For the first time ever, the Bordentown Regional High School Jazz Ensemble competed in the 51st Annual Berklee School of Music Jazz Festival in Boston, the largest high school jazz competition in the country.
The festival, which featured over 150 high school bands from 15 different states from across the nation, placed bands into six categories based on school size. The event was held this past weekend.
Out of 16 bands in the category four ensembles, the BRHS Jazz Ensemble placed second overall.
The school’s band director, Michael Montalto,, expressed his satisfaction with the band’s nationally recognized accomplishments and performance.
“This past weekend the band has made this school and community very proud,” Montalto said.
With the festival recognizing student musicians for their skills, individual students from the BRHS Jazz Ensemble were selected for separate, categorized honors.
During each performance, a judge gives a “Judges Choice” award for every band honoring an outstanding musician. BRHS sophomore Nick Demkowicz, a vibraphonist, was selected for the honor.
Alongside the ensemble awards, judges give four “Outstanding Musicianship” awards for each category at the award ceremony. Each category features hundreds of musicians. Out of the four awards given, Bordentown’s sophomore alto saxophonist, Nikolas Romano, and junior trumpeter, Samantha MacFarlane, received this prestigious honor.
Not only did the band get a chance to perform in the festival, the Bordentown students also had an opportunity to witness and participate in full-day activities such as clinics, jam sessions, concerts, as well as taking a tour of Berklee and more.
Outside of their musical talent, Montalto complimented the class and character of his students as well throughout the weekend’s events and ceremonies.
“Besides their musical accomplishments, our students demonstrated the upmost class throughout the entire trip at masterclasses, concerts, award ceremonies and at the hotel,” Montalto said. “Anyone that knows me personally understands how important those actions are to me.”
For Montalto, who has seen the Bordentown Regional School District music program grow in size and improve its musical ability during his eight-year tenure, he noted his appreciation toward the jazz band for their multiple accomplishments.
“Words cannot begin to express how proud I am at this moment for this program, for their hard work and dedication to themselves, to me and to their musical peers,” he said.