skip to: page content | links on this page | site navigation | footer (site information)

Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc.

By-Laws | Exec Bd Briefs | E-mail Subscription | McCowen Award | Mentoring | CMP | Award Order | Grants
Executive Board | District Chairs | Repertoire & Standards Chairs
Calendar | Pre-All-State | Opus | All-State Jazz | Summer Convention & Symposium | Fall Symposium | Weston Noble
Northwest | North Central | Northeast | Central | East Central | Southwest | South Central | Southeast
About Sounding Board | Sounding Board Archive
Children | Community | Jr High/MS | High School | Worship | Jazz | Show | Youth & Student | 2-Yr College | College/Univ | Repertoire Lists

R&S: Jazz Choirs

BethMueller

Hello and welcome to the R&S Jazz Choir page.  My name is Beth Mueller and I teach at Maquoketa Valley in Delhi.  This will be my twentieth year in the district where I direct the High School Concert Choir, 7th and 8th Boys Chorus, two vocal jazz ensembles- Smooth Harmony and Jazz X-Press, and am the Music Director for the annual Musical Production.

My Jazz Choir journey began in 1996 when I asked six very talented students of mine if they’d like to go to IHSMA State Contest as a Vocal Jazz Choir.  I told them I really didn’t know anything about it but I’d found a few arrangements that I thought might work and I just thought that they’d make a great group.  Why just six singers….well Phil Mattson had six in his group so I figured that was the right size! 

I have directed anywhere from one to four jazz choirs a year since that initial group shrugged and said “sure, why not!”  Working in this genre has proven to be so rewarding for the students and myself.  The musical skill and confidence gained in preparing and performing jazz repertoire is priceless.

My advice to anyone considering starting a vocal jazz ensemble…Just Do It!!   You won’t regret it.

Any questions…please feel free to contact me.  I’ll do my best to help you find your answers to your “jazzing” questions!!

Beth Mueller
Jazz Choirs R&S Chair
jazz-chair@iowachoral.org

PDF FILE OF JAZZ CHOIR FESTIVAL LISTINGS

Jazz Choir Festivals 2008-09

Saturday

Nov 15 , 2008

DMACC Jazz Choir Workshop
Guest Clinician: Dr. Jamie Spillane
Contact: Jim Loos
Mon-Tues January 26-27

Iowa Lakes C.C. Show Choir/Jazz Choir Festival
Contact: Brett Fuelberth
Website: http://www.iowalakes.edu/music/show_choir/index.htm

Saturday
Monday

 January 31
February 2

IHSMA State Jazz Contest - 1 A, 3A
IHSMA State Jazz Contest - 2A, 4A

Monday February 16

Audubon Vocal Jazz Festival
Contact: Donna Washburn

Fri-Sat

 February 20-21

Southwestern Community College Vocal Jazz Festival
Creston, Contact: Jeremy Fox
Guest clinician: The Real Group

Tuesday February 24

Lewis and Clark Jazz Festival
Sioux City, Contact: Jean Busker
Guest Clinicians: Mary Kay Knapp and Jeff Owens

Saturday February 28

Waukee Invitational
Contact: Amy Hall
Friday March 6

Kirkwood Vocal Jazz Festival
Cedar Rapids, Contact: Ray Salucka
Guest clinician: Vox One
Friday March 12

Cedar Rapids Jefferson
Contact: Andrew Eley

Saturday March 13

Cedar Rapids Washington
Contact: Matthew Armstrong

Monday March 16

NCDA Jazz Choir Festival
Columbus, Nebraska
Website: http://www.ensemble.org/assoc/ncda/rs/jazz.htm
Tuesday March 19

Coyote Jazz Festival
University of South Dakota, Vermillion
Contact: cjkocker@usd.edu, 605-677-5728
Website: http://www.usd.edu/cfa/Music/festivals.cfm
Saturday March 21

Gold Company Invitational Jazz Festival
website is: www.wmich.edu/goldcompany/events.html/
Saturday March 31

Best of Iowa Vocal Jazz Showcase
Dallas Center-Grimes, Contact: Tyler Harper

Iowa All-State Jazz Choir Auditions
Dallas Center-Grimes
Contact: Beth Mueller, Jazz Choirs R&S Chair jazz-chair@iowachoral.org
  April 16-18

North Texas Jazz Festival
Addison, Texas
web site: www.jazz.unt.edu/ntjazzfest/
  April 23-25

UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival
Greeley, CO
email: jazzfest@arts.unco.edu

  June 21-26

Steve Zegree Vocal Jazz Camp
Kalamazoo, Michigan
web site: www.wmich.edu/goldcompany/camps.php/

See the ICDA Statewide Calendar for more event information

See this page for information on the Iowa All-State Jazz Choir

Repertoire Lists

Vocal Jazz & Jazz Choir Links

Colleges/Universities:

Music Suppliers — Arrangements & Recordings:

Vocal Jazz Resources:

Professionals:

Other States' Honor Jazz Choirs:

 

Site Map | Contact Us | © 2005 Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc.