Young Jazz Band-it, a national competition for High School and Intermediate School Jazz Bands offering $18,000 in prizes, was launched last evening in Wellington.

The Young Jazz Band-It initiative is a joint venture between Youthtown  and the Aotearoa Jazz Education & Performance Charitable Trading Trust (AJE&PCT), and supported by Musicworks NZ and the New Zealand School of Music - Te Kōkī.

The AJE&PCT, led by renowned jazz trombonist and bandleader Rodger Fox, will run the Young Jazz Band-it competitions.

Rodger Fox says, “Our goal for the Young Jazz Band-it competition is to add value to school music departments through the prizes on offer and create a prestigious school jazz competition and educational event. These competitions are all about elevating musicianship, broadening musical perspectives and inspiring the performance of young jazz musicians.”

The Young Jazz Band-it initiative currently comprises three competitions. The Young Band-It - Essential NZ Jazz Band Competition recognises and rewards excellence in jazz musicianship and

performance. Bands entering this competition must have between 14 and 20 members, one of whom can be a vocalist, and there are three prizes on offer. The winner will receive $6,000 of musical equipment from Musicworks NZ plus a recording and music video (valued at $4,250). The second and third-placed bands will receive $2,500 and $1,500 respectively, of musical equipment.

The Young Jazz Band-It - NZ Composition Competition has been developed to foster New Zealand compositions in jazz. This award will be given for the best jazz piece composed by a New Zealand secondary or intermediate school student or students and performed by a High School or Intermediate School jazz band. Bands entering this competition must have a minimum of four and no more than eight musicians, one of whom can be a vocalist. The winner will receive $1,000 of musical equipment plus a recording and music video, and the runner up $500 of musical equipment from Musicworks.

The third competition, the Young Jazz Band-it - NZ Improvisation Competition, seeks to foster the art of jazz improvisation. Three prizes of musical equipment from Musicworks are on offer: $750 for the best instrumentalist, $750 for the best vocalist and $750 for the best drummer.

Rodger Fox said, “Huge kudos to Youthtown for funding this initiative via the Aotearoa Jazz Education & Performance Charitable Trading Trust Inc., and to Musicworks NZ for providing the generous prizes.”

ENDS