Walt Whitman Stories

Fogel Selected for 2023 SCMEA Jazz Ensemble

Written by Liz DeMonte | Jan 18, 2024 5:53:11 PM

Congratulations to Walt Whitman High School Senior Andrew Fogel for being named to the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA) All-County High School Instrumental Jazz Ensemble! Andrew will be playing piano. He is one of only 18 musicians chosen for the selective jazz group. They’ll be performing at the SCMEA All-County Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 4th at 7pm at East Islip Middle School. Most members of the ensemble play at a level V or VI NYSSMA (highest) solo level. For SCMEA All-County, student musicians need to be nominated by their music teachers and also submit a video audition which highlights their jazz improv talents. Walt Whitman Band Director Matt Hoffman nominated Andrew. He said the students who are chosen for All-County are really talented, and he feels blessed to work every day with students, like Andrew, who live and breathe music, and are hungry to play every day.