Kettle Falls Music Students Earn Festival Honors, State Choir Spots

Kettle Falls High School music students are wrapping up the school year with festival awards, state-level choir selections, and a growing jazz program that music teacher Jacob Scharbrough said continues to build momentum. The Kettle Falls jazz band placed second at the first Master Class Big Band Festival on April 25 at Riverside Place in Spokane. The festival was organized by Chris Moyer, a member of the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, and gave students a chance to perform for adjudicators, receive feedback, and compete against other school jazz ensembles. “It was fantastic,” Scharbrough said. “Great adjudicators, it was a really great experience. It was really well run, it was a lot of fun.” Kettle Falls finished behind first-place Zillah, while Chewelah placed third. Pianist Alexander Johnson also received a soloist award for his performance. “That was pretty cool,” Scharbrough said. The festival was structured similarly to a large group music festival, with students performing in front of judges and a live audience before receiving a rating and placement. After performing, the students worked with an adjudicator in a clinic setting for roughly 20 to 30 minutes. “They got to work with them, and the kids were able to get feedback,” Scharbrough said. “Really positive feedback.” Scharbrough said the Kettle Falls ensemble was in the proficient range overall and noted that the jazz band is still a relatively young group, made up mostly of ninth-graders. “This is the first year the jazz band has gone to its own festival,” Scharbrough said. “Every year I’ve added something.” The jazz festival success comes after the concert band earned a superior rating last year. Scharbrough said the program has continued to grow during his eight years in Kettle Falls, helped by a strong group of students and support from district leadership. “I think I got a really good group of students, especially this junior class of mine that has laid the groundwork and done a lot,” Scharbrough said. “They are our biggest class at school. They have taken a lot of leadership. They have really enjoyed playing.” He said part of the program’s growth has come from getting students into the right ensembles and keeping the experience enjoyable. “It’s important getting the right people in groups and having fun with it, stepping up,” Scharbrough said. “It’s been a lot of fun.” Kettle Falls will also be represented at the state level this spring by two choir students. Charley Dickey and Kara Wicks auditioned and were selected for a treble choir that will perform in Tacoma. Dickey, a soprano, auditioned for soprano 2, while Wicks auditioned for alto 1. Scharbrough said the choir is a prestigious ensemble made up of some of the top high school singers in Washington. “They learned their audition materials in two to three days and got into the ensemble,” Scharbrough said. “When you get into an ensemble like this, you are one of the best singers in the state. It is really cool that we have those two girls going in.” The choir event includes evening rehearsal after arrival in Tacoma, additional rehearsals the following day, a dress rehearsal and sound check, and a performance on Saturday, May 23. Kettle Falls students will also have opportunities to perform locally before the school year ends. The school’s spring concert is scheduled for June 2 at Woodland Theatre in Kettle Falls. The jazz band will also perform Friday, June 5, during Town and Country Days. The group is preparing a 12-song set featuring jazz standards such as “Birdland,” “St. Louis Blues,” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Scharbrough said the band is taking on challenging music, including grade 4 selections that approach professional chart levels. “Lots of cool jazz standards,” Scharbrough said. “It will be fun, hopefully be on stage for close to an hour.” The Town and Country Days performance is scheduled for 4-5 p.m. on the main drag.