The Jazz Program is designed to provide the opportunity for in-depth study in the area of jazz. The goal of TPS Jazz program is for students to gain knowledge of Jazz through listening, performing, experimenting, learning history, and observing live performances by guest artists. Through these studies students will thoroughly understand the cultural and artistic relevance of the jazz genre in general, and the role of jazz music in American history and culture. Past guest artists have included internationally acclaimed artists such as: Adam Larson, Philip Dizack, Brian Lynch, Pete Zimmer, David Hazeltine, Matt Mitchell, Dave King, John Raymond, Colin Stranahan, Emmet Cohen, Tom Rainey, Hobby Horse (Italy), Adam O’Farrill, Juli Wood, and Jeremy Pelt.
Jazz at Prairie
Jazz Day
Tuesday, January 27th, 2026
9:00AM-3:30PM
TPS Jazz Day is a non-competitive all-day educational music festival for Middle and High School ensembles to celebrate and cultivate their unique musical talents, develop their creativity, and learn more about this truly American art form.
- Performances by Middle and High School ensembles
- Workshops led by music professionals on topics such as jazz history and improvisation
- More information on the day to come!
- Featuring Grammy award winning trumpeter Brian Lynch
Questions?
Contact Jamie Breiwick Prairie Instrumental Music Teacher at (262) 752-2500
Jazz Night
Friday, May 15th
5:30PM
Jazz night will take place on the Front Lawn at 5:00PM, where you can expect great music and food!
Questions?
Contact Jamie Breiwick Prairie Instrumental Music Teacher at (262) 752-2500
Visiting Artists Series
At Prairie, we enrich our students' musical experience through our Visiting Artist Series, where professional musicians perform for our community. These dynamic performances expose students to a variety of musical styles and artistry, fostering a deeper appreciation for music. By connecting with talented professionals, our students are inspired to explore their own creativity and passion for the arts, creating a vibrant and engaging atmosphere within our school.
2025-2026 Visiting Artists
David Bixler
Tuesday, October 7th
About David
After moving to NYC thirty years ago, saxophonist, composer, and educator David Bixler cut his teeth touring the world with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Toshiko Akioshi. He later joined the Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Big Band, with whom he played a decade-long residency of Sunday evenings at Birdland and won a LATIN GRAMMY for the recording, Final Night at Birdland. The passage of time encompassed a twelve year period of managing his son’s health issues which caused a humbling reboot to his priorities in life and the role of music in it. In the summer of 2016, after reevaluating his circumstances he recorded In the Face of Chaos (2019) with Bixler, Boccato, Cowherd, and Sturm, Blended Lineage (2020) with the Bixtet, and Inside the Grief (2020) with trio incognito. His latest project, THE LANGSTON HUGHES PROJECT vol. 1, which PARIS-MOVE describes as “a touch of genius” is a new recording featuring music inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes..
Bixler is the host of LINER NOTES with David Bixler, a podcast centered on conversations with jazz musicians. He also serves as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. As both a Selmer and Vandoren Artist he is active as a clinician and performer throughout the world.
Bixler and his family reside in New York City.
Stephen Harvey
Tuesday, October 28th
About Stephen
https://www.stephenpharvey.
Stephen Philip Harvey is a boundary-pushing saxophonist, composer, arranger, educator, and radio producer whose work bridges jazz traditions with the pulse of contemporary Black American music. A dynamic bandleader and recording artist, Harvey leads a range of forward-thinking ensembles including his electric quintet Sphinx, chordless trio SPH+2, mid-sized contemporary ensemble the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8), and his critically acclaimed large ensemble, the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra (SPHJO). Across all projects, Harvey crafts music described by trumpeter Sean Jones as “a beautiful pairing of the complex and the elementary.”
Harvey’s growing discography reflects a multifaceted artistic voice rooted in improvisation, groove, and cross-genre fluency. His most recent album, Multiversal: Live at Bop Stop (2025), showcases SPHJO’s cinematic breadth in a powerful live setting. This followed a trio of 2024 releases: Live at Radio Artifact and Elemental (Live) with the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8), and Library Card with SPH+2. In 2023, he released the eponymous debut of Sphinx, his electronic quintet, along with the Little Gifts EP (SPH+2) and Elemental (SPH8). Earlier works include the big band statement Smash! (2022) and his debut album Suite Childhood (2016). Together, these recordings—most issued through his label Hidden Cinema Records—demonstrate his bold orchestration, personal storytelling, and restless creativity.
His compositions have been performed by ensembles across the U.S. and abroad, including the Orchestre National de Jazz (Paris, FR), National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Peabody Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, University of North Texas, and New York University, among others. In 2021, he collaborated with NEA Jazz Master Roscoe Mitchell on Conversation for Orchestra, performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and SEM Ensemble. Mitchell calls Harvey “an exceptional musician with a very bright future.”
