Twenty-nine Seneca Valley Band students were selected by solo audition to perform in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District Jazz Festival at Slippery Rock University Feb. 18 and 19.

Seneca Valley band students participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District Jazz Festival held last month at Slippery Rock University.

A news release from the district said 29 students were selected by solo audition.

The festival consisted of three jazz ensembles, with Seneca Valley having sent the most students among the districts participating.

Guest conductors included Dr. Leigh Pilzer, a Washington DC-based saxophonist and arranger who has toured both nationally and internationally as a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and The DIVA Jazz Orchestra; Dr. David Glover, music department chair and percussion instructor at Slippery Rock University; and Clint Bleil, freelance saxophonist in the Pittsburgh area and assistant professor of music at Washington and Jefferson College.

Mr. Bleil is also an “artist in residence” at Seneca Valley as part of the Seneca Valley Academy of Choice (SVAOC) performing arts department.

The event concluded with a public concert at Slippery Rock University’s Miller Auditorium.

District 5 is comprised of school districts from Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

Students are led by Varden Armstrong and Robert Babick, secondary instrumental instructors at Seneca Valley.

The Seneca Valley students who were selected for the event are Leanne Abel, Connor Allen, Paul Amado, Paityn Armstrong, Michael Bardos, James Beck, Noah Bracht, Emma Conrad, Elora Dabravalskas, Elizabeth Hixon, Leta Hixon, Isaac Hixon, Peter Ko, Kenzie Kozar, Julian Lagoon, Katelyn Livorse, Colton Marley, Bailey Milanovich, Victor Myrna, Avery Rape, Jackson Scherzer, Bridget Scott, Jonah Smeltzer, Chord Snow, Brandon Suski, Katie Sylves, Roy Tilton, Zachary Tollerton and Andy Weisgerber.