The Swingin’ Stangs, Uptown Jazz and Lincoln Highway Jazz concluded their seasons with a Java Jazz concert Thursday, March 30.
The Java Jazz event is an annual fundraiser for both groups, and helps pay for travel expenses and registrations for the groups in the many concerts they are a part of every year.
Combined, the choirs and jazz band performed 19 different songs, with soloists and vocalists performing in several of the pieces.
Director Scott Weber thanked the dedication of his students this season, noting that many of his best friends are these students in the musical program he spends a lot of time with.
“Mount Vernon is blessed to have this many students focused on music,” Weber said.
Choir director Thad Wilkins also brought into focus the number of students on the program who also attended practices for sporting activities before the concert that evening, with more than 70 percent of students being involved in multiple activities.
“That was one of the reasons it was easy to take the job here at Mount Vernon, was the focus on the entire student,” Wilkins said. “Giving them the opportunity to excel in academics and the extracurriculars they are involved with at the same time.”
The Lincoln Highway Jazz choir placed fifth in Class in the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships in Spirit Lake on Wednesday, March 29.
A soloist with Uptown Jazz performs Thursday, March 30.