Southern Regional Jazz
For almost fifty years, the Southern Regional School District, located at the Jersey shore, has taught their students "America's classical music," JAZZ. The program has a Middle School Jazz Ensemble, a High School Jazz Band, and a High School Jazz Ensemble. Musicians have the opportunity to play jazz-oriented music appropriate for their current musical development and are encouraged to listen to music in the jazz idiom. Students are also taught improvisation techniques through private lessons and class study with guest clinicians. The SRSD Music Department sponsors an annual jazz festival, host prelims for the NJ Association of Jazz Education and their jazz bands travel throughout New Jersey to play at state and school-sponsored competitions, festivals and concerts. We pride ourselves on bringing in quality guest clinicians every year to work and play with our bands, which are funded through our amazing Jazz Band Parent Organization. We have had clinics or performed with Michael Phillip Mossman, Blue Lou Marani, John “Smokin' John” Tropea and the Original Blues Brother’s band, New York Voices, Jim McFalls, Dave Ballou, Earl Phillips, Ron Kerber, Carl Cox, Brian Height, Randy Brecker, Matt Gallagher, Doug Mapp, Dennis Diblasio, George Rabbi, Jim Ward, Ed Vezinho, and Wilbur Whitman.