The Herricks Music Department hosted the Long Island Jazz Festival on March 10 at Herricks Middle School. This was the thirteenth time Herricks has organized this event, which brings bands from all around Long Island together to play music for each other and receive instruction from a guest artist.

This year featured middle school and high school bands from several Long Island school districts including Mineola, Manhasset, Wantagh, Port Washington, Farmingdale, Lynbrook, and Long Beach.

The guest artist for the day was vocalist and saxophonist Camille Thurman. Ms. Thurman is a native of New York City and has performed with several jazz luminaries, including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She has received numerous awards for her singing, playing, and composing, including two Herb Alpert Young Composer Awards, and was named runner up in the Sarah Vaughn International Vocal Jazz Competition. She toured Africa as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador, and currently works as an assistant professor of music at McGill University in Montreal. In addition to working with each band, she performed a set of music with the Herricks Blue Band, wowing the audience with both her vocal and playing ability.

Director of Jazz Bands Geoffrey Taylor, who planned and organized the day, said, "It's always a very valuable experience for young jazz musicians to hear what their peers are playing, and to be able to combine that with being taught by a master musician, and then also to hear her play and sing at such a high level, makes for a really wonderful experience for all involved.” Taylor also stated, “We feel very fortunate that Ms. Thurman joined us, and I know that the Herricks students who were able to perform with her will remember it for a long time!"