LETTERS: JACKSON JAZZ BAND DOES ITS MAGIC

To the editor:

April 18 was a special night in Jackson. The Jackson Jazz Band, a talented and dedicated group of high school students, treated over 350 people to a delightful evening of Big Band sounds.

For months, these band students under the diretion of Pat Schwent practiced swing, fox trot, waltz, cha-cha and rumba music. Students in the middle school and high school learned dance steps. Band members and local businesses sold tickets. Band boosters helped set up early in the day and then returned in the evening to dance and listen to great music.

The result of all this hard work was a magical evening. Students from middle school- to high school-age danced alongside their parents, teachers and neighbors. More experienced dancers helped beginners learn basic steps. During one set of dance music, local musicians played along with the high school students. And the entire evening was filled with the wonderful sound of Big Band music.

A sincere thank you to Mr. Schwent and the Jazz Band for an eveining we will remember for a long time.

STEVE and ELLEN LUKENS

Cape Girardeau