Old Town High Jazz Ensemble tops at festival

OLD TOWN – The Old Town High School Jazz Ensemble won first place for the fourth year in a row at the Berklee Jazz Festival held in Massachusetts recently. The Jazz Ensemble beat out bands from all over New England and Maine.

Soloists in the Old Town Jazz Band include Clarissa Livingston on tenor sax, Megan Priest on trombone, Jacob Shanley on alto sax, Amy McFalls on trumpet and Cody Gilks on trombone.

Nick Noonan received special recognition, along with three other students, when he took an outstanding soloist award in Division V.

Old Town jazz groups will compete at the State Jazz Festival Friday and Saturday, March 19-20, at Westbrook High School. Approximately 120 middle and high school students from the Old Town School Department, under the direction of Shianne Wheeler, who has won the Middle School Jazz Festival for the past 10 years, will participate in the State Jazz Festival.

The Middle School Jazz Festival will be held at Nokomis High School in Newport Saturday, March 27.