Last Sunday, May 7th, Oakmont’s very own Jazz Band had the pleasure of performing at
the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston. After months of hard work and various competitions, they
finally reached their goal, a goal that very few have accomplished in the past. In fact, in
Oakmont’s history, only two other jazz bands have reached this point.

To get to this point, a group of 23 musicians worked together multiple times a week, rehearsing for around 2 hours. These rehearsals started back in September. Their director, Mr. DeMoura has proven his dedication to the improvement of this program. Starting back in the fall, he brought in multiple clinicians to offer their advice on how the band can enhance their abilities and technique. This was a huge component in their success. A freshman Cara Landry states her view on the band’s development, “It took a lot of time, with late nights and early mornings but we all were excited to show up to every rehearsal and work hard for what we knew this program would accomplish.”

The band has been working on three main pieces for months. These charts have been
used as their competition pieces since the very beginning. These songs include, “Things Ain’tWhat They Used To Be”, written by Mercer Ellington and arranged by Alan Baylock, “My FoolishHeart”, written by Victor Young and arranged by Dave Rivello, and finally, “Recorda Me”, by Joe
Henderson and arranged by Mike Kamuf. Each piece highlights multiple soloists and the skills ofthe band.

In order to progress to the level of the Hatch Shell, the band competed in two MAJE festivals. During the first, the MAJE District Festival, the band received a silver medal accompanied by an invitation to the MAJE States Festival. There, they received a gold medal followed by an invitation to the Hatch Shell.

On the day of their Hatch Shell performance, they first enjoyed a tour of the BostonHouse of Blues. Afterward, they traveled to the Hatch Shell itself. They warmed up quickly, and before they knew it they were on stage. The band went on to play their best set of the season. Many in this ensemble can agree with sophomore Emily Gaudet when she says, “It was an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped us get there.”

At the end of the day, this ensemble is perpetually advancing, and the result of their hard
work is an overwhelming sense of pride. Mr. DeMoura sums this emotion up perfectly, he says,
“It’s always a surreal feeling standing where giants of the music industry perform annually.
Super proud of these kids and the effort that they put in to bring our group to this level.”
Congratulations to all members for this amazing accomplishment!