The 12th Annual Jazz Scholarship Dinner took place on March 4. Held at the Halls of St. George, this event featured a silent auction, dinner and performances from the Jazz I and Jazz II ensembles.
“The Jazz Scholarship Dinner is an annual dinner where we raise money to give away scholarships to seniors [who] have been dedicated to the program for the past four years,” Benjamin Moore (12) said.
The dinner offers different things to do throughout the night, ranging from an organized dinner and a silent auction to live music.
“When the doors open, people start finding their tables and look at the items in the silent auction. Jazz II plays for about an hour. Once they’re done [performing], dinner is served and everyone eats. Afterward, Jazz I starts to play and we play until the end of the night while people bid on the rest of the auctions. It’s a really fun night,” Jesus Rivera (12) said.
This event not only benefits the audience and seniors, but the musicians in the ensembles too. It is a learning experience for the musicians.
“It gives musicians a chance to really show off our skills because there’s a lot of opportunities for soloing and playing different genres of jazz,” Rivera said.
The scholarship dinner is one of most anticipated events of the year, leaving tables filled with family and friends.
“It is a great event for the audience from a listening standpoint, as well as a strong playing night for the players,” Trevor Williams (12) said.
