a sense of ownership the Clark student volunteers experience today. In 2008, Richard Inouye came onboard as Festival Director. His professional and educational experience has brought a new dynamic to the festival by encouraging a focus on jazz education and utilizing technology to promote community awareness, public support, and streamline festival operations. In 2012, the Clark College Jazz Festival celebrated its 50th Golden Anniversary. Highlights of this milestone included the Clark College Alumni Band directed by Chuck Ramsey which fea­tured Clark band alumni from three generations of Clark band directors. Dale Beacock and Chuck were also presented Legacy Sweepstakes Awards for their historic contributions to the festival. Today the Annual Clark College Jazz Fes­tival welcomes 60 middle and high school jazz ensembles, over 1,200 student jazz musicians to the campus, and over 3,000 people to the Vancouver com­munity throughout the three-day event. In 2013, the festival went international welcoming two bands from Tsawwassen, British Columbia!

About the Clark College Music Department

Clark College offers a two-year Associate in Music Degree (DTA/MRP) that includes music theory/ear training, instrumental and vocal performance training, and ensemble experience. Classes are designed to prepare the music major for advanced studies at a four-year institution while providing the non-major with the skills and background to fully enjoy music as a cultural pursuit. Ensembles on campus include three choral groups, orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble. Three tenured and several adjunct faculty, provide professional instruction to the 500+ students that pass through Beacock Music Hall each year.

Three days, 57 bands, and more than a few firsts–the 54th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival had plenty to keep people entertained. The event, which draws jazz bands from middle and high schools around the region, kept Gaiser Student Center swinging with big-band music January 28-30.

For 2016, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy was awarded to Battle Ground High School Advanced Jazz Band, Battle Ground, Washington. This is the first time Battle Ground had taken the Sweepstakes trophy in at least a decade. Many of the band’s members have been directed by Greg McKelvey since middle school.

In other surprises, La Center–which had not been to the festival in more than 10 years–took third place in the A division. In the AA division, a newcomer to the festival, South Whidbey High, took first place, ending Hockinson High’s five-year tenure at the top.

Find out about more Clark College music events coming up during winter quarter.

RESULTS

Thursday, January 28, 2016 middle school jazz ensemble finals results:

• 1^st place – Jane Addams Middle School, Seattle
• 2^nd place – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle
• 3^rd place – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground and Beaumont Middle School, Portland OR

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musician certificates were presented to:

Lukas Miller, VSAA; Evan Siegel, VSAA; Tanner Linton, Hockinson; Ashton Hemming, Chief Umtuch; Dominic Mendoza, Chief Umtuch; George Fulton, Eckstein; Anna Thilke, Eckstein; Aiden Shapero, Eckstein; Colin Brace, Jane Addams; Jack Atwater, Jane Addams; Hannah McCollum, Beaumont; Aaron Freedman, Beaumont; Alex Wagstaff, Beaumont; Owen Traw, Beaumont.

Friday, January 29, 2016 A and AA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

A Division

• 1^st place – Creswell I High School, Creswell, OR
• 2^nd place – Northwinds Homeschool, Port Angeles
• 3^rd place – La Center High School, La Center

AA Division

• 1^st place – South Whidbey High School, Langley
• 2^nd place – Hockinson High School, Hockinson
• 3^rd place – Mead II High School, Spokane

Outstanding high school musician awards for the A Division were presented to:

Gabe Pol, VSAA; Aubrey Hatch, Creswell 2; Diego Romero, McLaughlin; Brendan Smith, McLaughlin; Adam Kennedy, Northwinds; Claire Henninger, Northwinds; Tyrelle Massey, Woodland.

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AA Division were presented to:

Lorenzo Ponce, Ridgefield; Vincent DePiuto, Central Catholic; Connor Brennan, Mt. Spokane; Kent Stricker, Colombia River; Liam Twomey, South Whidbey; Nick Torres, Washougal; Nick Baciuc, Hockinson.

Saturday, January 30, 2016 AAA and AAAA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AAA Division

• 1^st place – Mead High School, Spokane
• 2^nd place – Roosevelt II High School, Seattle
• 3^rd place – Meadowdale High School, Lynwood

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAA Division were presented to:

Nikki Anderson, Bothell II; Hunter Coleman, Mountain View II; Gabe James, Mead I; Michael Galeotti, Mead I; Jacob Volz, Meadowdale; Carter Eng, Roosevelt II.

AAAA Division

• 1^st place – Battle Ground High School Advanced Jazz, Battle Ground
• 2^nd place – Roosevelt I High School, Seattle
• 3^rd place – Garfield High School, Seattle

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAAA Division were presented to:

Mariah Jones, Kelso; Jacob Sanders, Chiawana; Steve Montecucco, Battle Ground; Brandon Pressley, West Salem I; Calvin Huynh, Bothell; Santosh Sharma, Roosevelt I; Isaac Poole, Garfield.

Photo: Clark College/Shelly Williams

From January 30 through February 1, Gaiser Student Center was swinging with the sounds of big-band jazz during Clark College’s renowned Jazz Festival. The event brought 60 jazz bands from middle and high schools around the region to compete in multiple divisions.

But while the sounds were big, some of the musicians were still quite small: The first day of this annual tradition was devoted entirely to middle school performers. Festival director and Clark College music professor Rich Inouye explained the importance of including these young performers in the competition.

