Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
The Mount Si High School Jazz Ensemble is one of the premier high school jazz ensembles in the Pacific Northwest and in the last 5 years has gained local and national recognition for performance excellence. Auditions for both jazz ensembles at Mount Si take place during the first full week of school in the fall, though this year’s ensemble was selected in spring 2017 to allow preparation time for today’s performance. As a prerequisite for participation in jazz ensembles at Mount Si, students must participate in one of 5 concert ensembles including Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, or Wind Ensemble. Both ensembles meet during “zero” period starting at 6:30am, five days a week for 55 minutes. In addition to daily rehearsals Jazz Ensemble I holds evening rehearsals every other week from 6-8pm as well as weekly student led sectionals.
Students in the Mount Si Jazz Ensemble are hard-working, committed, and dedicated. The ensemble consists of students in grades 9-12 with one freshman and four seniors. 12 out of 19 students take private lessons, 11 have driver’s licenses, 6 have jobs, 14 have a GPA of 3.5 or above, 4 take five or more AP classes, 10 play other instruments in concert ensembles, 1 is a national merit scholar, 2 are in choir, 11 have taken piano lessons, 7 ski, 6 snowboard, 12 are involved in outside of school music programs, 6 plan to major in music, and 19 plan on continuing to play music after high school.
The Mount Si Jazz Ensemble has performed in the 2015 and 2016 prestigious Hot Java Cool Jazz concert hosted by the Starbucks Coffee Co., and participated in the “School of Jazz” program hosted by KNKX/KPLU. In the last four years Mount Si Jazz has has earned top honors at local festivals and competitions including the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Bellevue College Jazz Festival, and Jazz Northwest. Under Mr. Wenman’s direction Mount Si Jazz I has been selected to participate as a finalists in the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Essentially Ellington Festivals in New York hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. In addition to regional and national festivals, the Mount Si Jazz Ensembles are privileged to participate in numerous local and community events including the North Bend Jazz Walk, North Bend Farmers Market, school assemblies, and business openings. Last year both jazz ensembles performed in the first annual “Swingin’ for Shelter” swing dance hosted by the Mount Si Band and Orchestra Leadership Team to raise money for homeless families in the Snoqualmie Valley.
Mount Si Jazz students have have had the honor of working with and learning from many esteemed clinicians and educators including Ron Carter, Bryan Carter, Marcus Printup, Todd Williams, Pharez Whitted, Ali Jackson, Walter Blanding, James Chirillo, Wycliffe Gordon, Mark Taylor, Jay Thomas, Chris Bruya, Vern Sielert, Paul Harshman, Jim Sisko, Danny Kolke, and many others. They are privileged to share the stage with trumpet player, educator, and composer Ingrid Jensen for the 71st Annual Midwest Clinic!
Mount Si High School Jazz Ensemble
Conductor's Bio
Matthew Wenman is in his 10th year of teaching in the Snoqualmie Valley School District and in his 5th year serving as Band and Orchestra director at Mount Si High School. Matt directs Jazz Ensemble I, Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble, and co-directs the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Pep Band. He also serves as the Fine Arts department chair on the building’s learning improvement team.
Since Matt began teaching at Mount Si, the instrumental music program has grown to over 200 students and become nationally recognized for performance excellence by it’s jazz and concert ensembles. In 2015, Matt started Mount Si’s first ever string orchestra which is continuing to grow in it’s second year. In 2009, Matt helped start the Snoqualmie Valley School District Music Coalition, a community-led organization aimed at raising awareness of and advocating for quality music education for all K-12 students in the Snoqualmie Valley. Since then, the SVSD Music Coalition has become a working model for organized advocacy efforts for music education in public schools across Washington State.
Prior to teaching at Mount Si High School, Matt was the music director at Twin Falls Middle School from 2008-2012 where he taught all 6th-8th grade bands and choirs. The Twin Falls band and choir program quickly gained a reputation for excellence under Matt’s direction, receiving top honors at local festivals and competitions.
In February of 2016, Matt was elected to serve on the board of directors for the Washington Music Educator’s Association as the Jazz Curriculum Officer. His articles on teaching jazz appear in the WMEA quarterly publication, “Voice”. He is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor in Washington State for both middle school and high school concert bands and jazz ensembles.
Matt graduated from the University of Washington in 2008 with a BM in Music Education and in 2015 with a MM in Conducting from Central Washington University. In the spring of 2017, he completed his candidacy to become a National Board Certified Teacher. Matt has been privileged to have studied with and been mentored by Vern Sielert, Chris Bruya, Larry Gookin, Mark Lane, Don Furness, Kevin Clayton, and Paul Harshman, as well as many other esteemed colleagues and teachers throughout the Northwest.
In 2003, Matt enlisted in the Army Reserve as a member of the 70th Army Band and in 2009 transferred to the Washington National Guard as a member of the 133rd Army Band. He is currently serving as the director of the 133rd Army Band Jazz Patriots, and directs and performs in the 133rd Army Band's “General’s Seven” Dixie Band and the Concert Band, performing on clarinet and saxophone.
Matt’s greatest joy is spending time with his wife Shannon, a science teacher at Mount Si, and their two year old daugher Addelyn. They are expecting their second baby in April 2018. Together they enjoy outdoor adventures like hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and sailing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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