Young local and internationally acclaimed jazz

Last night (May 25) I had the privilege of attending the annual Caleb Chapman Music Awards.

The event, which honors young musicians from the Caleb Chapman Music School, took place in the Ballroom of Provo’s Academy Square.

The musicians hail from various junior high and high schools from around the state. And the training is top notch.

Also in attendance was award-winning, internationally acclaimed (and locally based) jazz guitarist Corey Christiansen, Salt Lake’s Excellence in the Community Concert Series Founder Jeff Whitely and Ray Smith, Brigham Young’s director of jazz studies who founded the internationally acclaimed BYU big band Synthesis.

I was blown away when I saw the school’s bands — Little Big Band, Soul Research Foundation, La Onda Caribena, the Voodoo Orchestra and the Crescent Super Band — crank it out.

It’s no wonder these bands have been invited to various jazz festivals across the country and throughout Europe.

I closed my eyes, after wiping away a few tears, and could not tell these were students playing the music.

They have given me hope for the future of jazz and of music in general.

Kudos to Chapman for loving the music and believing in these wonderfully talented kids!

Here’s a link to the Crescent Super Band’s website: crescentsuperband.com

Check ‘em out!