Eureka High School Music Students Earn Unanimous Superiors at Jazz Festival
Posted on 05/11/2023
May 8, 2023 - Eureka, CA - Eureka High School’s Limited Edition directed by Charles Young earned unanimous superiors at the 48th Annual Fullerton College Jazz Festival in Fullerton, CA on Friday, April 21, 2023. Three soloists, Kylie Her, Betsy Woods, and Isaac Young were recognized for outstanding musicianship.
Limited Edition is a Humboldt County recognized vocal jazz ensemble under the direction of Charles Young, an outstanding music educator of the North Coast California Music Educators Association (CMEA). Limited Edition has been at Eureka High for more than 30 years and through the years has traveled to New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Canada.
Director Young says the Fullerton Jazz Festival is an educational event that gives young musicians the opportunity to receive feedback from leaders in the vocal jazz field and listen to other vocal jazz groups and soloists.
“I’m extremely proud of my students and hope this experience leads them to a better understanding of the genre of Vocal Jazz and perhaps inspires them to pursue it as a source of joy at the very least,” said Young.
Young adds, Limited Edition sang Walkin’ - “a sassy tune that allows for musicians to sing an improvised solo called scat.” Those soloists were Isaac Young and Betsy Woods. Limited’s second chart called When I Fall in Love is a ballad that featured Kylie Her and finished with a chart called Big Cash Deal. This chart follows the classic Blues form and is about running the perfect con. “Their tight harmonies and sense of rhythm” earned Limited Edition unanimous superiors. The group practiced for this performance for about eight weeks interspersed with Singing Valentines (a fundraising program) and even had evening rehearsals every Wednesday to prepare.
A “Superior” rating is defined by CMEA as the following:
This rating represents the finest conceivable performance for the event and the
level of participants being adjudicated; worthy of being recognized as among the
very best. While the Adjudicator might find some minor points to criticize and
make some helpful suggestions for further improvement, their comments and/or
check marks would show a preponderance of “Superiors.”
Fullerton Jazz Festival Coordinators thanked all the participating music directors and said, "You spend countless hours rehearsing with your students and other behind-the-scenes preparations in order to take them to festivals, workshops, community events, and concerts. Thank you for your wonderful contributions to jazz music in our schools.”