The Long Beach High School Jazz Ensemble, along with members of the Lab Jazz Band and Tri-M Music Honor Society, visited Jazz at Lincoln Center on March 17. Students participated in informative sessions that broadened their understanding of jazz, and had the opportunity to experience a concert that highlighted jazz of the 1960s.  

A pre-concert discussion exposed students to the meanings behind iconic jazz compositions and expanded their knowledge about the composers of the featured music. The concert demonstrated the ways in which many of the composers expressed themselves during the civil rights movement and other major political events. 

“This concert was not only enrichment for our students’ musical concepts, but served as a means of giving them real life connections toward an appreciation of how art and specifically jazz music has evolved with the social changes throughout our history,” said teacher Marino Bragino. 

The performing arts department offers many exciting opportunities for students to experience jazz music. The high school’s annual Jazz Night will be held on March 31 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium and will showcase the talents of the Jazz Ensemble and Lab Jazz Band, Middle School Jazz Band and High School Symphonic Choir/Sound Waves.