The HMS Jazz Bands were all set to perform at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival on March 17, after rehearsing feverishly during the week of March 12 - 16 (the week after our two-week break, which is just enough time to get rusty).
Along came a big old late-in-the-season Nor'Easter. After much excrutiating deliberation and consultation, it was decided that we just couldn't brave the weather. Students, parents, and HMS faculty alike were terribly frustrated and disappointed.
This was the second time in three years that we've been snowed out of participating in the world's largest high school jazz festival (350 bands from all over the USA). It happened in 2005, as well! We've been attending the Berklee Festival since 2000. The five visits we've made to the Festival have all been wonderful (our performances have been combined with a bit of Newbury Street/Copley square shopping for the students, as well as a wonderful, leisurely group lunch or dinner). The two years we've had to stay home have been awful!
Particularly given that I'm a Berklee alum, I've been in touch with the College about pushing the date out a bit later; we're far from the only band to have had trouble due to the weather in 2005 and 2007.
Stay tuned for 2008...
See Berklee's website in the "off-campus" section in the left-hand margin.
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