PIMS Jazz Band
places second at state competition
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Middle School Jazz Band recently walked away with a second-place trophy at the 2010 Maine Music Educators Association’s Middle School Instrumental State Jazz Festival.
The state festival, held March 20 at Nokomis High School in Newport, featured nearly 40 middle school jazz bands from throughout the state.
“Our division – Division I – had nine schools competing,” said Pat Bragdon, PIMS band director. “Divisions are based on school enrollment, so the bigger schools are in Division I. We competed alongside such schools as Falmouth Middle School and Westbrook Middle School.”
PIMS received an average score of 91.667. Bragdon’s students are no strangers to placing at the state festival.
“In 2005 we placed second, in both 2006 and 2007 we came in third, and in 2008 we couldn’t go because of a blizzard,” he said. “In the 1980s and 1990s, the band won many times. Unfortunately last year we didn’t place.
“We have a generally strong music department for grades K-12 in SAD 1. Out of that group, I have enough kids I can pull together a strong group who can handle the music and are dedicated to it,” said Bragdon. “A lot of the band students are also involved in athletics and are very good academically. We rehearse twice a week starting in October, and we perform quite a bit so they get the feel of performing live.”
Bragdon said he was very pleased with the band’s second-place accomplishment.
“We were a stronger band this year and I was pleased with their performance,” he said. “We had 25 minutes to get on stage, perform and then leave the stage. At the festival, we performed four songs – two jazz tunes, a Latin tune, and a ballad. Things went very well and I’m really proud of the kids.”
In addition to placing second, one student received an Outstanding Musician award. Five Outstanding Musician awards are presented in each division.
“We had seen some of the other bands compete, and I had seen some other pretty good players, so I thought I did as well as some and maybe a little better than others,” said eighth-grade trumpeter Chris Marquis. “I’ve never received an individual award before. I’m really happy that the judges liked what I did. Having the band come in second was great, and so was winning an individual award. They’re both pretty equal.”
As one of the top musicians, Marquis received a trophy.
“It’s in my room,” he said.
Marquis began playing the trumpet in elementary school.
“Originally I wanted to play the drums,” he said, “but my Mom said she wanted me to play something different; not percussion. I think the loud noise was part of her decision.
“When I looked at the other instruments, I thought the saxophone would be a little bit harder because it looks complicated, and I didn’t like the look of a trombone. The trumpet looked like something I could handle,” said Marquis. “It’s been going quite well, and I’m going to continue to play in high school.”
The PIMS Jazz Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 11 at the opening of the SAD 1 Art Show at the Aroostook Centre Mall.
THE PRESQUE ISLE MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ BAND received second-place honors March 20 at the 2010 Maine Music Educators Association’s Middle School Instrumental State Jazz Festival, which was held at Nokomis High School in Newport. Band members are, front row, from left: Bradley Shields, Chris Marquis, Joel Tewksbury, Josh Gordon and John Freeman. Second row: Anna Cannon, Madeline Cannon, Blake Winslow, Byron Winslow, Michelle Cawley and Michaela Dube. Third row: Matt Beckwith, Nick Shields, Chris Carroll, Rachel Scott and Sedona Lucas. Back row: Angela Hallowell, Austin Albert, Rachel Hobbs, Brenden Goulet, Heather Nadeau, Alyssa Summerson and Olivia Goulet. Absent when the photo was taken was Brian Fournier. The PIMS Jazz Band is directed by Pat Bragdon.
CHRIS MARQUIS, right, an eighth-grade trumpeter in the Presque Isle Middle School Jazz Band, received one of five Outstanding Musician awards in Division I at the 2010 Maine Music Educators Association’s Middle School Instrumental State Jazz Festival held March 20 at Nokomis High School in Newport. Congratulating Marquis is Pat Bragdon, PIMS band director.
