Two Attend Summer Music School with SJS Scholarships

Durham, NH — One of the Seacoast Jazz Society’s most important programs is its annual scholarship to the Summer Youth Music School (SYMS) at University of New Hampshire. This year, the SJS awarded scholarship money to not one but two worthy young musicians, both of whom have demonstrated a keen interest in jazz and the will to perform it at a high level — this according to an announcement by Dr. Nathan Jorgensen, SJS Board member and its Coordinator of the SYMS Scholarship program, as well as Director of Jazz Studies at UNH (shown above with winners Addison Daniel, left, and Ryder Jackson.)

Addison Daniel is a saxophonist and a senior at Oyster River High School in Durham and is a private student of Nick Mainella  “Since taking up private lessons with Nick Mainella two years ago,” says Marc LeForce, music teacher at Oyster River High School, “[Addison] has improved as a jazz musician by leaps and bounds. He scored second in New Hampshire at the Jazz All State Festival last year and played a solo in the concert. He is a hard working and dedicated saxophonist who has shined and been featured on multiple pieces here at Oyster River. He has also been in the Honors Jazz Band at the SYMS program, and this past year he won camper of the year honors.”

Ryder Jackson is a guitarist and a senior at Dover High School, where Music Director Jim Butka has high praise for the young guitar student, whom he said received the Judges’ Choice award for outstanding musicianship for his performance with DHS Sound Waves at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival this past February — this for his singing a scat solo on Pat Metheny's "Phase Dance" and .a guitar solo on "Sugar." He was also given the “Outstanding Musicianship” award at the Clark Terry/UNH Jazz Festival for his performance on guitar and improvisation with the DHS Jazz Combo.

The Seacoast Jazz Society congratulates Addison and Ryder.