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CUMBERLAND — Jazz band rehearsal sometimes gets off to a grumpy start at Mountain Ridge High School.
It’s not easy to jam at 7 in the morning.
“I got a couple of cranky kids that don’t necessarily enjoy it,” Mountain Ridge’s band director David Kauffman said, laughing. Because of scheduling conflicts, the jazz band meets every day before school starts for an hour-long rehearsal.
“It’s just a matter of getting acclimated,” Kauffman said. “It’s what they do.”
The group’s dedication is paying off. Formed just four years ago, the jazz band is slated to perform Friday on the Millennium Stage at Kennedy Center in Washington.
It’s part of the Kennedy Center’s “Performing Arts for Everyone” program, which since 1997 has offered a free performance — from dance to jazz to chamber music — at 6 p.m. every day of the year.
Mountain Ridge’s invitation came through a former student of Kauffman’s, who works at Kennedy Center.
On Tuesday, the band warmed up for Friday’s show by playing a 30-minute concert for the Cumberland Rotary Club.
“We’re all really excited,” said Rachel Culley, a senior who plays tenor — and alto and baritone — saxophone in the jazz band. In concert band, she plays clarinet.
“This is the only place I get to play saxophone,” said Culley, who performed several solos during Tuesday’s Rotary Club concert. “I just really like the band. I like the music.”
Rotary Club member Barb Buehl was impressed with the band’s performance Tuesday.
“I’ve heard them before and I think they’re very, very talented,” Buehl said, adding that she’s excited the group has been invited to perform in Washington. “That has got to feel great. What an honor.”
Earlier this month, the band earned a top rating at the 30th annual Chantilly Jazz Festival, and on Thursday, they’re scheduled to compete in the the Potomac State Jazz Festival.
Trombone player Hunter Martin gets nervous for every show, but he feels prepared for the Kennedy Center performance after so many early-morning rehearsals.
“Everyone is like, really really busy, so the most convenient time is early morning,” Martin explained. “We all get up really early and just meet before school. I think it’s an effective way to get us to work together and get ready for all the performances.”
This year’s group is the “strongest high school jazz band I’ve ever had,” said Kauffman, who’s been teaching for 13 years.
“Obviously, their commitment, their dedication to coming in in the morning is a centerpiece of that,” Kaufman said. “I can’t develop skills unless they’re all there at the same time working on it with me.”
Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com
WORLD STAGE
• The Mountain Ridge Jazz Orchestra is scheduled to perform at 6 p.m. Friday on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The performance will be streamed live on video at www.kennedy-center.org. It will also be archived there.
