The MSU education department will offer a free jazz concert with the MSU Jazz ensemble and Kent Sills High School Jazz ensemble featuring guest performers Harry Waters, trombonist, and Rebecca Koenigberg, soloist, on Thursday, Jan. 30. at 6:30 p.m. in the McComas Hall Theater.
Koenigberg is a MSU faculty member, while Waters has performed with the United States Army blues/jazz ensemble, the “Dukes of Dixieland.”
Directed by department head Michael Brown, the concert will be held in conjunction with the annual MSU Honor Band Festival. The select group of jazz ensemble band members will pay tribute to Brown, once MSU faculty member and University Bands director.
Since the mid-’50s, MSU has held a band clinic, which draws hundreds of high school students from all over Mississippi and neighboring states to Starkville. This year, the competition expects more than 350 participants.
“This is a great recruiting opportunity for MSU band. It gives them the campus life experience, meet our faculty and students and learn more about or band program,” MSU band director Elva Kaye Lance said. ” Many of our current band members attended the band clinic before they started at MSU.”
Honors band clinic will be held Jan. 29 through Feb. 1. The clinic will consist of 320 high school students representing 76 schools.
“The Big Band” consists of five trumpets, five trombones, five saxophones and four in the rhythm section including a piano, a guitar, a bass guitar and drums.
The MSU wind ensemble will take the stage on Jan. 31 in McComas Hall at 8 p.m.
“I think these concerts are going to be pretty good,” MSU senior band member Paul Reeves said.”They’ve got a talented group of people performing, and I think it ‘s going to be a successful event.”
“Come and get a seat early because there should be a packed house,” Brown said.
To end the spectacular week of music, all four bands will play one after another as the grand finale on Feb. 1 in McComas Hall Theatre. Showtime begins at 1 p.m.