On Saturday, March 3^rd, the Drury Jazz Festival will feature 20 high school ensembles from across the state, as well as performances by each of the Drury jazz ensembles. The event take place in Clara Thompson Hall of Music.

The Drury Jazz Festival is a competitive event that allows students and directors to perform for and receive comments from some of the best jazz musicians and educators in the country. Each band has a 30 minute time slot, and scores will be compared by class and division size.

High school bands will play and compete throughout the day starting at 8:00 a.m. Awards will be presented at the final concert featuring Jazz Ensemble I and Combo I with guest soloists.

Drury University will have four ensembles performing at the festival. Jazz Ensemble II and Combo II will perform from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. Jazz Ensemble I and Combo I will perform at 6:15 p.m. and end around 7:15 p.m.

First, second and third places will be awarded in each of the competitive classes and an outstanding solo award will be given in all classes. Players in all classes are also eligible for Outstanding Musicianship Certificates.

The festival has attracted more high schools than the music hall can accommodate, but Dr. Tina Claussen, director of jazz studies, would like to expand the festival in coming years.

“This year we have 20 high schools playing, which is exciting. We actually had to turn away seven because we don’t have room. The festival is gaining in popularity and it is hard to turn them away but hopefully we can make room for more bands in the future,” said Dr. Claussen.

The festival is not solely limited to the Southwestern part of the state. High school jazz ensembles from all regions of Missouri, as well as some parts of Kansas, will be attending the festival.

“We actually have schools from Columbia, a Kansas City suburb, a few small schools from near St. Louis. We really do have schools from all over the state. I even had an inquiry from Bentonville, Arkansas,” said Claussen.

The Drury Jazz Festival is a historic event that has been around just as long as the Jazz Studies program.

“It’s the longest continuously running jazz festival in Springfield,” said Dr. Claussen. “We’re in our 52^nd year at Drury.”

The Jazz Studies program was added to the Drury Music Department in 1966 when it was founded by Dr. Don Verne Joseph. Dr. Tina Claussen is the fourth and current director of Drury Jazz Studies.

Dr. Claussen has been a music professor at Drury for 14 years, starting in the fall of 2004. She teaches saxophone and jazz studies, and is the current director for the Drury Jazz Festival. She is also the director and lead alto saxophonist of the Springfield-Drury Jazz Orchestra.

All Drury students are welcome to attend the festival and celebrate Drury’s music history. Come spend your Saturday listening to jazz from across the state and see what Drury’s ensembles and combos have been working on this semester!

Article by Delilah Gadd.