Jazz soloists and ensembles from the Community School’s Jazz Workshop won five awards in the 40th Annual DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards, and will be featured in the magazine’s summer edition. Since 2012, students from the Colburn Jazz Workshop have received 36 DownBeat Awards, which are considered among the most prestigious honors in jazz education. This year, Colburn students received honors across the categories of jazz soloist, original composition, and small jazz combo:
Jazz Soloist Outstanding Performance Luca Mendoza, piano
Original Composition – Small Ensemble Winner Luca Mendoza, Synergy
Original Composition – Small Ensemble Outstanding Composition Evan Abounassar, Enigma
Original Composition – Small Ensemble Outstanding Composition Jordan Reifkind, Dualism
Small Jazz Combo Winner Colburn Jazz Workshop Monday Night Band, directed by Lee Secard
Original composition is one of the Colburn Jazz Workshop’s key values. Jazz Chair Lee Secard encourages students to begin composing as soon as they realize they want to, and provides support every step of the way. Students perform their original pieces in their bands and through that practical experience, they are able to solidify theoretical concepts they encounter in the process of composition. Three students—Luca Mendoza, Evan Abounassar, and Jordan Reifkind—received awards for their compositions for small ensemble this year.
As part of the DownBeat Student Music Awards competition, professional musicians and educators from across the country judge students on musicianship, creativity, improvisation, technique, and more. The awards are an important recognition for early-career musicians, music educators, and music industry professionals, and students have used this recognition to garner more than $10 million in scholarship opportunities.