Calabasas, Agoura high schools shine in Big Apple

ON A HIGH NOTE—High school musicians gather in front of the Lincoln Center in New York during the recent Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band competition. Both Calabasas and Agoura high schools placed among the top 15 bands in the country. Calabasas and Agoura high schools were among the 15 finalists in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band competition in New York City.

The competition was staged at the Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 8 through 10.

Calabasas and Agoura high schools were the only two public schools in California to make it to the finals. The other California school was a magnet school—Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

The schools landed in the finals after submitting recorded band performances of Duke Ellington and/ or Benny Carter compositions, said a parent representative in an e-mail to The Acorn.

Invitations to enter the competition were sent to 1,450 high schools in the United States and Canada, and American schools in Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan; in the end 107 schools entered the competition.

The entries were evaluated in a blind screening by jazz education experts Ron Carter and Loren Schoenberg.

"It's honestly one of the most incredible music experiences I've ever had," said Josh Barroll, director of the Calabasas High School Jazz Band. "Every time I go it's unique—you never know what's going to happen."

Micah Deterville, a senior trumpet player, was selected to play the fourth trumpet position with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, conducted by artistic director Wynton Marsalis.

"It was the equivalent of going to a Dodger game and having the manager come out saying he needed a first baseman who can play," Barroll said. "It's that big of a deal and that big of a deal to see."

Deterville, who was awarded Honorable Mention for his trumpet solo, said every moment of the trip was "amazing." Playing with jazz great Marsalis was a dream come true, he said. The "dream" kept getting better for Deterville. He said Marsalis is one of his idols, so having the opportunity to talk with him was thrilling, he said. The event was topped off by a hug from Marsalis during the awards presentation.

"The whole trip was like that," Deterville said.

Deterville said he will attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston and hopes to become a jazz musician.

The Calabasas High School Jazz Band won Outstanding Brass Section. Brian Kasimov and Jason Schreiber, both juniors at the school, were the recipients of soloist awards. Kasimov was presented with the Outstanding Bass Soloist award, and Schreiber captured Outstanding Trumpet Soloist for his piece "Symphony in Riff."

"I was very excited," Schreiber said. "I was actually not expecting the award based on how the other trumpet players on other bands played. It was truly an honor to get the award."

Agoura High School musicians also won several soloist awards: Ben Blake for baritone saxophone, Scott Lamm for tenor saxophone, Christian Cho for alto saxophone and Jamie Eble for drums.

The Agoura High School jazz band has participated in the Essentially Ellington competition for six consecutive years, said music director John Mosley.

"I thought our kids did a stunning performance, and I was very proud of them," Mosley said.