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Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage

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Congratulations to the 2024-25 ILMEA District Jazz Selections from YJED!
Each year, the Illinois Music Educators Association auditions and selects a limited number of the top high school musicians to perform in our district festival called ILMEA. This year, 23 of our YJED members were chosen to be part of this select group. And 8 of those were picked to be in the jazz combo, which is the most elite group of district high school jazz musicians. Congratulations on this fine accomplishment!

 
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NEW NEWS

YJED Winter Concert Sunday, January 19th, 2025 with Guest Artist Pharez Whitted!

NEW NEWS

YJED is excited to perform their winter jazz concert with guest artist Pharez Whitted! Pharez is an acclaimed trumpet performer, educator, and clinician. You won't want to miss this INCREDIBLE performance! 

Sunday, January 19th, 2025- Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church

                                                  10805 Main St, Huntley, IL 60142

                                                  4:00PM

Check out Pharez Whitted's bio here!!

YJED Spring Concert Sunday, May 4th, 2025 with Guest Artist John Wojciechowski!

NEW NEWS

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YJED is excited to perform their spring jazz concert with guest artist John Wojciechowski! John is an esteemed jazz saxophonist and incredible local educator. Get ready to be blown away with a wonderful day of jazz with YJED and John Wojciechowski!

Sunday, May 4th, 2025- More details to come

Check out John Wojo's bio here!!

YJED participates as finalist in the 2024 Essentially Ellington competition;
Performs at Lincoln Center in NYC!
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YJED participated as a finalist for the 2024 competition, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan in May.

YJED was the 1st Chicago area high school jazz band to be invited since 2015. (YJED also competed in 2001, and in 2008 won its division)

 

This year's competition, which celebrates Duke Ellington's 125th birthday, drew more than 100 bands nationwide. These bands were judged and selected based on live recordings.

To the left is a link to a video of the performance.

The header picture is of the band in performance at Lincoln Center; more pictures are available at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/e8aNnjsgKB9hJpt89

YJED year-end recording - Support through GoFundMe

After our last concert, in May the band (as it typically does) trooped  down to Transient Sound to lay down a recording with the best of their season's songs. GoFundMe donations help to fund studio time, plus the sound mixing and mastering, and production still in process.

Click on the yellow "Donate via GoFundMe" button for more details and to make a donation electronically.  

 

If you prefer to donate by check, make the check payable to “Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage” and mail it to the YJED Treasurer at YJED c/o Jenz Law Office, 124 S. County Farm Road, Suite C, Wheaton IL 60187. (Make sure your name and address is on the check to receive a tax deduction receipt). Thanks!

So what is the story with YJED???
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Well, we have a whole tab "About YJED" with a lot of details, and yeah you probably should go there and take a look at the details...but here's the short version:

  • YJED members get to play with the best high school musicians in DuPage County and surrounding areas.  20+ high schools...but only 5 trumpets, 5 bones, 5 saxes and one rhythm section.  You do the math.

  • You get to play pro-level music.  That's what you can do when you have a section full of 1st chair players selected from 20+ high schools.

  • You get to play at cool places (hopefully). COVID makes it hard to make promises, but the last couple full seasons YJED had on the calendar The Jazz Showcase, Fitzgerald's, Fulton Street Collective,   Plus ILMEA and downtown Chicago gigs.  And, by the way, a couple of concerts.

  • You get to play with great featured artists.  Pros like Victor Garcia, Chris Madsen, and Roger Ingram who have played with the best in the world, and who will push you to step up your game...seriously. 

  • And you get to make a pro-level recording, in a pro-level studio, with a featured artist or two.  Laying down the best charts of the year, engineered by industry guys who do this for a living.  Many of our alumni say this is the most memorable part of YJED.

So, if you want details, go to the "About YJED" tab. 

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