Peacock Jazz Band Fundraising and Performing

Moose Jaw is used to hosting school bands during the month of May for the annual Moose

Jaw Band and

Choral Festival, but this year Peacock Jazz Band has taken on performing at the Vic

Lewis Festival in

Canmore, AB in early November.

“It is really difficult to get the band ready to play this early in the year” says Cameron Church director of the band. “Often in jazz band students are not only exploring music in a new style, but often are playing a second instrument, dealing with the intricacies that come with that. Students are challenged to not just read the music, but also create their own as they improvise in solo sections. A big band requires fewer people on a part which helps each student to gain greater independence and confidence in their own playing abilities, but that also increases the pressure to have your own part learned.”

The band is comprised of 15 students in grade 9-12 in the music program. Through the last few years the band has had a chance to perform with Kelly Jefferson, RCAF Jet Stream and will perform this year with the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra at the Mae Wilson Theatre.

“A festival opportunity like Vic Lewis is unique for our students because they will have not just a performance opportunity and full band clinic, but they will have instrument specific clinicians working alongside of them on top of that. We also get to hear a couple of concerts featuring the clinicians at the festival. You never know what experience or musical sound will inspire a student.”

Students have been fundraising through bottle drives, pizza sales and other fundraisers. If you would like to hear the band perform, they will be featured on a December 14th concert at the Mae Wilson Theatre along with the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra. Tickets for that event can be purchased through the Mae Wilson box office.