BFHS jazz band fundraising to attend UI Jazz Festival

The BFHS Jazz Band is raising funds to attend the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho in April. 

The festival offers a rich experience for the band members, including performances, workshops, and opportunity to receive critiques from professional jazz educators and musicians. 

The annual festival will be held April 15-18, this year. The band members are planning to attend the conference on April 17-18, 2025.   

“This is an exciting opportunity for the group, but to make it happen,” Mallerie Moore, BFHS Jazz Band director, said. “The band needs to raise $2,000 for their two-day trip. To extend the stay even one more day would raise their goal an extra $1,000.” 

The jazz band is a top-level group at the high school, meaning that it provides the most challenge with students able to join with director approval,” Moore said of the band. 

“One of the reasons it is a high-level group is that there are only one to two people performing each part and that means every single person is accountable for knowing their music and playing with confidence,” she added. 

Moore said band members are expected to learn more stylistic components, more challenging music, and more elements of music theory. “The group is also all starting to learn how to improvise in this class. For some, this is exciting and comes naturally. For others, it starts as a pretty nerve-wracking experience,” Moore said about improvising.    

This year, the Jazz Band includes one eighth grader, two freshmen, two sophomores, one junior, and three seniors. The three seniors are Riley Thompson, Renea Barnes and Christine Abraham. Thompson has been a member of the band since he was in middle school and is the longest-standing member. Barnes is planning on pursuing a career in music education, and Abraham began playing the trumpet last year.  

“She has worked incredibly hard to get to the level she is at in such a short time,” Moore said of Abraham’s efforts. 

The Bonners Ferry Rotary Club contributed $500 to help the band reach their goal. The band is grateful and extends their thanks for the donation, which is helping make the trip possible, Moore said. 

In addition, Burger Express has stepped forward to help the band raise the funds needed. On March 6, from 5-7 p.m., all proceeds will be donated directly to the jazz band's trip.  

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is one of the oldest and largest educational jazz festivals in the world, attracting over 400 student performers, a host of renowned artists, and dozens of workshops and clinics. The students will have the opportunity to attend workshops on jazz and more, perform in front of professional jazz educators, and receive valuable critiques on their performance. The event also features incredible evening performances, such as Take 6, Jamie Baum, and the Jeff Hamilton Trio, as well as performances by the UI Chamber Jazz Choir, the UI Jazz Band I, Palouse Jazz Project, and Hamp’s Jazz Ambassadors. 

"It's full immersion into jazz music, and amazing especially for kids to see university-level and professional jazz bands and musicians." Moore said about the students attending the festival.   

The trip to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival will provide invaluable experiences for the students, and any extra funds raised beyond the $2,000 goal could allow the group to extend their stay for one more day of workshops and performances.