Sinclair Community College announces jazz auditions, concert season

Sinclair Community College has announced nominated auditions for its Youth Jazz Ensemble under the direction of musician and educator Bill Burns. CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Sinclair Community College has announced nominated auditions for its Youth Jazz Ensemble under the direction of musician and educator Bill Burns. CONTRIBUTED
What to Know
By
July 21, 2023
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Fall classes don’t begin at Sinclair Community College in Dayton until Aug. 21, but auditions for year two of the Sinclair Youth Jazz Ensemble are underway and a new season of live jazz has been announced.

“The inaugural year of the Sinclair Youth Jazz Ensemble was extraordinary,” said musician and jazz educator Bill Burns. “Students had opportunities to work with some worldclass jazz educators, including NYC trombonist/arranger John Fedchock, education director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Todd Stoll, and Eric Lechliter, director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.”

In its first year, the Youth Jazz Ensemble presented concerts at Sinclair, the Hidden Gem Music Club in Centerville and the Essentially Ellington Regional Festival at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

“Former members are studying music at the collegiate level thanks to the unbridled community support for jazz education,” said Burns, who teaches at Sinclair and Centerville High School. “I am beyond thankful to all the band directors and music educators who nominated students to audition. As they say in education, it takes a village.”

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Participating students must be nominated by local music educators, including band directors, orchestra directors and private lesson instructors. Nominated students may audition via recording or in person. In-person auditions are Aug. 21 at Sinclair from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“All nominees must register as Sinclair students, at no cost,” Burns said. “Once accepted, students will receive a scholarship and receive a free college credit for participating. All nominees will receive an invitation to join our Google Classroom for more information.”

The Youth Jazz Ensemble will open several concerts in Sinclair’s 2023-24 season of live jazz. The lineup begins with the Dayton Jazz Orchestra and the Youth Jazz Ensemble at the Hidden Gem on October 15. Trumpeter Mike Williams performs on April 14.

“I’m very excited to invite some new guest clinicians and guest artists,” Burns said. “On November 5, we’ll welcome Columbus arranger and trombonist Vaughn Wiester. We’ll be performing some of his arrangements with both the Youth Jazz Ensemble and the Adult Jazz Ensemble. Vaughn leads a Monday Night Big Band in Columbus that performs at the Clintonville Women’s Club and it’s worth the trip.”

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In addition to overseeing the Youth Jazz Ensemble, Burns leads the Unity Sax Quartet. He’ll also join several other local musicians in the horn section for the O’Jays concert at Rose Music Center in Huber Heights on Aug. 18.

Educators may nominate students for the Sinclair Youth Jazz Ensemble via email at daytonyouthjazz@gmail.com.

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Don Thrasher, a native of Gadsden, Alabama, has been a weekly contributor for the Dayton Daily News since 2003. He covers national and international music, performance and art. Don is a versatile writer, who has interviewed ballet dancers, professional athletes, authors, comedians, filmmakers, rodeo clowns and other disparate figures.