FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 2027
Come work with great jazz educators early in the season! The Eastern Iowa Jazz Festival is Friday, January 22nd at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. There are still a few spots open for participating jazz ensembles!
Adjudicators are Ryan Middagh, Mike Conrad and Toni LeFebvre.
Ryan Middagh is the Director of Jazz Studies at the Blair School. Middagh is an innovative educator, composer, arranger, saxophonist, band leader and clinician who has traveled the globe sharing his unique blend of talents and musical influences with audiences and music students. A passionate advocate for jazz education at all levels, he pursues creative programming and is devoted to reaching diverse communities through jazz.
Mike Conrad is a composer, improviser, and teacher from Iowa. He has been recognized for his arranging and composing with four ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and seven DownBeat Awards. Conrad’s music has been performed all over the world. Some recent career highlights include winning the 2023 Sammy Nestico Award, winning a SONIC Award from the International Society of Arrangers and Composers, collaborating on an hour-long recomposition of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony with Stegreif Orchester of Berlin, and releasing recordings with both the Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra and the Mike Conrad Trio.
Toni LeFebvre is a trumpet player and active musician, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Iowa. In 2017, Toni founded the Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra, a big band of women from across our state, dedicated to showcasing and inspiring the participation of women and girls in jazz. She also serves as an annual mentor for the International Women's Brass Conference mentorship program.
The festival will be held at John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The format will mimic the COE Jazz Summit; bands will get 1 hour in the performance space for warm up, performance, and clinic. We will provide the entire backline if you would like, or you can bring your own equipment. Because this festival is so early, it is my hope that this is more of an educational festival, and the clinic time on stage with both of our adjudicators is helpful to you as you are starting your seasons. However, placements will be shared with the folks making IJC decisions.