The Swinging Stangs, Mount Vernon’s jazz band, performed a selection of smooth easy listening jazz in competition Feb. 21 at North Liberty to win points going towards their final season goals. The categories that these groups were scored in were intonation and general musicality, as well as other categories of adjudication. Mount Vernon’s highest scores were in the categories of solos, intonation, and articulation. 

Songs played were “Canal Street Commotion,” “Across the Tract Blues,” “Bayou Farewell” and “Boo-Dah,” the majority’s favorite. Clare Nydegger, senior trumpet player, finds “Boo-dah” the most fun to play because of the beginning. 

Gabe Mahoney, another senior trumpet player, appreciates “Boo-dah” for another reason: “Playing really high towards the loud section is really fun.” 

The jazz band season started after the marching band season ended, in November of this year. Nydegger reflected on her time, saying her favorite part of jazz band is “the people, they are all really fun. I like the opportunities of places we get to go.” 

Simon Gillespie, a senior whose favorite song is “Canal Street,” recalled his favorite memory as Clare Therauf finding her Pitbull bald cap in her pocket at the beginning of practice. As far as the energy of this talented band, it seems like an overwhelming positive space with a great potential for this season.