Wisconsin high school band to compete in national jazz competition in New York City

Sun Prairie High School band teacher Matt McVeigh tries to instill in his students a passion for music.

He believes that great musical performance isn’t just about technical skills on the instruments but also the emotion behind it. 

In preparing his Sun Prairie High School Jazz Ensemble for the upcoming Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band competition in New York, his message got through.

“We actually had someone come in recently who told us that the vibe we were giving off was one of worshiping the music,” senior trumpet player Aaron Vetter told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “Having that shared passion to such an extreme degree with a smaller group of people really fosters deep connections.”

Sun Prairie is the only Wisconsin school selected as a finalist for this year’s Essentially Ellington competition, held in honor of famed jazz musician Duke Ellington.

McVeigh’s ensemble, which includes students from both Sun Prairie East and Sun Prairie West high schools, will compete with 29 other schools from across the country at the Lincoln Center in New York City this May. 

“We really strive to approach jazz in a way that is authentic, that is soulful, and that is excellent,” McVeigh said. “To be able to earn recognition, to go to New York, is validating that what we’re trying to accomplish through music is paying off.”

The Sun Prairie jazz band is building a strong reputation for itself as a repeat competitor in Essentially Ellington, last earning the recognition in 2023.

Vetter and other members of the ensemble appreciate the type of environment McVeigh creates, one that keeps the band performing at a high level year after year.

“Especially in jazz, you’re improvising. You’re putting your own ideas out into the world, and it’s extremely important to have a band with a culture that we never back down on being there for each other,” Vetter said. “We never will judge each other for what we’re putting out there. I think that’s integral to the program.”

Nick Ruplinger is a senior who plays drums in the jazz band. Like others in the group, he grew up around parents and siblings who played instruments. 

But playing with the Sun Prairie jazz ensemble has helped foster a deeper appreciation and connection to the art form.

“It’s really just a second family to me,” Ruplinger said. “Just knowing that everyone puts in their best work and tries their hardest every day, welcoming and encouraging everyone … It’s just great.”

That work will be put to the test at Essentially Ellington, where the band will go through three days of workshops, rehearsals and performances in the venue that seats nearly 1,300.

McVeigh hopes that his students and their success can serve as a strong example of why Wisconsin schools should fund their music programs.

“It’s about being able to express ourselves and bring about new ideas and have confidence in those new ideas,” McVeigh said. “If we work with students who are able to navigate their role as an individual within a collective and can express themselves with appropriate feeling, that is the value of what a music education brings.”