The Jefferson High School and Shepherdstown Middle School Jazz Band have been named the 2017 Honor Jazz Band in their respective categories. The title deems Jefferson High the best high school jazz band in the state, while Shepherdstown Middle is the best middle school jazz band in the state.

On Feb.23, the West Virginia Music Educators Association (WVMEA) selected the bands to participate in the 2017 Middle and High School Honor Jazz Ensemble after reviewing recordings each group submitted.

“Jefferson High’s musicians have been working incredibly hard to master our music selections,” said J.P. Lynch, band director at Jefferson High School. “It’s been a pleasure listening to the music improve from the first read to the final performance. We can’t thank Jefferson County Schools enough for their support of this trip.”

As a part of this recognition, the bands performed an Honor Concert on Thursday, Mar. 2 in Charleston. Jefferson County Schools covered lodging and travel expenses for the trip.

Chad Conant, band director at Shepherdstown Middle School said, “This is a dedicated group of musicians that are always working to improve their performance,” she said, “It’s been a real pleasure bringing them into the Shepherdstown community to perform throughout the school year.”

Conant and the band gratefully acknowledge the help and support they receive from Jefferson County Schools, the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, Shepherdstown Rotary, as well as local musicians and businesses.

In addition to the jazz bands, Jefferson High School’s symphonic band was also selected as Honor Band in that category. Those students also made the trip to Charleston to play as the state’s best.

The public is invited to listen to the award-winning bands during their upcoming spring concerts. The Shepherdstown Middle School band will hold their performance in the Jefferson High School auditorium on Wednesday, Apr. 12 at 7 p.m. The Jefferson High School Band Concert is slated for Tuesday, Apr. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Jefferson High School auditorium.

To learn more about the bands or Jefferson County Schools, visit boe.jeff.k12.wv.us.