Last night, our West Boca jazz bands performed at MPA (Music Performance Assessment). MPA is an adjudicated event where groups perform in front of various judges based on different styles of music in order to get feedback from professionals. By the end, each group earns a rating that ranges from “poor” to “superior”. Our West Boca jazz bands are led by director Larry Shane, and he conducts the 2 groups which are split by the difficulty of the music being played.
Jazz Band 2 played at 5:30, featuring the songs “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris and “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” by Mercer Ellington. The group all showed an understanding of a traditional swing feel, while having impressive soloists, and strong musical balance. The combination of Cha-Cha and Swing styles led the group to getting a superior rating for their performance!
Jazz Band 1 played at 8:30, including the songs “Oclupaca” by Duke Ellington, “The Mooche” by Duke Ellington, and “Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away)” by Van Alexander. Jazz Band 1 has looked at this music for roughly a month, and they only rehearse using the time that they have in first period. All songs held vastly different styles, clarinet features, touches from latin and swing genres. The performance resulted in earning another superior rating for West Boca!
Our West Boca bands have a consistent history of earning superior ratings at MPA due to their strong commitment and work, we look forward to seeing their dedication pay off for many more years to come.
