Niles North Invited to Perform at Vallarta's 2014 Jazz Festival Niles Township High Schools District 219 - Skokie Sun Times
go to original December 12, 2013

Take One, the advanced vocal jazz ensemble at Niles North High School, has been invited to perform as part of the Puerto Vallarta Invitational Jazz Festival held in February 2014.

During the trip, these talented young artists will get to work with top Latin jazz professionals who will serve as adjudicators and clinicians, and perform alongside other top high school and college/university jazz ensembles.

Not only will they have the opportunity to learn from some of the best jazz artists in Latin America, but Take One will share their talents with local Puerto Vallarta students through free concerts, while also contributing school supplies to underprivileged schools.

Take One students are rehearsing their songs, they are conducting fundraisers for their trip, but the reality is that not all of the students can participate due to financial challenges. The Niles North Vocal Jazz Campaign was set up to help these students be a part of the festival. Contact Choral/Vocal Jazz Director Daniel Gregerman at (847) 626-2115 to find out more information on how to help sponsor students for the festival.

Niles Township High School District 219 was recognized as the number one arts education program in the nation in 2007 by the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education and the National School Boards Association. The schools’ music programs have won a long list of prestigious awards including the International Association of Jazz Educators’ Award for outstanding performances in Vocal Jazz and Jazz Band, the Outstanding Performance Award at Millikin University Jazz Festival, and the Grammy Signature School Award. The Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival’s board of directors invited Take One to participate as a headliner based on their record of excellence.

Take One performed at the 2nd annual Puerto Vallarta Invitational Jazz Festival and Gregerman notes that while they performed, "…it was standing room only. The streets were lined with people." Gregerman adds, "Based on the fact that we brought the house down when we performed, they asked us back to the festival as a headliner." Take One also plans to collaborate with another band at the festival.

For more information on making a donation or sponsoring a student, please contact Daniel Gregerman at dangre@d219.org.