Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie CSD

A pair of local high school jazz bands will be going to Ames to compete in the Iowa Jazz Championships. Jazz bands from Mid-Prairie and Winfield-Mount Union high schools locked in their places over the weekend. They competed in the Southeast Iowa Band Association District Jazz Festival in Iowa City. The Wolves took second place in class 1A. The Golden Hawks finished in first place in class 2A. Last year at state, Mid-Prairie finished seventh in class 2A, their highest finish in school history. Winfield-Mount Union is looking to keep a strong tradition after placing in the top five in class 1A in three of the last four years, including securing a championship in 2016.

Band Instructor Casey Dirksen says her students are eager to carry the tradition of success, “I think something that gets the kids excited to be in jazz band is that it’s a successful group. So many kids want to be in jazz band when they start band, that’s something they’re already thinking about. So I think that’s something that draws them in at a younger age.” The Iowa Jazz Championships will be April 2nd at Iowa State University.