Thank You and Save the Date
Western Iowa Tech Community College extends sincere thanks to all directors, students, and ensembles who participated in the Lewis and Clark Jazz Fest in 2026.
It was a privilege to welcome such talented musicians to Sioux City. Performances throughout the festival reflected exceptional preparation, dedication, and artistry. The high level of musicianship on display was a clear testament to the strength and commitment of the participating music programs.
The festival aims to provide an experience that is both educational and inspiring, supporting continued growth throughout the school year. Events like the Lewis and Clark Jazz Fest highlight the enduring value of music education - fostering discipline, collaboration, confidence, and creativity that extend far beyond the stage.
Western Iowa Tech looks forward to future opportunities to celebrate and support outstanding student musicians and their directors. JazzFest 2027 dates have been set and we hope to have a full house on February 22-23, 2027. If you are not on our list and would like to be notified when registration opens, please email me at william.darwin@witcc.edu.
William Darwin, Jr, MM, BA, CPT
Director of Choral Activities
2026 Results
Vocal Jazz Ensembles
Class 1A
- 1st Place - Boyde-Hull HS First Street Jazz
Outstanding Soloist - Eloise DeWit - 2nd Place - Stanton HS
Class 2A
- 1st Place - MVAOCOU HS - Tune Squad
Outstanding Soloist - Toby Kaufmann
Class 3A
- 1st Place - Creston HS
Outstanding Soloist - Karlee Carson
Class 4A
- 1st Place - Council Bluffs-Thomas Jefferson HS
Outstanding Soloist - Lily Mitchell
Instrumental Jazz Ensembles
Middle School
- 1st Place - Lewis Central MS
Outstanding Soloist - Brayden Binau
Class 1A
- 1st Place - Boyden-Hull HS
Outstanding Soloist - Emma DeJong - 2nd Place - Stanton HS
Class 2A
- 1st Place - Central Lyon HS
Outstanding Soloist - Maggie McCarthy - 2nd Place - MVAOCOU HS - Jazz Coalition
- 3rd Place - Lawton-Bronson HS
Class 3A
- 1st Place - Creston HS
Outstanding Soloist - Malachi Webber - 2nd Place - Sergeant Bluff-Luton HS
Copyright Compliance
All schools participating in the Lewis and Clark Jazz Fest will need to complete the NFHS Copyright Compliance forms.
- Go to https://nfhs.org
- Select “Register” (or login if you are already in their system)
- Once you are set up as a user, select the “Resources” dropdown and select “Copyright Compliance”.
- Select “My Schools”
- Select the “Manage Schools” button and then select “Create School” if your school name is not present.
- Once your school has been created, select “Manage Ensembles” and then select “Add Ensemble”.
- Once your ensemble is created then select “Manage Selections”
- Select “Add Selection”, input the needed data and upload all verifications that are needed.
- Verifications should be in .pdf format and should be organized before beginning this process.
- Repeat this step until all selections being performed have been input.
- Select “Back to Main Page” and then select “Search Events”
- Select Iowa from the State dropdown and select year depending upon the calendar year your event falls in.
- Select View/Attend for the event you are interested in participating.
- If ensembles are attending multiple events they can simply select View/Attend for those additional events as well.