Critics have praised Harvey’s work for its fearless range and emotional immediacy. DownBeat Magazine describes him as “a straight-ahead band room swinger with an ear for making four horns sound like a kicking big band,” noting his skillful command of ensemble writing and energetic soloing. All About Jazz highlighted his “audacious conception” and genre-blurring orchestrations, while Dark Blue Notes called his soprano saxophone tone and expression “not easily matched by today’s saxophonists.”
As an educator, Harvey currently teaches at Salisbury University and Youngstown State University. He regularly appears as a guest artist, clinician, and composer-in-residence throughout the United States. His work in music education spans K–12 classrooms, university settings, and national conferences.
Harvey’s achievements have been recognized through numerous awards and honors. In 2024, he received the Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award from Seton Hill University, where he earned his B.M. in Music Education. He holds an M.M. in Jazz Studies from Youngstown State University, where he was named a Young Scholar Award recipient in 2016. Additional honors include multiple Creativity Grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, a Jazz Roads Grant from South Arts, selection for the Young Jazz Composers Showcase by the Jazz Education Network, and research and travel support from Salisbury University.
In July 2025, Harvey will begin a new chapter as Music Director at 91.3 WESM, Delmarva Public Media’s jazz and blues station. In this role, he will host a daily jazz radio broadcast, write jazz reviews, produce programs and podcasts focused on Black American Music, and curate live performances in the Delmarva region.
Brian Lynch
Tuesday, January 27th
About Brian
Brian Lynch is a Grammy-winning American jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator, renowned for his work in both straight-ahead and Latin jazz, known for collaborating with legends like Art Blakey, Eddie Palmieri, and Prince, and for his role as a Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. From Milwaukee, he honed his skills with jazz masters before becoming a respected bandleader, releasing numerous albums, and touring globally, blending powerful trumpet work with Afro-Caribbean rhythms.
Kenny Reichert Quartet
Friday, January 16th
About the Kenny Reichert Quartet
Kenny Reichert
Electric Guitar | www.kennyreichert.com
Kenny Reichert is an award-winning guitarist, composer, and educator whose thoughtful approach to the instrument has earned recognition from DownBeat Magazine as “a distinctive player and composer.” Originally from Brookfield, Wisconsin, Reichert began his musical studies on piano, guitar, and organ before attending Berklee College of Music. He holds degrees in Economics (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) and Jazz Studies (M.M., DePaul University), and was named a 2022 Luminarts Jazz Fellow. Reichert currently serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Guitar at Oklahoma State University.
Known for his lyricism, harmonic depth, and versatility, Reichert has performed and recorded with Russ Johnson, Geof Bradfield, Lenard Simpson, Clark Sommers, Ethan Philion, Devin Drobka, Ana Everling, and Alyssa Allgood. His 2024 release Switch (Calligram Records) was praised by All About Jazz as “masterly without being showy,” while his 2023 album Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm Records) was described by Textura as making “an immediate impression” and “warranting repeat engagement.”
Ethan Philion
Upright Bass | www.ethanphilion.com
Ethan Philion is an award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Chicago. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and DePaul University, Philion has been praised by The Washington Post for his “well-honed chops and astounding musicality.” His debut album, Meditations on Mingus, was called “a labor of conspicuous love and respect for a musical titan” by DownBeat Magazine.
Philion has worked with a wide range of artists, including Rufus Reid, Greg Ward, Dana Hall, Gary Bartz, Geof Bradfield, Dee Alexander, and Alyssa Allgood. He leads several projects of his own and remains an in-demand collaborator throughout the Chicago jazz community.
Lenard Simpson
Alto Saxophone | www.lenardsimpsonmusic.com
Lenard Simpson is a saxophonist, composer, and educator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Largely self-taught through high school, his prodigious talent earned him spots in the Grammy Camp Jazz Session and top soloist honors at the Mingus Jazz Competition. He later earned a B.M. in Jazz Performance from Northern Illinois University, where he also won first place in Chicago’s Luminarts Jazz Competition.
Simpson has performed with artists such as Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, Marquis Hill, and Clayton Cameron, and has quickly become one of Chicago’s most sought-after saxophonists. He is a recent graduate of the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, where he was selected by a panel including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Ambrose Akinmusire.
Devin Drobka
Drums and Cymbals | www.devindrobka.com
Devin Drobka is one of the Midwest’s most creative and in-demand drummers, known for his expansive sound and adventurous spirit. His work blends jazz with influences from classical, metal, hip-hop, and experimental music, resulting in a voice that is highly personal and constantly evolving. He has performed with a range of artists, including Greg Osby, Jerry Bergonzi, Dayna Stephens, and Joe Lovano, and appears on over 50 albums.
As a composer and bandleader, Drobka leads the Devin Drobka Trio and the multi-horn project Bell Dance Songs. His music has been described as “gorgeous,” “innovative,” and “sounding like nothing else in Midwestern jazz.”