BYU-Idaho's Music Department is ready to present its 25th annual Jazz Festival. Once a year the department hosts the annual Jazz Fest, inviting guest artists to come on campus, perform with BYU-Idaho’s premier big band and lead various clinics. Past guest artists include The Jeff Hamilton Trio, Ingrid Jensen, Bob Mintzer and Derrick and Vincent Gardner. This year’s guest performer will be Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana.
However, to put on a grand event such as the Jazz Festival it takes more than the elite university jazz ensemble and professional jazz artist. In a recent BYU-Idaho Radio interview, Aaron Miller, the director of the Jazz Festival said 12 to 13 local school bands will come to campus too.
“They get to feel what BYU-Idaho is all about and have a great experience with our bands, and hear our program,” Miller said, “but also getting to perform (their music) and get some feedback from the clinicians that we bring in.”
Miller also said that attending the Jazz Festival allows attendees to notice talented musicians’ distinctive qualities.
“This music teaches you so much about diversity and looking for unique voices and celebrating people's uniqueness, which I think is actually an important thing for all of us, is to look for the good in others and recognize what's special about them and celebrate that and not try to push that away,” he said.
The festival is Feb. 22 - 24. The special guest, Aldana, will play with the university’s own Sound Alliance and Faculty Ensemble on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the BYU-Idaho Center. Tickets for the Jazz Festival are available at the ticket office in the BYU-Idaho Bookstore inside the Manwaring Center or online at byui.edu/ticket-office/.