The Davidson Fine Arts symphonic and jazz bands are preparing for a major trip next year.
Last spring, James Brewer, director of bands at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, said each year he looks for different events for the bands to attend and found the Pacific Basin International Music Festival, which will be held in March 2025.
“We had to submit records from recently, from the last two or three months, so we submitted recordings from our performance evaluation,” Brewer said. “They got back to us in a couple of weeks and said you guys sound great, we would love to have you as one of our participants for the festival. We’re excited we played well enough for them to accept us. They only accept nine groups I believe to the festival…so it’s an international with groups from all over the place. So far, I know there’s some California bands, some Alaska bands and I’m not sure from where else this year.”
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At the festival, the band will not only perform, but there will be workshops with professionals in the business, Brewer said. The students will learn what they are doing a good job with and what they need to work on. There will also be an exchange with another band so students can learn what they are doing.
“We’ll also get to perform for some judges who will give us comments and feedback,” Brewer said. “If we are one of the top groups at the festival, then we get to perform one more time in the Hawaii Theatre on the main stage for the public. So that’s our big goal while we’re there.”
Fundraising to help the students
The band is taking 40 students and is hosting a fundraiser to help cover some of the costs. Brewer said the trip cost per student is about $3,500, which includes charter bus to and from the Atlanta airport, flights and hotels.
“We’re trying to raise funds to help, we have some students who are in dire financial need,” Brewer said.
The fundraiser, “An Evening of Dinner & Jazz,” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. The Davidson Jazz Band will be performing, along with Wycliffe Gordon and Wayne Hoey. Tickets are $35 each or a table, which has eight seats, and include dinner, door prizes and a silent auction. The tickets must be purchased in advance and cannot be purchased at the door.
As for the students, Brewer said they are really excited about the trip.
“They work hard to be really good at what they do,” he said. “Some of our other groups go to other places where they get to fly, but us as band, it’s really tough because we have big instruments, we have all these other little things we have to consider. So when we get a chance to do a big trip, it’s a big deal because we can’t do it often.”
Tickets are can be purchased online at https://www.showclix.com/event/an-evening-of-dinner-jazz.
For those who wish to donate, but not attend, the fundraiser, donations, can be made at https://www.showclix.com/event/donate-to-the-dfa-band-s-trip-to-hawaii.
