MEAD JAZZ FESTIVAL

 

The Mead Jazz Festival was first held in 1997 at Cheney High School.  It was know as "Jazz Northwest" under the direction of Terry Lack.  Jazz Northwest was brought to Mead High School in northern Spokane, WA in 1998 by Terry Lack. In the Spring of 2015 Terry Lack retired and the festival was taken on by Director Rob Lewis.  In 2016 Jazz Northwest was renamed " Mead Jazz Festival".  

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The Mead High School community plays a huge role in supporting the Mead Jazz Festival.  Each year many Mead High School Band students and parents come together to provide almost all of the support needed for the event.  Those students and parents work hard to make all the band members, teachers, parents, friends and all festival attendees feel welcome and supported.

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Mead Jazz Festival has become a standing event for many high school and middle school bands from around Washington State.  Check out the past years results on our result page to see many parts of our state represented in the festival.  Mead Jazz Festival is a great opportunity for musicians and directors from around Washington to connect and support each other.

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All of our volunteers take great pride in providing a great experience for all attending bands.  Mead Jazz Festival judges and adjudicators are brought in from all over the Pacific NW to provide an educational, and friendly experience  for all levels of high school and middle school bands.  

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Every year Mead Jazz Festival invites a university to come play for all attendees of the  festival to end our day.  Some of the past Universities to be the guest artist are, University of Montana, Washington State University, University of Idaho, and Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University.  Additionally, the Bob Curnow Big Band has performed as a guest artist.

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If you have never attended Mead Jazz Festival we'd love to have your band join us this year.  Registration opens in October.​