HOULTON, Maine — The RSU 29 Music Department and Houlton Music Boosters recently held the 2013 Maine State High School Instrumental Jazz Festival on March 15-16, at Houlton High School. Sixty two ensembles, made up of 781 musicians, competed for 80 individual and group awards. 

Ten different adjudicators were involved in the process of evaluating high school jazz combos and jazz bands.

Individual Outstanding Musicianship Awards, placement trophies, and Gold plaques for superior ratings were awarded to various students and ensembles by Maine Music Educator Jazz Vice President Kris Vigue.  The following is a list of all award winners.

For the first time in the history of Maine jazz competitions, the entire two-day event was streamed live on whoufm.com.  All competition videos are archived and posted on whoufm.com.  Fred Grant, owner of Northern Maine Media Inc., WHOU FM Radio, reported that there were 9,370 viewers, 25 states and 15 countries watching over the two days of festival competition.

  “It was great to see such positive comments posted on line regarding streaming this event.  Many grandparents, relatives and friends from all over the United States were able to see the festival, some for the very first time. It was a wonderful way to show the world what is happening for jazz education in the State of Maine!” stated Grant in a press release.

Houlton High School will be the site of next year’s High School State Instrumental Jazz Festival to be held March 14-15, 2014.

The results for 2013 are:

 

Division I Combos

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Elyse Oliver – alto sax – Biddeford

Chuck Key – trombone – South Portland

Alex Quinn – trumpet – South Portland

Alex Han – piano – Falmouth

Katie Osman – drums – Nokomis

 

Gold Awards: Falmouth, South Portland Combo 1

 

Placement Awards

South Portland High School Combo 1, First Place

Falmouth High School Combo, Second Place

Nokomis Regional High School “Abyssinian” Combo, Third Place

 

Division II Combos

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Jacob Caron – piano – Brewer Black Combo

Andrew Corea – alto – Westbrook

Gary Sanville – tenor – Westbrook

Alex Ouellette – drums – Fryeburg

Riley Marquis – flute – Old Town

 

Gold Awards: Brewer “Black”, Fryeburg Academy “New Standard”, Old Town Combo 1, Westbrook Combo 1

 

Placement Awards

Westbrook High School Combo 1, First Place

Fryeburg Academy “New Standard” Combo, Second Place

Brewer High School “Black” Combo, Third Place

 

Division III Combos

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Dave Kelly – drums – Bucksport

David Reinke – piano – George Stevens Academy

Walter Heuter – piano – Maine Central Institute

James Strombas – drums – Old Orchard Beach

Max Rowe – guitar – Waynflete

 

Gold Awards: Bucksport, George Stevens Academy “Lucy and the Diamonds”, Houlton, Maine Central Institute “Yield”, Old Orchard Beach, Waynflete

 

Placement Awards

George Stevens Academy “Lucy & the Diamonds”, First Place

Maine Central Institute “Yield”, Second Place

Bucksport High School, Third Place

 

Multi Jazz Band

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

A.J. Worcester – alto sax – Fryeburg Academy

Nick Dieffenbacher-Krall – clarinet – Old Town

Sara Packard – piano – Nokomis

Emery O’Connell – bass – Fryeburg Academy

Peter Hilliard – drums – Brewer

 

Gold Awards: Fryeburg Academy, South Portland, Westbrook

 

Placement Awards

Fryeburg Academy, First Place

Westbrook High School, Second Place

South Portland High School, Third Place

 

“A” Multi Combo Division

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

John Burke – piano – Fryeburg Academy

Taylor Knowles – trumpet – South Portland

A.J. Worcester – saxophone – Fryeburg Academy

Jacob Violette – saxophone – Westbrook

Nick Pelletier – drums – Brewer

 

Gold Awards: Fryeburg Academy “Seven Steps”, Westbrook Combo 2

 

Placement Awards

Westbrook High School Combo 2, First Place

Fryeburg Academy “Seven Steps”, Second Place

South Portland High School Combo 2, Third Place

 

“B” Multi Combo Division

Outstanding Musicianship Award

Alice Dillon – piano – George Stevens Academy “Riff Raff”

Clover Slagel – vocals – George Stevens Academy “Tate’s Tots”

Tate Yoder – trombone – George Stevens Academy “Tate’s Tots”

So Young Im – flute – George Stevens Academy “Riff Raff”

John Kenneway – trumpet/flugel horn– Old Town Combo 3

 

Placement Awards

Old Town High School Combo 3, First Place

Fryeburg Academy “Milestones”, Second Place

George Stevens Academy “Riff Raff”, Third Place

 

Division I Jazz Band

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Alex Han – piano – Falmouth

Alex Quinn – trumpet – South Portland

Chuck Key – trombone – South Portland

Matt Estabrook – tenor sax – Falmouth

Keenan Blier – bass – Noble

 

Gold Awards: Biddeford, Falmouth, Noble, South Portland

 

Placement Awards

South Portland High School, First Place

Noble High School, Second Place

Falmouth High School, Third Place

 

Division II Jazz Band

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Nick Turner – trumpet – Brewer

Gary Sanville – alto sax – Westbrook

Alex Ouellette – drums – Fryeburg Academy

Jacob Michaud – drums – Hampden Academy

Lindsay Mower – alto – Nokomis

 

Gold Awards: Brewer, Greely, Fryeburg Academy, Hampden Academy, Nokomis, Westbrook

 

Placement Awards

Fryeburg Academy, First Place

Westbrook High School, Second Place

Nokomis Regional High School, Third Place

 

Division III Jazz Band

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Kyle Goupille-trumpet-Presque Isle

Sarah Farfield-trumpet-York

Matt Dunning-alto saxophone-John Bapst

Riley Marquis-flute-Old Town

Trombone Section-John Bapst

 

Gold Awards: John Bapst, Mount Desert Island, Old Town, Presque Isle, York

 

 

Placement Awards

John Bapst Memorial High School, First Place

Old Town High School, Second Place

York High School, Third Place

 

Division IV Jazz Band

Outstanding Musicianship Awards

Peter Howell-trombone-George Stevens Academy

James Stombus-drums-Old Orchard Beach

Holli Haseltine-flugelhorn-Mattanawcook Academy

Earth Vorachattarn-drums/guitar-Maine Central Institute

Lucy Jacob-vibes-George Stevens Academy

 

Gold Awards: George Stevens Academy, Houlton, Maine Central Institute

 

Placement Awards

Houlton High School, First Place

Maine Central Institute, Second Place

George Stevens Academy, Third Place