The sounds of brass instruments, guitars, pianos, and drums in perfect unison bounce down the halls of NHS’s music department as the jazz band practices. Some of the most talented musicians in the school are in Ms. Robinson’s jazz band, a program that has profoundly impacted both our school and the musicianship of its members.

Jazz band director Bethany Robinson was recently awarded Indiana Jazz Educator of the the Year by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation.

Robinson received the award for bringing Josh Kaufman to NHS and for her work with the Hoosier Crossroads Conference Jazz Festival.

“I invited all of the schools to do an improvisation clinic and had professional musicians and faculty from Butler come and facilitate that day. At most festivals, you take your full jazz band, play three songs, get some feedback, and win awards. But with this, students got their music ahead of time, and got to play with students from different schools,” Robinson said. “There’s not really any kind of festival like that in Indiana.”

Robinson currently teaches jazz band, concert band, music theory, and music history and appreciation. She is also assistant director of the marching band. Students appreciate her work in the music department.

“She was my first real music teacher,” sophomore Drew Ahlbrand said. “Her jazz program has definitely shaped me as a musician.”

The jazz program at NHS has grown exponentially under Robinson, who has taught here since 2005. What started out as just one jazz band eventually expanded into three bands.

Her influence stretches beyond the classroom and into her student’s performance techniques.

“She’s definitely helped me come out of my shell doing solos, so I’m a lot less shy,” sophomore Robert Dorbritz said. “She’s encouraged me and pushed me to do my best.”

Robinson was honored November 20 2014 at the Jazz Hall of Fame banquet.

“When I got this award, a lot of the kids joked that I was the mom of the year, because I’m kind of like the mom of the jazz band,” Robinson said. “Whenever we go on a trip, at some point they all break out like a group of chihuahuas yelling ‘Mom’ over and over.”

Robinson’s advice for musicians at NHS? Play with people better than yourself.

“When you’re the best musician in the room, you’re probably not going to learn from the people around you. So, if you can find musicians that are better than you, playing what you love to play, you’ll get better,” Robinson said. “Then you’ll have more of a chance to play professionally, which might mean being in a band that plays gigs in an Irish pub on a Friday night when you’re in college, playing dinner music at a nice steakhouse, being a rockstar and touring around, playing in an orchestra in a church on a Sunday morning, or playing in a coffee shop with just a guitar and vocals. Whatever you want to do, find people that do it well and learn everything you can from them.”