PORT ANGELES — The Northwinds Homeschool Jazz Band of Port Angeles placed first in the 1-A Division at the Clark College Jazz Festival.
Northwinds trombonist Jared Fodge and trumpet player Adam Kennedy were awarded Outstanding Musician Awards for their instrumental solos at the festival held Jan. 26-28 at the college in Vancouver, Wash.
The band, led by director Dan Tutton, is composed of local homeschooled students from the Port Angeles and Sequim areas and rehearses twice weekly in Port Angeles.
The Jazz Band competed against both public and private school students at the Vancouver festival. The high school 1-A Division is composed of schools with up to 525 students in 10th through 12th grades.
Clark College has hosted the largest jazz festival in southwest Washington for 55 years. Always the last weekend in January, the festival attracts more than 60 middle and high school instrumental jazz ensembles for the three-day competition.
During the day, groups perform to, and receive instruction from, a panel of adjudicators made up of renowned jazz musicians and educators.
Student bands compete for the opportunity to return for the evening finals competition, where they are ranked or awarded first, second or third place.
Northwinds Jazz and Concert Bands participated in the Anaheim Heritage Festival in 2014, where they received two gold awards, one silver award, two maestro awards and the “Spirit of Anaheim” award given to the high school group that best represented their community in a positive way.
The jazz bands and concert bands are currently preparing to return to southern California to perform and compete in both a Heritage Festival and Festival of Gold invitation-only event.
A local free community concert event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, at Independent Bible Church, 116 E. Ahlvers Road in Port Angeles.
