by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC
Students and faculty from Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Jazz Studies program have received six honors in DownBeat Magazine’s 2020 Student Music Awards.
DownBeat has the widest circulation of any jazz magazine in the United States and has been recognizing student achievement at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels with the Student Music Awards since 1978.
The Standard Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by KCKCC Associate Professor of Music John Stafford II, was named both the Community College Winner in the category of Blues-Rock-Pop Group and a Community College Co-Winner in the Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble category.
Additionally, singer Noah Haskin was recognized as an Outstanding Scat Soloist for his solo on Standard’s recording of Justin Binek’s original composition “Reparations.” Singer-saxophonist Adam Bender received a Community College Outstanding Performance award in the Vocal Jazz Soloist Category.
Finally, KCKCC Assistant Professor of Music Justin Binek directed the 2019 Oklahoma Choral Directors Association All-State Jazz Chorus, which received an Outstanding Performance award in the Honors Vocal Jazz Ensemble category and featured singer Sarah Teel, who received Outstanding Soloist recognition for her work in the ensemble.
This continues a remarkable run of recognition for KCKCC from DownBeat, as the school’s students and faculty have now been the recipients of 14 “DeeBees” in the past four years. The Standard received Community College Outstanding Performance awards in the Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble category in 2017 and 2019 and in the Blues-Rock-Pop Group category in 2019.
Singer/guitarist Michael Schley received Outstanding Soloist recognition on The Standard’s 2019 recording of “Afro Blue,” arranged by Justin Binek. Instrumentally, the RSS Trio, featuring drummer Antonio Reyes, organist Mark Slimm and Schley, received a 2019 Community College Outstanding Performance for Small Jazz Combo. And in the Audio Engineering categories, Brady Rose was named the 2018 Community College Winner and received the 2019 Community College Outstanding Performance for Engineered Studio Recording, while Jordan Lankhorst received a 2017 Community College Outstanding Performance for Live Studio Recording.
“KCKCC’s Jazz Studies Program has a great history of producing outstanding musicians year after year, and this year is no exception,” Dr. Greg Mosier, KCKCC president. “I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of our students and faculty. It shows that with hard work, dedication and commitment anything is possible, even breaking the record books again with six DownBeat Magazine awards.”
This recognition of a single community college by DownBeat is extraordinary. In 2019, with the exception of KCKCC, no other community college in the country received more than three Student Music Awards, which is the most that any community college had received in a single year for several years prior.
“Our students and faculty are incredibly humbled by this honor,” Stafford said. “We take pride in our students’ work ethic and performance practice. Being recognized for creating music that is original and artistic is a joy for us, and greatly appreciated.”
These six Student Music awards are the culmination of an academic year in which the KCKCC Music and Audio Engineering Programs have repeatedly received national recognition. The Standard gave a main-stage performance at the American Choral Directors Association-Southwestern Division (SWACDA) Conference, and Professors Jim Mair (Instrumental Music Program Director), John Stafford II (Choral Music Program Director), Dr. Ian Corbett (Audio Engineering Program Director) and Dr. Justin Binek (Music Theory/Jazz Studies) have traveled extensively both nationally and internationally as performers, teachers, adjudicators and clinicians.
“It’s an honor for a school to receive even one SMA from DownBeat,” Binek said. “To receive six in one year and 11 in the past two is a testament to the wonderful students in our program and to the team of world-class faculty who are teaching and mentoring them.”