AGANA HEIGHTS, GUAM — November 8, 2011 — Nearly 50 aspiring jazz musicians from DoDEA Pacific high schools will come together here Nov. 14-17 in celebration of the annual DoDEA Pacific Far East Jazz Festival.

The festival comprises a Far East Jazz Choir with 24 vocalists and 4 musicians and a Far East Jazz Band with 20 musicians. Students were chosen by a committee of DoDEA Pacific high school music educators. The committee reviewed over 150 recorded submissions during a highly selective audition process. As an indication of student enthusiasm for the festival, the audition recordings were due just one month after the new school year began at the end of August.

The two student groups will study a variety of traditional jazz styles spanning several musical eras. Joining the Far East Jazz Choir this year is a vocal jazz specialist from the U.S. named Kirk Marcy. Marcy will facilitate student and teacher exploration of vocal jazz art and methodology.

Students will rehearse throughout the week in preparation for their culminating performance on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. The final concert will include exciting musical selections in a jazz club ambiance that is sure to delight music fans of every persuasion.

Guam’s Okkodo High School Glee Club, under the direction of Ms. Rhea Amistad, will join DoDEA Pacific students for the final concert. The event is free and open to the public. Please visit or contact Guam HS at (671)-344-7253 for additional event information.

For family members, friends and colleagues unable to attend the final concert in person, the event will be available live on the Far East Streamcasting Network accessible through the DoDEA Pacific Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dodea.pacific

Look for the link on the left-hand side of the DoDEA Pacific Facebook page labeled “FESN: Far East Jazz Festival.” Contact the school news liaison at any DoDEA Pacific high school to learn how to access the live webcast.

For further information about the Far East Jazz Festival, contact Event Director Whitney Mansell at 671-339-8676.

About Far East Activities and Athletics:
In addition to the Far East Jazz Festival, DoDEA Pacific sponsors 24 other unique Far East athletic and scholastic opportunities throughout the school year. Scholastic events include Far East Journalism, Harvard Model Congress, MathematicaFest, LinguaFest, Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and many more while athletic competition includes tennis, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, football, baseball, wrestling, among others. Far East events also include several art and music offerings such as the Film and Entertainment Arts Festival, Creative Expressions, Culinary Arts, Honor Music Festival, etc.
Far East events reinforce DoDEA core curriculum by providing students area-wide festivals, symposia and competitions to showcase their creative, academic and athletic talents. The events are coordinated and managed by the DoDEA Pacific area office with guidance provided by the Far East Activities and Athletic Councils.

About DoDEA Pacific:
DoDEA Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 49 schools in DoDEA Pacific are composed of more than 24,000 students and 3,100 full-time professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.