The Tri-County Jazz Invitational
The Tri-County Jazz Invitational returned to the Upper Valley for its second year this past Tuesday, and it delivered an evening of exceptional music and community engagement. This jazz performance included the high school bands from Hartford, Lebanon, and Hanover. The event was held in the Hanover High School auditorium on February 13th, 2024, at 7 pm. Admission was by donation and the proceeds were split evenly among the three music departments. The performance ran for just over an hour. Last year, when the performance was called the Hanover Jazz Invitational, the show was actually oversold, and only standing room was available.
Hanover High School band teacher Ian Gollub first decided this needed to happen two years ago when he realized that there was “No true to form the Upper Valley jazz festival.” He started by reaching out to the three best high school bands in the area and worked with each of their music departments to create a collaborative community event. This year each school performed three 15-20 min sets and then at the end, the three bands came together and performed one large set.
Before the event, the bands had only one chance to rehearse the entire performance, followed by a dinner donated by parents and volunteers. “It is truly a community effort,” said Mr. Gollub, highlighting the involvement of each school’s stagehands. This approach ensured that the event didn’t feel like solely a Hanover High School production but rather an equal collaboration between the three schools. Hartford started the performance strong with Lebanon playing in the middle. Hanover, which has the largest band with 26 students, played third. Each school played one song that included a solo singing performance. Hanover High performed “My Funny Valentine” by Chet Baker where Tessa Cullen, a senior, accompanied the band.
At the end of the performance, there was a special surprise announced. Mr. Gollub worked hard to get 12 scholarships in total for the three schools, 4 per school for an incredible summer jazz program. He handed out 6,000$ worth of scholarships to unsuspecting students. One of these lucky students from Hanover High School had something to say when asked how he felt the night went, “Jazz night was insane! I never thought I would be able to share my passion for jazz with such a large group.” Felix Digergoe went on to say that He “felt incredibly lucky to receive such an exciting opportunity such as this scholarship” where he could continue doing what makes him happy over the summer.
The Tri-County Jazz Invitational was more than just a concert, it was a celebration of talent that showed off the values of collaboration and generosity that are so important in the Upper Valley community.