If you heard the faint sound of jams throughout Racine last week, they were definitely coming from Prairie! On Wednesday, January 25th, we held our annual Jazz Day — a rocking occasion where local schools and seasoned professionals visit campus to listen to fellow musicians and display their own skills in a fun, open environment.

Jazz Day began in 2018, the creation of Instrumental Music teacher Jamie Breiwick, to bring together middle and high school bands from southeastern Wisconsin with the “big guns,” so to speak. This year’s version involved the bands of Walden High School, Union Grove High School, and Glen Hills Middle School, as well as the Milwaukee Jazz Orchestra featuring Bill Milkowski. And, of course, Prairie’s very own 7/8 Jazz Ensemble and US Jazz I and II.

Anyone in the vicinity of the John Mitchell Theatre was treated to a day full of bangin’ beats and smooth solos, and the students involved had the opportunity to learn not only from their fellow young musicians, but also from the professionals experienced enough to perform for a living. It’s one of our favorite days of the year!

If you’re curious, we’ve put together a video highlighting some of the best parts.

And, of course, you can watch every performance archived on our Prairie Live page.

Bringing guest artists to TPS is just another amazing benefit of the Parent Prairie Fund. Every child is able to soak up information from experts in their respective fields from the comfort of Prairie’s own halls. Because of the PPF, we are able to offer unique experiences — like Jazz Day and others — to each one of our students.