News
FHS Jazz groups win Gold
The Foxboro High School Jazz Lab Band and Jazz Ensemble both won gold at the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education Southeast District Festival at Stoughton High School, March 5. Both groups will advance to the state finals to be held on March 27 at Framingham High School.
Three members of each band were recognized with outstanding musician citations.
Jazz Lab Band: Celine Haddad – piano, Tristan Ballard – tenor saxophone, and Christopher Kelm – trumpet
Jazz Ensemble: Matt Muirhead – trumpet, Ian Ayers – guitar, Brendan Thomas – tenor saxophone
Matt Muirhead (trumpet) was awarded the Most Valuable Musician citation for all of the Division A Bands.
Fifteen Musicians to Participate in Junior Districts
Students from Foxboro High School and Ahern Middle School were chosen for the Junior District Festival taking place in March. Click here for the complete press release.
FHS Jazz Ensemble heading to NYC
The Foxboro High School Jazz Ensemble has been selected to participate in the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City on May 8-10. In its 15th year, the competition draws applicants from thousands of schools across the country. Fifteen jazz ensembles are selected each year to compete and participate in workshops, jam sessions, and other festival activities. Foxboro has the distinct privilege of having been selected twelve out of the last fifteen years.
For additional information, please see the press release from the Jazz at Lincoln Center or the Essentially Ellington site.
As part of its 15th celebration, Essentially Ellington is inviting past participants (students, directors, parents/guardians, audience members) to complete a survey that will help the organization assess the impact of its program over the years. Please take a few moments and help this program continue to make impact in the lives of Foxboro students.
We also send our hearty congratulations to the King Philip Regional High School Jazz Ensemble, which was also chosen as a finalist.
Local Musicians Earn Top Spots
Congratulations to Matt Muirhead on being chosen to perform in the Grammy Foundation's student jazz ensemble during the week preceding the Grammy Awards. You can read more about it in this Sun Chronicle article.
In addition to that honor, Muirhead was chosen as one of seven students to perform with the Dave Matthews Band on the live broadcast of the Grammy Awards, Sunday, January 31. You can watch that video here. Matt is the fourth from the left on the back row of horns.
A jazz quintet from Foxboro High competed in the Charles Mingus Festival February 12-15, and won Best Combo in the Regular High School Category. The group consists of Connor Schultze on bass, Matt Muirhead on trumpet, Chrisiian Lyman on drums, Brendan Thomas on tenor sax, and Ian Ayers on guitar.
Additional information can be found in the press release from the Mingus Festival, the Mingus site and in the Sun Chronicle.
foxboro musicians demonstrate excellence at districts
Once again, numerous Foxboro musicians auditioned for and were selected to participate in the Southeastern Massachusetts District Festivals. The results from the Senior District Festival are this press release, and the Junior results will be available soon.
FHS Marching Band 2009-2010
Marching band camp was held during the week of August 24. The music for the half-time show this year is a selection from Steely Dan, a popular 1970s band that blended jazz, rock, funk, and R&B. The marching band performs four Steely Dan numbers during their show: "Reelin' in the Years," "Peg," "Josie," and "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number."
The marching band plays for most home games and the Thanksgiving Day Foxboro/Mansfield game. They also march in the Memorial Day Parade and the Founder's Day Parade.
Read more about it here or view the press release.
Photos from this year's marching band camp are available here.