On Saturday, April 16th, beginning at 10:30am, the fourth annual high school “Joy of Jazz Festival” will take place at Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville. The students will show off what they learn with a jazz concert, free and open to the public, at 3:30 pm at Hendersonville High School. Please enter the school at the main entrance facing Oakland Street which has a red sign with large white letters, HHS, just to the left of the glass entrance doors. There will be greeters and signs in the lobby area to direct you to the concert space.
The “Joy of Jazz Festival” was established in 2017 by then Hendersonville Community Music Center Director, Robin Tolleson. After Robin’s sudden passing in June 2019, the HCMC board and the Tolleson Family decided to use monies donated in Rob’s memory to continue the “Joy of Jazz Festival” in Rob’s honor.
From 2017 – 2019 the “Joy of Jazz” Festival provided a one-day workshop for local high school jazz bands. This year, bands from Hendersonville High School, East Henderson High School, and the Greenville Jazz Collective Youth Ensemble will spend the day working with highly respected teaching artists including Steve Alford (UNC-A), Shannon Hoover (Greenville Jazz Collective), Matt Dingledine (Greenville Jazz Collective), Ben Bjorlie (Asheville Jazz/Funk Jams), Patrick Lopez (The Patrick Lopez Experience), and Dave Wilken (Asheville Jazz Orchestra). The community is invited to the concert at 3:30 pm at Hendersonville High School.
For more information, contact lead festival coordinator, Shannon Hoover at profmus1@yahoo.com and (864) 353-7529, or Jocelyn Tolleson at jocelynctolleson@gmail.com.
