Shipley Honors Combo Wins First Place at National Jazz Festival
The Shipley Honors Combo, an auditioned jazz ensemble of ten Upper School students led by Director Chris Oatts, won first place in the Small Ensemble Division 2 category at the National Jazz Festival, held April 22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.
Ensembles from around the country performed a 20-minute set for 15 adjudicators, both in-person and virtually. Director Chris Oatts said, “The judges raved about their musical maturity and how they represented themselves.”
In addition, trumpeter Aidan Peterson ‘24 won one of three Outstanding Musician Awards given to the ensembles in the Small Ensemble Division 2 category and also earned the Judge’s Choice Award. Peterson was also the only musician from Pennsylvania chosen to play in the National Jazz Festival Diplomats, a band that performed at the Awards Ceremony.
National Jazz Festival was created in 2019. According to their website, “The National Jazz Festival’s mission is to bring together high school and middle school jazz musicians and educators from across the nation to strengthen music education and performance while cultivating an inclusive, joyful jazz community based on a mutual love of jazz.”
The Upper School Honors Jazz Combo, directed by saxophonist Chris Oatts, is Shipley's premier music ensemble and reflects Shipley's dedication to excellence in the arts. The group continually impresses audiences and serves as a pinnacle experience in Shipley's musical learning community.
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Discover how Shipley School's music program nurtures young musicians from Lower to Upper School, fostering confidence, creativity, and collaboration. Learn how students find their musical voice and achieve professional-level performance through this comprehensive education.
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Contour line drawing is more than a classroom exercise, it demands unwavering concentration, forging connections between the artist and their subject, creating a unique interplay between the pen and paper. A poignant reminder that art isn't merely about what we see; it's about how we see it and the stories we can convey through the lines we draw.
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The Shipley Honors Combo won first place in the Small Ensemble Division 2 category at the National Jazz Festival, held April 22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Trumpeter Aidan Peterson ‘24 won an Outstanding Musician Award and also earned the Judge’s Choice Award.
Shipley’s Lower School music program offers a one-of-a-kind musical education to its young learners, culminating in an authentic music ensemble experience. In fourth grade, students can learn to play three different instruments. The long-term benefits and goals of the program are many, extending beyond the classroom and into the lives of students and their families.
Shipley’s theater program is excited to announce that it will partner with Broadway Green Alliance, a corporation that tries to bring more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into theaters all around the country. Read more in this article originally published in the Beacon student newspaper.
After rigorous auditions, five Shipley musicians have been accepted into auditioned choral and band ensembles including the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 11 Chorus, the American Choral Directors Association National Honors Choir, and the Philadelphia Youth Symphonic Band.
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In April 2022, artist Peter Makela ’04 will travel to Nepal as a Fulbright Scholar. He’ll spend 10 months in the Kathmandu Valley pursuing his project, “The Radiant Emptiness of Space: Madhyamaka and Contemplative Perception,” while studying Madhyamaka philosophy at Rangjung Yeshe University, the world’s preeminent English-speaking Buddhist university. Learn more about Makela and his work.
West Collection: Recent Acquisitions of Diverse Voices This exhibition focuses on nine visual artists who through their work are commenting on world issues ranging from the climate crisis, immigration and migration, and exposing human rights violations.
The Shipley School Performing Arts Department will present Beautiful Trouble to audiences everywhere on Friday, November 20 at 7:30 pm via the School's YouTube channel. The production replaces the traditional Fall Play and is a performance protest piece comprised of scenes, monologues, poetry, short films, and more. Beautiful Trouble hopes to raise awareness for issues that matter to students.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.