Esperanza’s jazz band has the Reno Jazz Festival on the day of prom, so band director Bradley Davis and Valencia band director decided to have a prom for the band. The prom is on Friday, May 4 in the band room from 7-10 pm.

Davis stated, “The Reno Jazz Festival has been an annual event since 1962. The festival brings talented students and world-class jazz artists together for three days of exciting music.  Our top Jazz Ensemble had the honor of performing a command encore at this festival in 2014.”

Rylee Allen and Catie Mullner are both juniors in the jazz band. “It was relieving and exciting to find out that we could still have a prom and an enjoyable one at that! Being a junior it didn’t affect me as much that the Reno jazz festival collided with our prom, although it was disappointing. I’m sure it was really wonderful news for the seniors especially,” Allen stated.

Mullner stated, “Although I’m only a junior and have another year to go to prom, I was really happy to here that I could still go to prom because I wanted to go in a big group with all my friends. So hearing that I could still go was great, on top of going with all my band friends.”

“Mr. Perez (Valencia HS) and I decided to have an additional prom opportunity for our students because the Valencia and Esperanza Proms are happening during the Reno Jazz Festival.  We felt that it was important for our students who were out representing their schools at the largest jazz festival in the Western United States, to be able to also, have a traditional high school experience, like Prom. And because it’ll be fun,” Davis added.

Allen added, “I think what I’m looking forward to most is the people I’ll be with! Being in jazz band you get to know a lot of other kids in their school’s band program, so the fact that Valencia’s director is collabing with Mr. Davis is super awesome, and I’ll be surrounded by other jazz, band, and colorguard kids.”