PENSACOLA — Jazz Pensacola’s Sixth Annual Student Jazz Competition live finals are 7 p.m. Friday, April 1 at the Seville Square Gazebo downtown.
The competition includes three divisions: College Instrumental, High School Instrumental and Jazz Vocal. The preliminary round of judging recordings submitted with student's application has narrowed the field to finalists in each division who will compete for monetary awards.
Finalists are:
College Instrumental:
●Jacob Dearrington, Trumpet, University of West Florida
●Ahkeem Hopkins, Piano, University of West Florida
●Derick Masters, Bass Guitar, Northwest Florida State College
●Kenneth "D.J." Rhodes, Drum Set, Northwest Florida State College
High School Instrumental:
●Dillon Buckley, Vibraphone, Niceville High School
●Katarina Marshall, Alto Sax, Niceville High School
●Colton Williams, Tenor Sax, Niceville High School
Jazz Vocal:
●Anastasia (Asia) Leech, Tate High School
●Elisha Miller, Pensacola State College
●Isabelle Peterson, Pensacola State College
Each finalist will perform two songs, with backing by a professional rhythm section, before three judges and an audience. Immersion, a Christian big band comprised of musicians from various Baptist churches in the Pensacola area, also will perform.
Monetary awards ranging from $100 to $500 will be applied to furthering the students' jazz education through tuition assistance in a jazz education program, private instruction with a music educator, jazz camps, instrument purchase and repair or other music education purposes.
The event kicks off Pensacola JazzFest 2016, which continues 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3. Admission to the competition and JazzFest is free. Call 433-8382 or see jazzpensacola.com for more information about the event.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Student Jazz Competition set April 1