Sacramento State’s jazz band returned to the annual Next Generation Jazz festival for its sixth consecutive year April 1-3.

Every spring, the Monterey Jazz Festival invites the top student musicians from across the country to participate in the Next Generation Jazz Festival. The three-day event includes performances by middle school through college level ensembles.

Held April 1-3, the festival included America’s top young Jazz musicians from 10 states with over 1,200 students, all competing for a spot on the stages of the Monterey Jazz Festival that will take place in mid September.

Steve Roach, director of jazz studies at Sac State, submitted a recorded audition of Sac State’s jazz band and to his excitement the band was selected for its sixth year in a row by the Berklee College of Music. 

“It is an honor to get in,” Roach said. “The band played extremely well, but unfortunately, we did not place in the top three.”

The Monterey Jazz Festival has been a nonprofit leader in jazz education since 1958. Founder Jimmy Lyons created the competition as a way to bring talented student musicians and groups together and cultivate musicians for the future.

Although Sac State has been accepted to the Next Generation six times, the band has never grabbed a spot to play on stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival. However, Roach believes his students are gaining more experience each year they attend the competition.

Music Department Chair Ernie Hills describes the competition as the most notable jazz festival in the nation that has among the very best musicians worldwide and has been a multi-year winner for best jazz festival by Jazz Times.

“The festival is very high end. Only the best of the best compete so it is not easy to place in the Monterey Jazz festival that takes place in September and with several schools in the nation competing, there is only one spot open,” Hills said. “Placed or not, every year Sac State does very well.”

However the Next Generation Jazz Festival is not only a competition but it also provides clinics, workshops, and Jam sessions with some of the world’s famous musicians for students to interact and learn from one another.

Jason Galbraith, a graduating music major at Sac State, has been playing the saxophone for 12 years and has participated in the Next Generation Jazz Festival for four years. He said Roach is never really focused on the competition, but rather the effort students put into the music. 

“This (was) the fourth year I’ve participated in the Next Generation Jazz Festival and every year it has been a wonderful experience. It is not so much competitive, but instead a great way to meet new musicians and learn from the clinics and workshops,” Galbraith said.

Galbraith said all the schools gave their best and the band maintained a positive attitude. He said the festival is a way for students to reveal their talents and put on a great show for their audience.

“The festival is a presentation of artistic music. Whether we place or not, we make a musical statement and it is always a great experience,” Galbraith said.

As Roach looked back at the performance, he said competing at an elite level was worth the trip.

“Although we didn’t place in any of the years we have competed, the experience is a win-win situation,” Roach said. “The festival is not so much competitive, but rather a friendly atmosphere where there is mutual respect. It is always a great time for the students to gather with other schools and learn from each other.”