Participating Student Combos
The SJCC is a free-to-schools program created by Healdsburg Jazz to empower Sonoma County musicians in grades 9-12 to explore their creativity by forming small groups for a juried competition. The following are the schools and the teams taking part in this year’s Student Jazz Combo Competition. Times of their appearance listed here:
- The Jazz Corner, Windsor High School, Windsor (11 a.m.)
- Play It Forward Jazz Band, Santa Rosa (11:30)
- Patrick and the Sophomores V2, Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa (Noon)
- Speed of Sound Trio, Healdsburg (12:30 p.m.)
- The Sinister Six, Montgomery High School Combo 1, Santa Rosa (1:00)
- Healdsburg High Jazz Band, Healdsburg (1:30)
- Mario Aparicio Sextet, Casa Grande, Petaluma ( 2:00)
- No Name, Montgomery High School Combo 2, Santa Rosa (2:30)
- Petaluma High School Jazz Combo, Petaluma (3:00)
- The Rusty Suspenders, Analy High School, Sebastopol (3:30)
Judging Criteria
What is most important in a small group performance?
Judging criteria will be based on the following general guidelines:
1: Creativity
- Composition and arrangements
- Improvisation
- Interaction – Listening and communication
- Band Cohesion
- Memorizing the music – Encourage playing without music
- Are they working as a group or just a group of soloists? Feel – cohesiveness – playing together or all just soloing, are they a combo or a group. Do they have a unified sound?
- How the band relates and communicates with the audience?
2: Technical Skills
- Rhythm Section cohesiveness and support for band
- Intonation – Blend
- Technique
- Dynamics
- Ensemble work
- Playing a variety of styles
- Rhythm section roles, precision, dynamics – horn section cohesiveness, skills
- Tempo – consistent pulse throughout each tune
3. Style – Tradition
- Interpretation
- Respect for the tradition or knowledge of the masters
- Showmanship – a spokesperson that can relate to the audience. Audience interaction.
- Knowledge of the music they are playing and if they help educate the audience on why they chose the tunes, who wrote them, etc.
4. Repertoire – Choice of Material