Burnside High School Big Band wins Essential NZ Jazz Band competition

On Saturday, some 230 high school musicians from across the country traveled to the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī, Victoria University of Wellington, for the first Young Jazz Band-it school jazz competitions.

The Young Jazz Band-it initiative is a joint venture between Youthtown and Aotearoa Jazz Education & Performance Charitable Trading Trust (AJE&PCT) and is supported by Musicworks NZ and the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī.

Ten high school big bands competed in the Essential NZ Jazz Band Competition finals, with Burnside High School Big Band from Christchurch winning first place, receiving a $6,000 prize from Musicworks NZ. Second place went to Palmerston North Boy’s High School Big Band, which took home $2,500 from Musicworks, and third place went to Tauranga Boy’s College Big Band, which received a $1,500 prize from Musicworks.

The
New Zealand Drum Improv Competition with a $750 prize from Musicworks was won by Sho Woodhouse, again from Burnside High School.

William Kao of Burnside High School won first place in the New Zealand jazz improvisation Competition with a $750 prize from Musicworks. Monet Schutte of Burnside High School was second, winning the $500 prize, and Jack Ta of Logan Park High School in Dunedin was third, receiving $250.

First place in the New Zealand Jazz Composition Competition (Combo Section), a competition rewarding the best jazz piece composed by one or more students from a New Zealand school and performed by a school jazz band, was awarded to “Chicks from Corea”, from Burnside High School who received a $1,000 prize.

‘Fruju Peak’ from Northcote College in Auckland was placed second and received a prize of $500.

Rodger Fox, Director of Young Jazz Band-it Competitions, said: “What a day, it was so encouraging and inspiring to hear these young musicians playing, making great music together in such a supportive environment. Many thanks to all the music teachers, band managers and family members who made this all possible.

“A big shout out to Youthtown for funding the Young Jazz Band-it competitions through the Aotearoa Jazz Education & Performance Charitable Trading Trust Inc., to Musicworks NZ for offering the generous prizes and to the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī for hosting the event.

“Congratulations to the winners, to those selected as finalists and a big thank you to everyone who participated in the competition.

“We now look forward to the Young Jazz Band-it 2023 competitions with entries opening towards the end of November.”

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