On Sat., Apr. 22, jazz band students decided to showcase their talents for people in the community at the annual Sweet Brantley Jazz concert. Students of different skill levels had the opportunity to show their passion for jazz. Many students and family members found the event successful as they were blessed with a variety of songs.

“The atmosphere was super welcoming, volunteers gave out snacks and drinks to the guests as well,” senior Nadine Taylor said. “My favorite part was watching my friends perform and seeing how the band came together to make such a great performance.”

Additionally, the band had people volunteer to make the experience for the audience more enjoyable and memorable. These volunteers were tasked with the duties of serving people in the audience and waiting on them to make sure that they had everything that they needed. Many students had the benefit of making others feel comfortable and creating an experience that they will remember.

“I feel it was important for people to go because it demonstrates the community around us and our extreme talent in the musical world,” sophomore volunteer Johannes Calderon said. “The whole event’s ambience was very friendly and the biggest takeaway was that everything is better together.”

Along with the amazing volunteers that were running around to ensure the viewers enjoyed their experience, there was also a silent auction table that people were allowed to stop by in between performances. The silent auction prizes consisted of gift baskets put together by each section of the band going for prices over $100. Finally, the performers were given all the credit for putting on an amazing show. The players were given the chance to put their own twist on the pieces,  giving them the freedom to express themselves through the means of music.

“In my opinion I feel like we needed to play more charts in the Funk style, I liked most of what we played but I feel we could have found better charts to play,” senior performer Justin Moore said. “Overall it was a successful event, I think it is a big fundraiser for the band, not only are we performing for others but we are performing for ourselves.”