On Thursday, April 28, the Jazz Choir and Jazz Band will take off from Seattle and fly down to Reno, Nevada for the 54th annual Reno Jazz Festival. At the festival, there are workshops for the teams to perfect their skills, performances by collegiate choirs, and a competition between all the student choirs.

In preparation for the event, the choir and band performed on Friday, April 22 in an all-school assembly.

The assembly began with 3 songs from the Jazz Choir, and then continued with a few from the Jazz Band. All school assemblies prove themselves to be great outlets for somewhat underappreciated groups at the school, including the Jazz performers.

“To have everyone at school gathered to watch me perform makes me so grateful for the Brave community,” said junior vocalist Meagan Hodgins. “The Jazz Choir and Band work so hard behind the scenes, and this assembly gives us some recognition.”

The Braves hope to continue their successful trips to Reno this year. In 2014, the team placed 5th, and in 2015 the team received 4th place and a trophy.

“Last year we were told that we were ‘the best Blanchet choir’ they (the judges) had ever heard,” said junior vocalist Ava Charboneau. “This year will be a bit of a transition because we have a new conductor, but we still have a lot of talent in our choir so we will do our best!”

Other than performing, the teams get to look forward to traveling with each other and enjoying the Nevada sun. Between seminars, competitions, and performances, the teams get to spend quality time together. Be it on the airplane, or between various activities, the teams undergo serious bonding over the weekend.

“My favorite part about the trip is the free time that I spent with the other members of the band,” said Miguel Gomez, saxophonist. “We grow closer as musicians and friends.”

Although having fun in Reno is important to the teams, their number one priority is to be successful in competition. Junior singer and pianist Sophia Lacambra said that the best part about the festival is comparing Blanchet to other talented schools. She and the rest of the teams hope to perform to the best of their abilities in Nevada.