Cassville school district hosts first outdoor jazz night
Above, the Cassville middle school music director, Erica Gorman, conducts the 7th Grade Jazz Band.
Above, the CHS music director Micah Boise, conducting the Cassville High School Jazz Band during their first outdoor performance.
Above, the 8th Grade Jazz Band facing west into the setting sun, while playing some jazzy tunes.
June 2, 2021
Ezra DeVore
With an audience of over one-hundred fifty people, the Cassville School Jazz Bands played the outdoor concert they’ve always wanted to. The Cassville Seventh Grade, Eighth Grade, and High School bands performed in front of the front doors of the high school from 6 - 7:30 p.m on April 30.
The decision to perform in front of the high school, in fact, was made by the students. Micah Boise, the CHS Music Director, then got the idea approved by the high school administration. The outdoor concert took the place of the more formal annual February fundraiser, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions.
Micah Boise just finished his first year as Cassville’s music director. He praised the concert as a “big success for my overall goal to have greater community presence.”
“This will become a new annual event at CHS, in addition to the February fundraiser show,” Boise said.
Whereas, in the gymnasium, a white wall encompasses and the audience surrounds the musicians, during the April 30 performance, all attendants faced the performers. Due to the orientation of the event, the raised spectator seating on the sloping lawn offered an “amphitheater quality” to the evening, said Boise.
He added, “It’s nice to face the musicians.”
This, alongside the open environment, gave the concert a sense of personal connectivity, according to members of the audience. They enjoyed sitting in the setting sun as their children played in the grass and cool twilight air.
Boyd expressed excitement that citizens of Cassville were able to hear “the great music coming out of Cassville’s schools,” and that the bands were eager to perform it.
The performance also held warm reverence. Mrs. Amy Stephenson, a loyal sponsor of the Jazz band for the past five years, was decorated with the Music Advocacy Award.
“Normally, the award is granted in March as part of the Music in Our Schools event,” Boise said. “However, due to Stephenson’s support of the Jazz band, she was given the award at this Jazz concert.”
Ezra DeVore
With an audience of over one-hundred fifty people, the Cassville School Jazz Bands played the outdoor concert they’ve always wanted to. The Cassville Seventh Grade, Eighth Grade, and High School bands performed in front of the front doors of the high school from 6 - 7:30 p.m on April 30.
The decision to perform in front of the high school, in fact, was made by the students. Micah Boise, the CHS Music Director, then got the idea approved by the high school administration. The outdoor concert took the place of the more formal annual February fundraiser, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions.
Micah Boise just finished his first year as Cassville’s music director. He praised the concert as a “big success for my overall goal to have greater community presence.”
“This will become a new annual event at CHS, in addition to the February fundraiser show,” Boise said.
Whereas, in the gymnasium, a white wall encompasses and the audience surrounds the musicians, during the April 30 performance, all attendants faced the performers. Due to the orientation of the event, the raised spectator seating on the sloping lawn offered an “amphitheater quality” to the evening, said Boise.
He added, “It’s nice to face the musicians.”
This, alongside the open environment, gave the concert a sense of personal connectivity, according to members of the audience. They enjoyed sitting in the setting sun as their children played in the grass and cool twilight air.
Boyd expressed excitement that citizens of Cassville were able to hear “the great music coming out of Cassville’s schools,” and that the bands were eager to perform it.
The performance also held warm reverence. Mrs. Amy Stephenson, a loyal sponsor of the Jazz band for the past five years, was decorated with the Music Advocacy Award.
“Normally, the award is granted in March as part of the Music in Our Schools event,” Boise said. “However, due to Stephenson’s support of the Jazz band, she was given the award at this Jazz concert.”
