FIRST PLACE AT STATE

AMES - The Harlan Community High School Jazz Experience, under the direction of Ryan Meyer, won its seventh Class 3A championship at the 42nd Annual Iowa Jazz Championships on Tues., April 4 here. HCHS has placed in the trophy class every year since its inception in 1976 and has garnered first place honors in 1999, 2001 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 13 and now 2017. Last year they placed second in the state contest which is overseen by the Iowa Jazz Championships, Inc., Jazz Educators of Iowa and the Iowa Music Educators Assoc.
    The annual state championship event invites the top 15 jazz ensembles for each of four classes totaling 60 bands, and brings together many of Iowa’s finest young jazz musicians to compete in one of the largest one-day jazz festivals in the nation. Jazz bands qualify for the Iowa Jazz Championships through district and independent jazz festivals. Each jazz ensemble performs a 20-minute set before a panel of three judges during the morning and afternoon competition.  The top two performing jazz bands from each class compete that evening in Stephens Auditorium on the Iowa State University campus for the Iowa Jazz Championship state titles.