“Encouraging jazz performance at the middle-school level is very important to ensuring young people realize how important jazz music is to our culture,” he said. “The style and characteristics of the music promote independence of thought, self-discipline, responsibility, communication, and teamwork, and the festival environment not only allows them to strive for excellence in their performance, but also allows them to listen to the excellence their peers from the other schools represent.”

On Friday night, before the A and AA awards were announced, Inouye gave the gathered competitors another source of inspiration: Before he led the Clark College Jazz Ensemble through their own performance, he introduced his students by name and said which high school each had attended, illustrating how many had come from A and AA schools. The crowd cheered loudly as the names of their schools were mentioned.

“I have been fortunate to have all the high school directors in the area encourage their students to perform in my bands at Clark,” Inouye said later. “I appreciate all the students who have chosen to come to Clark to play in our bands, but in the last couple years I have had the privilege of getting the top musicians from smaller schools in the outlying areas. The Greater Vancouver-area high schools have some of the strongest band programs in the country … but having been the product of a small, rural school myself, I do have affinity for the smaller, outlying schools. I believe the mix of these students with some of the students from the larger schools is what provides the excitement and distinction for what we do here.”

Now in its 52nd year, the Clark College Jazz Festival is one of Southwest Washington’s largest jazz festivals. Trophies are presented in all divisions, and individual outstanding musician awards are presented at the end of each day’s preliminary competitions. On Saturday evening, the the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award is presented to one outstanding band selected from the entire festival.

 

 

For 2014, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy was awarded to Garfield High School from Seattle, Washington.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 middle school jazz ensemble finals results:

1^st place – Eckstein Middle School from Seattle, Washington
2^nd place – Beaumont Middle School from Portland, Oregon
3^rd place – Hamilton International Middle School from Seattle, Washington

Special recognition went to Washington Middle School from Seattle, Washington, for being asked to perform in the evening finals.

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musician certificates were presented to:

Hannah Wells and Joseph Gardner from Aspire Middle School, Lacey, Washington
Milli McFall, Misae Nguyen from Hamilton International Middle School, Seattle, Washington
Brayton Sobolewski and Daniel Conway from Vancouver School of Arts and Academics Middle School, Vancouver, Washington
Eltan Davis and Sammie Wiegand from Beaumont Middle School, Portland, Oregon
Marco Thompson from Washington Middle School, Seattle, Washington
Kai Despain, Sean Bowman, Julia Tanner, Austin Isgrig, and David Maltby from Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, Washington
Katriana Armstrong and Vanessa Gress from Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, Washington
Jerich Embleton from Creswell Middle School, Creswell, Oregon
Shermon Mattson from Pleasant Valley Middle School, Vancouver, WA
Shane Walz, Morgan Kennedy, and Ainsle Cromer from Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, Washington
Skyler Verity from Laurin Middle School, Vancouver, Washington

Friday, January 31, 2014 A and AA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

A Division:
1^st place – Ridgefield High School Jazz I, Ridgefield, Washington
2^nd place – Woodland High School, Woodland, Washington
3^rd place – Astoria High School, Astoria, Oregon

AA Division:
1^st place – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, Washington
2^nd place – Fife High School from Tacoma, Washington
3^rd place – Washougal High School from Washougal, Washington

Outstanding high school musician awards for the A Division were presented to:

John Mcgee from Philomath High School, Philomath, Oregon
Devin Van Laar from Trout Lake High School, Trout Lake, Washington
Nick Bischoff from Ridgefield High School II, Ridgefield, Washington
Nathan Mitchell and Gabrielle Allegri from Ridgefield High School I, Ridgefield, Washington

Outstanding AA high school musician awards for the AA Division were presented to:

T Anderson from Washougal High School, Washougal, Washington
Erin Jones from Fife High School, Tacoma, Washington
Nathan Nyseth and Lillian Quintana from Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, Washington
Jack Tietjen from R.A. Long High School, Longview, Washington
Daniel Kransuler and Jenny Kim from Sammamish High School, Bellevue, Washington

Saturday February 1, 2014 AAA and AAAA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AAA Division:
1^st place – Meadowdale High School from Lynnwood, Washington
2^nd place – Mt. Spokane High School from Spokane, Washington
3^rd place – Mead High School Jazz I, Spokane, Washington

AAAA Division:
1^st place – Garfield High School from Seattle, Washington
2^nd place – Battleground High School from Battleground, Washington
3^rd place – Union High School from Camas, Washington

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAA Division were presented to:

Cormac Liotta Sharma from Roosevelt High School II, Seattle, Washington
Ori Levari from Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Washington
Andrew Sauage and Travis Widmer from Mt. Spokane High School, Spokane, Washington
Lanie Pham form Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, Washington
Jorge Marcia from Vancouver School for the Arts and Academics, Vancouver, Washington

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAAA Division were presented to:

Kaleb Armstrong, Steve Mantecucco, and Nickolas Schell from Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, Washington
Devin Perez from West Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
Isak Washuburn-Gaines, Alice Mar-Abe, and Jack Swigget from Garfield High School, Seattle, Washington
Stephen Reid from Union High School Jazz I, Camas, Washington
Jimmy Root from Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, Washington

Shelly Williams contributed to this article.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

See more photos on Flickr.