Kansas City Kansas Community College

The accolades continue to mount for Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Jazz Band program.

Coming off unprecedented success in the annual Pittsburg State Jazz Festival where the KCKCC Jazz Band and two combos earned No. 1 ratings, the Jazz Band under the direction of Jim Mair received an invitation to perform at the Puerto Vallarta Jazz Festival in Mexico next February.

“Only 20 groups are selected each year and we are the first community college to be invited,” said Mair. In 2006, KCKCC was also the first community college to perform at the New York City JVC Jazz Festival. The Jazz Band has also previously received an invitation to perform in the Morocco Jazz Festival and give educational workshops to students as guests of the Moroccan government and has a long history of national and international competition in Montreaux, Switzerland; Mexico City, New Orleans, Washington and Los Angeles.

The No. 1 rating was the 11th in a row for the KCKCC Jazz Band at the Pittsburg State Festival but this was the first year that KCKCC was able to take three groups and all received No. 1 ratings. Equally impressive, the 24 KCKCC students who participated received a combined 36 outstanding musicianship and solo citations.

“This is the first year we have had the depth in the program to send three groups,” says Mair. “The Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, Dr. Tamara Agha-Jaffar, is very supportive of our program and recognizes the positive public recognition that emanates from the music program.” Long recognized for its versatility, the KCKCC music program which includes audio engineering, music technology and instrumental and vocal instruction, attracts students from the entire metro area as well as rural Kansas and Missouri and international students. “Jazz is an international language synonymous across the globe,” says Mair.

Members of the Jazz Band include freshmen Tony Monteil, Josh Keopke, Aaron Francis and Colin Ford on trumpet; sophomores John Ligon and Lucas Box and freshmen Ryan Brammer and Will Henderson, saxophone; freshmen Mike Hornick, Ronald Mitchell, Gary Harris and Mike Waddell, trombone; sophomores Inwook Park and Taygun Ozakinci, bass; freshman Rex Hancock, drums; freshmen Bobbie Jones and Mike Rovenstine, percussion; freshman Jamie Anderson, guitar; and freshman Clayton Seals, piano.

Their success, says Mair, is based on the insistence of quality and constantly challenging each and every student both musically and personally. “Students are treated like successful professionals – show up early, dress appropriately, conduct yourself with class and humility and play above your ability level.

“These students are a joy to work with every day and it is especially gratifying to see them blossom as people and as musicians. It is a blessing to work at KCKCC and something that can never be taken for granted,” says Mair.