Manson students perform at jazz festival

On March 8-12 the Manson Jazz Katz embarked on a journey of a lifetime. Early this school year, Manson music director Matt Brown was given authority by superintendent Matt Charlton to search for a National level festival that the Manson Jazz Katz could attend.  After doing some investigating, Brown found the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival in California.  Soon he submitted a recording of the group and within a couple of days, the Katz were accepted to perform on a Performance Spotlight stage at the festival. From exploring Monterey, Calif., seeing the Monterey Aquarium (one of the best in the world), listening to some of the best jazz bands and choirs in the USA, to performing on a national stage, it was an  outstanding trip.  Another point of pride for Manson is that of all of the schools in attendance from around the nation, Manson was the only rural, small school jazz ensemble. It just so happens that a Manson graduate, Michael James, is the director of the Ballard High School Jazz Ensemble, and their performance time was right before Manson.  Brown invited some of their students to come on the stage and perform with the Manson students.  You can see the performance at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FDwD1m24Jo