John Nydam '15 Selected for All-National Jazz Ensemble
John Nydam ’15 was informed Friday morning that he had been selected to the All-National Jazz Ensemble as the lone pianist picked from a nationwide pool of candidates.
On Friday morning, John Nydam ’15 was informed that he had been selected to the All-National Jazz Ensemble as the lone pianist picked from a nationwide pool of candidates.
John earned the opportunity to submit an audition for the All-National ensemble after he was selected as an All-State pianist for Massachusetts. He will travel to Nashville for a week in October where he will join the ensemble to rehearse before performing on October 29, 2014 at the historic Grand Ole Opry House.
“I feel very honored to have been selected," John said." Jazz pianists from across the country were competing for one piano slot in the All-National Honors Jazz Ensemble, so I was not sure if I would win. I am really looking forward to getting to know and playing with some great high school jazz musicians from across the U.S. Instrumentalists and singers for the All-National Mixed Choir, Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra will all be in Nashville during the same week, so there will a great cross section of musicians.”
As a member of both the Select 1A Combo and Big Band, John earned individual recognition in the form of an Outstanding Musicianship award at the MAJE All-State competition, a Superior Musicianship award at the Berklee Jazz Festival, and an Outstanding Soloist award from the Charles Mingus High School Jazz Competition.
John also won the Oklahoma City University Bass School of Music’s national high school composition competition for an original piece he composed.
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