Published: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Staff Report
Madison Magazine

Brenton Nash, 15, of Madison, Ala., has been selected by audition and will attend Interlochen Arts Camp, the world’s premier summer arts program for aspiring artists grades 3 through 12.

Nash, the son of Johnny and Barbara Nash, will study trombone in the High School Jazz Division at the Camp. In 2010, the Camp will mark its 83rd season at the forefront of arts education.

Nash is in ninth grade at Discovery Middle School, and has won many musical honors already in his school career. As an eighth grader, he was chosen as the Outstanding Jazz Soloist at the Festival Disney National Competition last year as well as Most Outstanding Drum Major -- both against a huge field of high school competitors.

He earned membership in the 2010 Alabama All-State High School Jazz Band -- the only freshman or sophomore in the state to be selected for the prestigious group.

Nash is the current band captain of the highly decorated Discovery Middle School Wind Ensemble and will serve as drum major and jazz soloist again this year when his group travels to Orlando to compete April 28 - May 4.

In addition to instrumental accomplishments, Nash has earned other musical awards as well. He is a member of the 2010 Alabama All-State Choir and will participate and perform in that activity in Birmingham April 15-17. He was also recently named as the state-wide High School Winner in the Musical Composition Category of the PTA's Reflections Arts Competition.

Nash's father and Director of Discovery Middle School Bands said, "It is such an honor for Brenton to have been accepted into the Interlochen Jazz Program. It is a tremendous opportunity for him to study with some of the best musicians in the world and improve his skills. His mother and I are so proud of him -- but will miss him while he is so far from Alabama. Lucky for him, June and July aren't nearly as hot in the upper peninsula of Michigan!"

Interlochen Arts Camp attracts students, faculty and staff from all 50 U.S. states and more than 40 countries. These 3,000 artists fill Interlochen’s northwoods campus with an explosion of creativity. Student-artists learn from world-class instructors and produce hundreds of presentations each summer in dance, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, music and film.

Among the distinguished Camp alumni are Norah Jones, singer Josh Groban, opera and concert soprano Jessye Norman, conductor Loren Maazel, jazz pianist Eldar, actor Anthony Rapp, cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and many more. Approximately ten percent of the nation’s professional orchestra musicians have roots at Interlochen and the alumni community has been honored with 90 Grammy Awards.

In addition to hundreds of performances, presentations and readings by young artists, Interlochen brings leading artists and performers to the northern Michigan campus. In recent years, guest artists have included Joshua Bell, Olga Kern, Bob Dylan, Van Cliburn, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Guster, Lyle Lovett, Trace Adkins, Branford Marsalis, the Moody Blues and many more.