Sanford High School senior Hannah Paterson and junior Quang Lam were recently accepted to Jazz All-State.
Jazz All-State is a festival put together by the Maine Music Educators Association. Students from all over the state of Maine audition to be a part of the Jazz festival, which includes an Honors Jazz Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, and Jazz Choir.
Paterson was selected for the Honors Jazz Band, and Lam was accepted into the Jazz Band.
According to SHS Band Director Hailey Francoeur, Paterson and Lam had to prepare the jazz song “Sweet Georgia Brown” for the audition. That included melody, a technical etude based on the song, and then they had to improvise a solo.
They’ll travel to Camden Regional High School for three days in January, working with a special guest conductor and meeting other students from around the state. During their trip, they’ll be able to expand their jazz knowledge and collaborate with other students to perform on the final day.