Ever since the first Edmonds Jazz Connection, MTHS has performed and for their 21st performance, two members of Jazz 1, seniors Ryan Acheson and Gabriel Espitia, received a $2,000 scholarship for their outstanding musicianship.
Edmonds Jazz Connection, a local festival to show off jazz bands ranging from middle school up to college jazz bands, has been around for over two decades and has been raising support, as well as funds, for music education in Edmonds schools.
Terrace had both Jazz bands perform at this event and is one of their last performances of the year, the next performance being held at The Aurora Borealis in Shoreline on June 4th.
“I thought the concert was super fun. We played a new tune “Work Song” from Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown, and Beige”. We will be playing the entirety of Black, Brown, and Beige at our end of the year concert.” Espitia said.
Saxophone player Ryan Acheson plans to attend the University of Idaho to study music after playing in Jazz 1 since his freshman year. Acheson has received much recognition and many awards through the years such as Outstanding Soloist Award from the Newport Jazz Festival.
Dummer Gabriel Espitia plans to attend Central Washington University and then transfer to another school after 2 years. Espitia has been recognized too for his great musicianship playing for the All Northwest Jazz Choir.
Both musicians found that their passion for music had grown in Terrace’s music program and neither knew that they were going to pursue music until more recently.
“I didn’t know I wanted to pursue music after high school until the beginning of this year” Acheson said, while Espitia had decided to pursue music last year.
“I had reached a point in my playing where I felt I could be creative and expressive and decided I wanted to share that with the world in some way,” Espitia said.
Additionally, their growing passion for music, similarly, shares the feeling of reliance they have for it, “[It] came to a point where I’ve been through so much and music has stuck with me for so long” Acheson said
“The music program at Terrace is probably the one thing that kept me sane throughout the pandemic. I don’t know what I would’ve done without it.” Espitia added
