With the conclusion of football games and the marching band season, band director Mr. Larry Fisher and the Solehi musicians are onto their next endeavors: concert band and jazz band. The jazz band is a small group composed of a select number of musicians who gather two days a week after school and occasionally during Spartan Period to practice and eventually compete.

Mr. Fisher, who directs the group, fostered a love for jazz music at a young age.

“As a saxophone player, I feel most at home with jazz, connecting with it the most,” he said.

Mr. Fisher aims to turn the jazz band into something for everyone in the community to enjoy, regardless of their preferred style of music.

“[They] incorporate a lot of different types of music, giving a variety of styles,” junior Celeste Tran said.

The jazz band avoids a strict “Frank Sinatra” structure, and introduces the Latin, funk, and rock genres into regular jazz music, adding more life and variety for the audience to enjoy.

“It’s easier to perform jazz, more emotional,” junior Wesley DeCasere said. “Anyone can hold a whole note; jazz is closer to [the] heart.”

Twenty students make up the ensemble consisting of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, a piano player, a drummer, and a bass player. The small size of the band gives everyone a specific role and part to play that adds character to their performance.

Auditions to play in the band were held after school during the first week of December. They are based on a performance of blues scales, a jazz solo, and a funk piece from the program.

“I always liked Jazz as a kid,” sophomore Sam Wetzel said. “When I started playing it, I got into it even more.”

Though the jazz band did not compete last year, Mr. Fisher is looking for local events to attend in the 2017 season. The jazz band will also be performing in the spring concert on April 25.