Local jazz band students to perform with professional jazz quintet

The California Center for the Arts, Escondido?s first ?Center Stage? performance of the New Year will offer local high school music students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with a professional jazz quintet on stage in a 1,500-seat theater! Organized by the Center?s Education department, the ?Center Stage? program introduces students to live theater through weekday matinee performances that connect to a variety of curriculum areas?history, literature, science and, of course, music and dance. As previously announced, the next installment of ?Center Stage? will be at 10 a.m. on Tues., Jan. 14 and feature a JazzReach presentation titled ?Get Hip!? with METTA QUINTET. All of JazzReach?s artistic programming is carried out exclusively by the quintet, the organization?s critically acclaimed resident ensemble. But now, local teens are also going to get in on the act! Prior to the ?Center Stage? performance, JazzReach will be conducting a three-day intensive with jazz band students from Escondido High School and Valley Center High School. Each school will work with METTA QUINTET for two hours a day and then the music students will perform live with the group on Jan. 14 in the Concert Hall. This experience is being offered to the schools at no cost to the students. In addition, while ?Center Stage? performances are usually reserved for youth, tickets for this special show are being opened up to the students? parents and families as well as the general public. Tickets are available at the regular price of $4 per seat.