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Clark Deptula
September 9th, 2026
As last school year came to a close, an announcement from teacher and director Mr. Zachary Smith rocked the Jazz Band with more than just a chord change. The Jazz Band was selected to perform at the Illinois Music Education Association Conference (ILMEA), also known as Allstate, this coming January up north in Peoria. The Jazz Band was selected based on playing ability and work ethic. Recordings were sent off for evaluation, and Smith adds on by saying, "I had other band directors write a letter of recommendation saying that we do really good things here, and that we work hard, that we are good people…”This is terrific news for the Jazz Band, and is also something completely new for the ensemble. In a recent interview, Smith told journalists, “We’ve had students go to Allstate in the past… but this is the first time one of the ensembles have been selected, and that’s a really big deal.”The Waterloo Jazz Band was selected out of all the bands in the state that submitted a recording, which makes the trip incredibly special, “I think we are one of eight jazz bands that applied and were selected to play,” Smith said. Furthermore, the event shapes the Jazz Band up for future performances. The group plays every winter and spring along with the concert band. They also compete in Murphysboro along with other schools within IHSA. They also do small performances in the area, one during Frühlingsfest in Maeystown and at the Tree Lighting at the Monroe County Courthouse. With all of these other performances in their calendars, the whole spiel in Peoria is going to be stressful for our fellow jazz cats. Smith confirms this by saying, “I think that we’re going to have a great performance. But there is a little bit of…anxiousness knowing that everyone in the crowd knows what’s up.”It has been shown that the Jazz Band is ready for a new challenge. After their most recent trip, Jazz in the Meadows in Chicago, the group really persevered through it all. It was a successful trip according to Smith. As it was mentioned before, this opens a whole new door for the jazz band, “We can maybe do some things that are out of state or maybe in New York, in Chicago, Kansas City, you know the whole Mississippi Delta if you will: places where jazz and blues kind of originated from…”Bringing the tempo down a little, the upcoming season for the Jazz Band seems interesting as it sounds. Fortunately, the ensemble knows what is coming and they will all be there for it. The Jazz Band also can’t go on a trip without having a little bit of fun! After the main announcement, Smith told the Jazz Band that they would be stopping by a Bass Pro Shops sometime during the trip. Let’s hope they catch a new state record! The group will be playing a multitude of other, small performances this year. Keep an eye out for information on StudentSquare if you would like to attend!Best of luck to the Jazz Band and Mr. Smith!
Meet the Author
Meet the Author
Clark Deptula
Clark Deptula
Clark Deptula is a senior at Waterloo High School, and is his first year in journalism. He joined with the intent of showing his creativity and ability to express his mind through journalism. He is interested in news relating to music and general media. He is very knowledgeable and outgoing, being able to help others in need. Clark is also in the school’s marching band, and concert band. In his free time, he likes to drive around, take photos of anything within his interests, and listen to music. Clark’s favorite thing to order at Taco Bell is a nacho-cheese gordita crunch with extra spicy ranch.
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