KENNEDY STUDENT WINS CORRIDOR JAZZ ART CONTEST
McKenzie Hitzel, a junior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, has been chosen as the winner of the 2023 Corridor Jazz Project Art design. She will receive a $100 cash prize from KCCK-FM.
Her design will serve as the cover of the “The Corridor Jazz Project XVI”, a compilation of recordings from the top jazz bands from Jefferson, Kennedy, Prairie, Xavier and Washington High Schools in Cedar Rapids, Linn-Mar and Marion in Marion; City High and West High in Iowa City, Anamosa, Center Point-Urbana, Clear
Creek-Amana, Liberty, Lisbon, Mid-Prairie, Solon, and West Branch.
Receiving Honorable Mention in the contest were these students:
- Kassy Conway, North Linn
- Meg Düster, Solon
- Wyatt Hyde, Mt. Vernon
- Chloe Flender, CR Kennedy
- Kayleigh Jordon, Mt. Vernon
- Kaci Miller, CR Kennedy
- Kylie Pyatt, Mt. Vernon (2 entries)
- Cora Smith, Mt. Vernson
McKenzie’s original piece and those receiving Honorable Mention will all be exhibited during the Corridor Jazz Project concert, March 7 at the Paramount Theatre.
The Corridor Jazz Project is a jazz education and mentoring program for jazz band students in Eastern Iowa. The program matches each high school’s top jazz band with a professional jazz player, who performs as a guest soloist with the band. The subsequent recordings have been collected and will be released as a downloadable album and/or CD.
Support for the Corridor Jazz Project comes from MidWestOne Bank, Orchestra Iowa, Hills Bank, Orchestra Iowa, and West Music.
Jazz 88.3 KCCK is the public radio station operated as a part of the community outreach of Kirkwood Community College.