The De Soto High School jazz band has spent all semester preparing for its numerous performances. One such performance, considered by the members to be one of the most important is on March 7.

The band will be travelling to the University of Kansas to compete at the 37th Annual KU Jazz Festival.

At the festival, they will perform the songs Kansas City, Moonlight Serenade, Blues in the Night and finish with Spain.

Spain was first performed at the mid-winter band concert, while the other three pieces are all debuts for the group.

The jazz band is not part of the regular band, as it is its own class. Being voluntarily typically means the people who join are dedicated and willing to put in extra work.

One such member is junior trumpet player Jacob Sweatt. He thinks that the band is ultimately ready.

“We need to work on a few things, but I believe that we will be fully prepared come performance time,” Sweatt said.

The festival will serve as both a performance and learning activity for the students. While at KU, the band will listen to multiple other schools’ performances before it plays.

However, once the band plays its four songs, its day is not necessarily over. The announcement of the Outstanding High School Ensemble is at 4:30 p.m., and if DHS receives this recognition, they will be performing again, later that night.