3 students selected for district-level middle school honor jazz band

Seventh-grade students Cooper Cates and Ashlyn Woods, and eighth-grade student Nick Powell have been chosen to represent Darlington at the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) District 7 Middle School Honor Jazz Band.

The young musicians will join other top jazz students from around the area for a special clinic and performance to follow at Cartersville High School, this Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend, they will audition and rehearse in preparation for a district-wide concert, which takes place Saturday evening.

Cates, Powell and Woods were nominated by Chris Holloway, Darlington's ELA-8 director of wind and percussion.

"All three of these students are excellent representatives of the grades 6-8 band program. They prove that perseverance always triumphs over the 'let's-just-get-it-correct-the-first-time' mentality," said Holloway. "I am especially proud of how much Nick has developed as a jazz musician this year. His bass playing has really solidified the entire jazz band."

For more information about the Georgia Music Educators Association, click here.