Moonlight Express

"Love, walked right in and drove my shadows away." Moonlight Express. The varsity jazz ensemble at Kennedy High School. This is my second year in the group and I love every minute of it. The class is so refreshing and is a great way to end the school day. The group size is nice and small, sixteen people, and has four people per voice part; soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Each year we sing a competition set of songs which ranges from four to five songs. We had a very fun and relaxed year, and bonded together as a group.

Competitively we did very well this past year. We had to competitions and placed a one rating at each of them which is the best there is. As a second year member it was fun to perform at venues from the previous year and see friends from other schools show off their jazz talent as well. The theme of our set was about love. The songs we sang were; "I'm Beginning to See the Light", "I Love You", "Love Walked in", and "Route 66." The songs were extremely fun, and were also challenging for us because they were all different styles. Our first song was up beat and energetic, the second was very challenging with intricate harmonies which made it a fan favorite, then was our slow ballad, and we ended with a swing tune. The diversity in vocal jazz is what makes it very enjoyable for me because nothing ever gets boring, and it's never the same old same old.

However besides our competition set, we also learned an additional song to perform at performances and school events, and that was "Chili Con Carne." At first we didn't know if it would take off as a hit, but it is now our most liked song and is my personal favorite. The tempo is up beat, almost salsa like, creating for an engaging atmosphere. I want to dance every time I sing it! People liked it so much that a fan of ours asked us to record the song so that it can be ran onto CDs or uploaded to YouTube. We have yet to do this but are planning on recording very soon. Also if interested in hearing our competition set and "Chili Con Carne" we are holding a concert on April 28th and hope many can attend.

Moonlight Express is a fun and challenging group that is an honor to be apart of. Not many people are allowed into the group and to be able to be a two year, potentially a three year, member is humbling. The group this year has helped me create some memories, and has really opened me up as a jazz singer. I can't wait to see what direction the group goes in next year, and hopefully I will be along for the ride again.