The Jazz Gala Fundraiser concert is happening today at 6:30 p.m. in the Expo Hall! There will be two guest artists at the show: New Orleans trumpeter Ashlin Parker and vocalist Monica Lynk Anderson. The money that is earned by the tickets will go to a New York City band trip to perform at the 2023 Essentially Ellington Competition, which is the second year in a row that OCSA’s Jazz Band has been selected as a finalist.

“The Jazz Gala is a big fundraiser, (the first time we’ve done it) and its gonna be in the Expo Hall on Friday night at 6:30pm,” said Mr. Jay Anderson, the director for the jazz bands. “This is a way we can raise money to go to New York.”

The Jazz Department hosted a Jazz Rush Week from April 17th to April 21st to build up excitement for the concert. During lunch, jazz students performed their pieces from 12:30 to 1:30 (or 12:05 to 1:05 on Wednesday) in the Expo Hall. Anderson ran the event and was excited to bring light to the jazz department.

“The purpose of Jazz Rush Week is to bring up excitement to the Jazz department. There are a lot of 6th graders who didn’t get to be in the jazz program this year, and are eligible to do it in 7th grade, so it’s to show them some of the fun things we do here,” Anderson said.

Tickets to see the concert are $15 on MySchoolBucks.com. Come support OCSA’s Jazz bands!