Marble Falls Middle School band jazzed up about ‘Best in Class’ award

SPECIAL TO THE PICAYUNE

MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls Middle School jazz band recently road the waves as the group grabbed “Best in Class” honors at a New Braunfels competition.The Sound Waves Music Festival held at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark gave the Marble Falls students a great opportunity to showcase their abilities and musicianship. And it apparently impressed the judges, who awarded the the group a nice trophy.

“I am very proud of this group for their work ethic, and (I) am very impressed that the musicians help each other, whether working on difficult rhythms or improving solos,” jazz band director Cristi Reyes said. “This group has met every challenge placed before them and achieved greatness during the 2012-2013 school year.”

The jazz band earned Superior Ratings from all three judges.

While somewhat improvisational in nature, jazz still requires that musicians have a solid mastery of their instruments and reading music. The Marble Falls Middle School jazz band members have worked diligently as individuals and as a group to attain the level needed to add the improvisational component while blending with the sound of the other ensemble members.

This is typically referred to as “jamming,” officials said.

By developing these skills at the middle school level, it helps the students flourish in high school-level competitions.

Along with the Sound Waves Music Festival honor, the band has earned numerous accolades this year, including being selected to play at the State Capitol, earning the Award of Excellence at the Georgetown Jazz Festival and having four students selected to the All-Star Jazz Band.

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