On Sunday, March 17 junior drummer Jackson Schou became the fourth Pleasant Valley musician ever selected into the Iowa All-State Jazz Band.
Schou has already proven himself to be an extremely talented musician. He has played the drums since sixth grade and was selected into the district-wide SEIBA [Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association] Jazz Band the past two years.
Schou explained the difference between the two ensembles. “SEIBA is different because it’s only a fraction of the state, but All-State is people from all over Iowa auditioning. It’s seen as a much greater honor to make All-State Jazz than to make SEIBA Jazz,” he said.
However, the two have very different audition processes. SEIBA Jazz requires students to audition in front of judges, whereas All-State Jazz asks these young musicians to send in recordings. Schou recorded several tapes of himself playing a written out etude, an improvisational solo, and several different drum styles including swing, funk, and Latin.
Nevertheless, he prefers the All-State audition process. “It’s less stressful. I made the tapes when I wanted to and there wasn’t a very present sense of anxiety and stress over playing in front of somebody,” Schou said.
After recording the tapes, Schou sent them to Drew Anderson, director of bands at Pleasant Valley, who then forwarded them to the Iowa Bandmasters Association for further evaluation. Several weeks later, on March 17, a friend messaged Schou with the good news, and Schou was ecstatic. “I was very excited and proud of myself. It feels pretty good knowing I’m one of the best drummers in the state of Iowa,” he said.
However, a trip to the All-State Jazz Festival is nothing new for the Schou family. Of the four PV musicians to have made the All-State Jazz Band in the history of PV, two of them have been Schou’s. Schou’s older brother, Cooper, paved the way for the family’s success when he was accepted into the ensemble his senior year, in 2015.
Schou was inspired by his older brother’s talents. “There was definitely a sense of motivation knowing my brother had made it when he was in high school,” Schou said. “I wanted to do the same.”
Schou’s band director is excited to be able to work with him for one more year. “He has worked really hard the past few years. I can’t wait to see the growth he will show over the course of the next year,” Anderson said, remaining optimistic as he looks forward to Schou’s senior year.
As Schou’s junior year comes to a close, there is no doubt that he will continue to inspire young musicians and instill pride in the Pleasant Valley community.
