Cameron DeVane Saxophone Cam DeVane is in his Senior year at Fernandina Beach High School. In the fall he will attend University of North Florida auditioning for Jazz Performance. UNF is known for their exceptional jazz program, making that an easy choice for Cam. In the course of his music studies, Cam has participated in the District 17 Honor Band twice as well as Nassau County Honor Band each year. He consistently scores superior in[…]
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Wyatt Bruno Trumpet Wyatt Bruno is a recent graduate from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts where he was a part of the Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble 1. In the fall, he will be a student at the University of North Florida where he will be majoring in Jazz Studies and Performance. Wyatt has several amazing accomplishments over his seven short years of playing, such as, making the FMEA All-State Classical Band as[…]
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Janae Yates Drums Janae Yates was born in Pensacola, Florida but currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida. She graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and is proudly majoring in Jazz Performance at Florida State University. Janae has always had a passion for music; getting her first keyboard at the age of 6. She first began playing percussion at age 11 at Lavilla School of the Arts and then auditioned for the Lavilla Jazz Band[…]
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John Brown Saxophone John Brown began his music career in the 8th grade when he took drum lessons from DeMerle. He absorbed the styles of classic drummers Max Roach and Gene Krupa, but when he heard seminal improvising horn players like Cannonball Adderley, Johnny Hodges and John Coltrane,, he was inspired to move on to the saxophone. “I am a big fan of Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” album along with his version of “My Favorite Things,”[…]
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David Truilo Clarinet & Saxophone Born and raised in Ormond Beach Florida, David began studying the clarinet when he was in 5th grade and added the tenor sax in 8th grade when his middle school started a jazz band. He attended Spruce Creek High School, in Port Orange Florida, where he was a member of the school’s top ensembles for both jazz and classical music. As a member of the school’s 12 O’clock Jazz Band[…]
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Skyler Nolan Tenor Saxophone Skyler Nolan is a recent graduate from Douglas Anderson School of the arts and has held the 1st chair tenor saxophone chair for the 2 years he attended. He’s been a featured soloist with both the Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble 1 at The Mid-West Clinic in Chicago, Jazz Education Network in New Orleans, and in the Savannah Swing Central Competition where JE1 received 1st place. Skyler’s also had amazing accomplishments[…]
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Thomas Milovac Bass “I am honored to be the 2016 Scholar of the Amelia Island Jazz Festival” 18 year old Thomas Milovac, a gifted bassist from Clermont, FL, will be honored with the 2016 college scholarship from the Amelia Island Jazz Festival. A member of the Florida All State Band while attending East Ridge High School, Milovac will be sitting in with Les DeMerle for the opening sets prior to headliner shows with Houston Person[…]
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Ryan Duncan Saxophone “This scholarship has inspired me to do my best to keep my playing at the highest level.” Eighteen year old Ryan Duncan, a gifted saxophonist from Jacksonville is the 2015 Amelia Island Jazz Festival Scholarship Award Recipient. A four year member of the Florida All State Band while attending Douglas Anderson School Of The Arts, Duncan accepted the festival’s annual award during a special “All That Jazz” concert/show on September 20 at[…]
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Richard Roberts Trumpet “This award inspired me to reach for a higher note” Richard Roberts, trumpeter, was named the 2013 AIJF Jazz Scholarship winner, when he was a senior at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, in Jacksonville, FL. A former student at Fernandina Beach Middle School and High School, Roberts sat in with the Dynamic Les DeMerle Big Band at the 2013 Big Band Bash. “I love to swing, “he said, “and jamming with[…]
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Boyce Griffith Alto Saxophone “Receiving the Amelia Island Jazz Festival scholarship means the world to me. Jamming with the world’s greatest musicians could not be beat” A highly promising teenage alto saxophone player from Tallahassee, Boyce Griffith was recipient of the 2012 Jazz Scholarship Award from The Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival. Boyce Griffith, a graduate of Leon High School, is adept at swing, bebop and hard bop chestnuts. A four-year member of the[…]
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