Fairfield High School students receive vocal jazz recognition

Fairfield High School students Michael Gookin and Darien ?Max? Sloat have been selected for the 2011 All-State Vocal Jazz Choir.

The two vocalists have been selected alongside 18 other students across the state. Under the direction of Peter Eldridge, the students will be performing Monday at the Iowa Choral Director?s Association?s Summer Symposium in Mason City. Eldridge is part of the internationally recognized vocal jazz group ?The New York Voices,? known for their precision, blend and style.

All-State Vocal Jazz Choir auditions were held March 29. For the first round of auditions, students were asked to perform major, minor and chromatic scales; the audition cut; a prepared jazz solo; a melodic sight-reading exercise; and a rhythmic sight-reading exercise. A record number of entrants participated in 2011. If students were recalled from the first round, they were asked to perform the audition cut in several groupings with students from other schools. Only about 10 students on each voice part were recalled this year.

Five Fairfield High School students were recalled, including freshmen Baylee Bowman and Claudia Sloat, and juniors Haven Tichy, Michael Gookin and Max Sloat. For most of the FHS students, this was the first time auditioning for ASVJ.

Gookin, son of Myron and Ann Gookin, is a first-time selection to ASVJ but was selected as the pianist for the 2010 All-State Band. Locally, he has participated in the high school?s concert band, marching band, select choir, chamber choir, GYZ, jazz choir and high society. He also has participated in ?The Testostertones,? GOVAP, church choir, Kiwanis and Fairfield Area Community Theatre?s ?School House Rock.?

Sloat, son of Darien and Roberta Sloat, is a second-year ASVJ member. Sloat was a four-year participant in Opus Honor Choir and in sixth grade was selected for the North Central-ACDA Honor Choir. His local involvement in music includes the high school?s select choir, chamber choir, GYZ, high society, and jazz choir and band. He also has participated in ?The Testostertones,? GOVAP, Generation NOW, and F.A.C.T.?s ?Seussical the Musical,? ?Children of Eden,? ?Oliver? and ?Pippin.?