Katherine Herrle Goes on Tour with Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble

2014 Feb 11

Katherine Herrle, a junior music education major in the School of Music at Ithaca College and a member of the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble, recently returned from a trip to Dallas, T.X., where ensemble director Mike Titlebaum and his students attended the conference of the Jazz Education Network. At this conference, the ensemble performed two concerts including a featured slot at the conference itself and another at nearby Plano Senior High School. Ensemble members also attended numerous clinics, lectures and concerts with world-class jazz musicians.

"My favorite part of the JEN conference in Dallas were the performances. Of course the professional players and ensembles were incredible, but as a future educator, I was also excited about the student ensembles. It was great to have the opportunity to get out and see jazz ensembles from high schools and colleges from all around the world. I was extremely impressed, and found the high levels of musicality achieved by students to be very inspiring," said Herrle.

The premier jazz group at Ithaca College is the Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble performs two formal concerts at Ithaca each semester, in addition to many other additional events on campus and in the community. In recent years, guest artists have included jazz trumpet artists Terell Stafford, John Sneider, Rick Henly and John Bailey, Eastman School of Music Professor Bill Dobbins, world-renowned bassist and educator Chuck Israels, former Ithaca College jazz director Steve Brown, and world-renowned jazz pedagogue Fred Sturm.