The Amador Valley Campana Jazz Festival was hosted at Amador on Saturday February 11th and featured music students showing off their skills through various performances and clinics. 

“We have groups coming in from all over the Bay Area and depending on their particular schedule, many groups have been  preparing music now for various months to prepare for this performance, so it’s exciting,” said Assistant Band Director Edwin Cordoba. 

The jazz bands practice anywhere from two to ten hours a week in preparation for concerts and festivals like Campana. Led by Jonathan Grantham and Edwin Cordoba, the Campana festival was a way for students to share all the jazz music they’ve learned and practiced by performing in front of judges.

“We have Jazz A, Jazz B, and the Jazz Workshop. All three groups have been working really diligently all year to prepare for these festivals. We are super pleased with the growth and the progress and the commitment to excellence that all three groups have brought to the table this year,” said Cordoba. 

In addition to live performances where each band received a score, the jazz bands were given feedback from judges and adjudicators from all over California in private clinics.

 “Every single band has the ability to play in front of the judges and showcase their ability on their musicianship, their rhythm, and their improvisation. The clinics themselves are very nice, and they offer straight feedback to every single musician and the band group themselves,” said Jazz B member Megh Patel(‘24). 

Amador students also gained volunteer hours from helping out and making the program run smoothly. Students had jobs anywhere from announcer to band guide to ticket booth operator and interacted with students and directors from other bands. 

“I help the AV Music Program because as [being] a part of the program, it has given a lot to me, and I really love music. So I wanted to do something to give back to the program. And it’s just a lot of fun too,” said Vardaan Singhania(‘25). 

This year the Campana Festival marked its 47th year, and there are future plans to keep this festival up and running.

“It’s important that we do our part to preserve [jazz]. We’re really excited to be a champion of this art form, and we encourage many music students to join the jazz bands next year,” said Cordoba.