The first competition of the jazz band season was this past Saturday, and the Mid-Prairie Jazz Band received high marks. The State Jazz Band Competition was at Clear Creek-Amana High School, and Mid-Prairie’s band was one of only three bands at the competition to receive a I rating. Mid-Prairie Jazz Band Director David Kunz was proud of the band’s performance, but said they still have room for improvement. He said, “We’ve got to work on having better balance in our band. We’ve got to hear the leads in each section. The leads in a jazz band are the first alto (saxophone), the first trombone, and the first trumpet, and we have to make sure that we always can hear them, always can hear the melody. We’ve got to work on even more of the rhythm section really pushing the band, leading the band, always being heard. Just general things like that. But those are all things we are capable of improving.”

Their next event of the season will be at the oldest college jazz festival in Iowa: the Tallcorn Jazz Festival at the University of Northern Iowa on February 17th and 18th. Kunz is looking forward to that event, because they’ll get to meet and listen to jazz bands from around the state. They’ll also participate in clinics with some of the best collegiate jazz educators in Iowa. After that, they will participate in the Coe College Jazz Summit on February 24th, and the District Jazz Contest at Iowa City West High School on March 4th. If they place in the top two at the district competition, they will automatically qualify for the Iowa Jazz Championships on April 4th at Iowa State University.