NAU Jazz Festival 2017 Dear Jazz Educators,

Northern Arizona University Jazz Studies would like to invite you the 55th annual NAU Jazz Festival to be held February 23-25, 2017.

NAU Jazz Festival is an ABODA sanctioned festival for middle school, high school, and community colleges. Our festival is a non-competitive setting, which creates a relaxed atmosphere and promotes education. Big bands and combos perform for three adjudicators to receive ratings and/or comments. Following the performances each group participates in a clinic with one of our esteemed adjudicator/clinicians. Directors will receive written comments as well as CD recordings of both their band’s performance and adjudicator comments.

In the past, the NAU Jazz Festival has featured the talents of many renowned guest artists such as Jim McNeely, Peter Erskine, John Abercrombie, Maria Schneider, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, Randy Brecker, Brice Winston, Jeremy Pelt, Glenn Zaleski, and Lucas Pino.

This year’s festival will feature talented trombonist-composer, Nick Finzer. Nick is quickly becoming one of the most in demand trombonists and band leaders in NYC and has been extremely active as an educator and clinician. He holds degrees from The Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School and recently served as Visiting Professor of Jazz Trombone at Florida State University, 2014-2016. His recent recording as a leader, The Chase has received critical acclaim, rising to number six in JazzWeek chart and he is currently preparing for the release of his latest record, Hear and Now in early 2017. Read more about Nick in the included biography.

Nick Finzer will give an open clinic on Friday, February 24th at 1:00 pm in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. The clinic is free and open to the public. Our Guest Artist Concert will also be Friday, February 24th at 8pm featuring Nick with NAU Jazz Ensemble One in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. Tickets will be available through the NAU Central Ticket Office at (888) 520-7214.

Your application form is included with this letter. Please submit your application and payment by the due date of Friday, February 10, 2017. In recent years we have had very full schedules with waiting lists for some days. Applications will be processed as they are received. Please return your application in a timely manner to ensure your band’s participation in the festival.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

Regards,

Chris Finet String Bass and Jazz Studies Northern Arizona University School of Music

NAU Jazz Festival 2017 ApplicationSchool: ___________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________

City: ______________________ State: ____ Zip: __________

Director(s): ________________________________________

Phone: ___________________ Fax: ___________________ E-mail: ________________________

In Compliance with ABODA guidelines, all high school big bands must be placed in Div 1, 2, or 3. For bands from outside Arizona, the specified repertoire difficulty levels generally determine organization into that division.

If you wish to perform for comments only, please indicate which group(s). If your band must perform on a specific day outside their division, please contact Chris Finet to

discuss scheduling options.

Please note on this form any scheduling requests you may have. While every attempt will be made to accommodate such requests, we often have a large number of bands traveling from throughout the region and specific times are not always possible. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entry Fees

___ Big Band(s) @ $250.00 $ ______________ Combo(s) @ $225.00 $ ___________ Total enclosed: $ _________

Applications are processed as they are received. If necessary, separate waiting lists will be created for each day of the festival. Receipt of this form obligates payment of entry fee even if you cancel. Please make check payable to:

NAU School of Music and remit with your completed application postmarked no later thanFriday, February 10, 2017 to:Joelle Good, Business Manager NAU School of MusicBox 6040Flagstaff, AZ 86011

Email application forms and any related questions should be directed to Chris Finet at: Christopher.Finet@nau.edu or call 928-523-3496.Please note our fax number: 928-523-5111

Thursday, Feb 23, 2017 Friday, Feb 24, 2017 Saturday, Feb 25, 2017

Div 3 – grades 1, 2, or 3 Div 1 – grades 5 or 6 Div 2 – grade 4

___High School Big Band ___HS Big Band ___HS Big Band

___Jr. High School Big Band ___HS Combo ___HS Combo

___HS Combo ___Comm. College Big Band ___Comm. College BB

___Comm. College Combo ___Comm. College Combo