Jazz musicians play for Gov.
By Karlotta Richardson
The Collegian
Some of Fresno State’s top jazz musicians will be given the opportunity to show off their skills as the chosen to participate in the 4th Annual All-State Collegiate Jazz Festival.
The festival takes place Feb. 25-27 in Sacramento and is presented by the California Institute for the Preservation of Jazz. It showcases the best and brightest musicians from California’s four-year universities, with a total of 24 chosen, six are from Fresno State. In past years, only one or two students are picked from Fresno State.
The six that have been chosen are: Josh Appleby, Scott Dean, Jason Fritts, Josh McDonald, Kevin McDonald and Brian Nunes.
They will also play for the State Legislature, including Gov. Schwarzenegger.
As a third-year participant of the festival, Josh McDonald, a trumpet player, said that it is an honor to be chosen.
Musicians who want to participate in the festival have to submit a tape of them playing solo as well as with an ensemble. Music professors from California pick which ones make it to Sacramento.
The CIPJ is a California State University system-wide educational organization. CIPJ’s goal is to preserve and promote the heritage and history of jazz through education and outreach, according to the CSU Sacramento Jazz Studies website.
Dean is another repeat participant in the festival. Because this is his second year participating, he feels more confident.
Dean has been chosen as the lead trumpet player in the ensemble for the second year, and said that it is a great experience and a lot of fun.
Josh McDonald said one of the benefits to attending the festival is that you get to know people.
“It’s a great opportunity to network,” he said.
The festival will hopefully be beneficial to those that want to be professional musicians.
Dean said the chance to play with professional musicians and people he doesn’t know will hopefully get his name out there.
Nunes, a music composition major, said he is honored to be chosen because it will improve his skills as a musician.
The festival may also expose Jazz to those who are not familiar with that style of music.
“It provides more awareness to the Jazz idiom,” McDonald said.
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