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The THS Jazz Ensemble performed Thursday at the Kansas Music Educators Association inservice workshop and then THS senior Aiden Van Middlesworth performed Saturday at the All-State Jazz Band Concert.

Under the direction of longtime THS instructor Charles Van Middlesworth, the THS jazz ensemble performed a concert for KMEA members as part of this year’s convention.

Contributed photo

School officials announced this past August that the ensemble had been selected to perform at the convention. The Chieftain Swingers Jazz Ensemble had to submit 2023 performance recordings for review, which were blindly screened by an independent review committee through an extensive series of steps. The band performed during a KMEA inservice workshop at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Ballroom.

Aiden Van Middlesworth became the first student in THS history to be selected for the All-State Jazz Band. He learned on Jan. 13 that he had been selected as one of the Top 5 jazz trumpet players in the state.

The All-State Jazz Band Concert took place at Century II Convention Center.

Members of the jazz ensemble who performed Thursday were Paityn Van Middlesworth, Eric Bieser, Jacob Burton, Gage Slabaugh, Nick Jones, Aiden Van Middlesworth, TJ Schmid, Samuel Farrow, Jacob Celeen, David Hickey, Rylan Bedtke, Thomas Stewart, Gavin Garner, Charlotte Absher, Cody Fraedrich and Cole Holmgren.