January 29, 2020

To District IH Jazz Directors,

John Bennett has been kind enoughto let me contact you through this message. Mott
Community College Fine Arts Departmenthas lined up grant moneyto stage a small jazz festival
on April 17, 2020. This is strictly a non-competitive situation. We will run clinics on
improvisation,jazz style, interpretation and basics of balance and intonation. We would like to
include someofthe high schoolers in the backup band for our guestartist, Mike Williams, lead
trumpet for the Count Basie Orchestra for over 30 years.

Wewill only use three high school bands this time around to keep it manageable. Each
band will only get about 10 minutesto play their own material to lead off the concert. No
ratings. Just do your best and have fun!

The clinicians we have are top notch: Seth Ebersole for saxes, Mike Williams for brass,
Jim Coviak for rhythm section, and Jeff Price for improvisation.

| purposely put the starting time at 1:00 pm to help avoid hassles with administrators
about taking a whole day. The dinnerwill be supplied by the college (probably pizza, pop,etc).
No entrancefee.

Belowis a general view of how the afternoon and evening would run.

Jazz Band Invitational

1:00 Arrival/Checkin

e 1:15-2:00 pm — Jazz Band | improv. (Jazz BandIi sectionals with clinicians/JB Ill campus
tour)
e 2:15-3:00 pm - Jazz Band Ii Improv. (Jazz BandIli sectionals with clinicians/JB I campus
tour)
+ 3:15-4:00 pm — Jazz BandIll Improv (Jazz Band | sectionals with clinicians/ JB Il campus
tour)
@ 4:15-5:30 pm — Combined groups rehearse with Mike Williams and MCC Jazz Band
e 5:30-6:30 pm — Dinner
+ 7:00-8:30 pm — Jazz Band concert featuring each HS Jazz Band, MCC Jazz Band and
combined JB with GuestArtist.

Saxes w/Ebersole

Brass w/Williams

Rhythm w/Coviak

improv w/Price
 Please join us if you can. Together we can makethis a rewarding musical experience for
the students.

Thank you for your consideration.

Musically yours,

Frank Yon
MCCDirectorof Jazz
standardissue@comcast.net
810-624-1931