North Sydney Boys' High School Jazz
The Jazz education program at North Sydney Boys' High School is recognised as a benchmark of excellence in Australia, producing some of the nation's foremost Student ensembles. The Jazz program, which is probably the largest and most comprehensive of any NSW school, complements a fine orchestral, choral and concert band co-curricular program.
The NSB Jazz program involves around seventy students in three big bands and three combos. A focus of the program is on teaching improvisation and performing serious jazz repertoire.
The North Sydney Big Band is the senior ensemble in the program, and involves the most experienced and talented students. The band frequently tours regionally and, when possible, internationally. It has performed at the Espoo April Jazz Festival in Finland, at the Bahamas Jazz Festival, in the UK, in Barbados and in the USA.
In 2004 the North Sydney Big Band became the first Australian school group to perform at the annual conference of the International Association for Jazz Education in New York City. In 2007 it became the only Australian group to successfully audition twice for the IAJE conference.
The band has studied and performed with major artists and educators, including John Clayton, Bob Mintzer, Wycliffe Gordon, John Fedchock, Carl Allen, Jeff Jarvis, Shelly Berg, Steve Houghton, Lou Fischer, Bob Montgomery, James Morrison, Don Rader, John Morrison, and Don Burrows.
In January 2008 the North Sydney Big Band toured to the USA, Canada, Barbados, and St Lucia. Highlights included:
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New York City: workshop at Jazz @ Lincoln Centre
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Connecticut
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Toronto: IAJE conference & clinics with Chase Sanborn and Jimmy Cobb
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Barbados
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St Lucia
- Los Angeles: Masterclass with Bill Holman
