GREEN BAY (NBC26) - There was a special beat playing at UW-Green Bay Saturday as the university celebrates 50 years of Jazz Fest.
“I feel the weight of history on this. This is really huge,” said Adam Gaines, UWGB’s associate professor of music and lead of jazz studies. “We're the second oldest jazz fest in the state of Wisconsin. We've been doing huge things every year and it keeps getting bigger. It feels really great. It feels like a good thing for Green Bay.”
About 240 kids from 12 area high schools and middle schools spent the day mastering their skills, and learning from some of the best instructors. A concert began at 4 p.m. Saturday for students to show off what they've learned.
"It's exciting,” Gaines added. “Some of the bands will play the same songs and you'll hear different wrinkles because its jazz and you never really know what's going to happen. But it’s exciting because it means young people are out there listening to this music, playing this music and learning this important American art form."
To cap off the event, two jazz bands from New Orleans will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Weidner Center for Performing Arts.
