On Wednesday, May 13th and Thursday, May 14th senior trombone player Silas Shotten had the honor of participating in the Iowa All-State Jazz Band in Des Moines as part of the Iowa Bandmasters' Convention. Silas rehearsed for multiple hours with the other All-State students in preparation for their performance at 3:00pm on Thursday, May 14th in the Marriott Hotel Convention Center in downtown Des Moines.
The All-State Jazz Bands consist of three different groups, one for 1A/2A students, another for 3A, and another for 4A. To gain acceptance into the All-State Jazz Bands students must practice an etude with a backing track and create a quality recording for submission. Students also create a quality recording of themselves playing an improvised (made up off the top of your head) solo with a rhythm section. Silas's recordings were exemplary, gaining him acceptance into the prestigious group.
Silas is the first student from EBF to get into the All-State Jazz Bands since the early 90s, marking a fantastic cap to his senior year. Congratulations, Silas!