GEORGIA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
2025 All-State Jazz Ensemble
February 1, 2025 | The Classic Center | Athens, Georgia
Chris Shumick
Craig Skeffington Roy Denton Band Division Chair Conductor Organizer
Craig Skeffington has been an active New England composer, arranger and educator for three decades with music in the jazz, marching and wind band genres. A high school band director since 1992, Craig was the 2003 MMEA Teacher of the Year. His published pieces with the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Alfred/Belwin Jazz, Kendor Music and CL Barnhouse have appeared in the Jazz Education Network (JEN) and NYSSMA manuals and consistently receive “Editor’s Choice” in the JW Pepper music catalog. His music has been performed frequently at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Ill. He is both a past president of the Maine Band Directors Association and jazz activities chair for the Maine Music Educators Association. Craig has also served MMEA as the instrumental jazz chairperson and at the national level with NAFME as the Eastern Division representative.
In 2020 Craig was inducted into the Old Town High School Hall of Fame and in 2024, the Maine Music Educators Association Hall of Fame.
As a trumpet player Craig has played with Barry Manilow, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Colin Raye, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra from Washington D.C., Kris Berg and the Metroplexity Big Band (from Dallas TX) and toured nationally with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. As a soloist, he has appeared with Grammy award winning artists Wayne Bergeron, Eric Marienthal and Bob Mintzer as well as Grammy nominated artist Bobby Shew.
Locally, he works with the Seacoast Big Band, the Portland Jazz Orchestra, the Al Corey Big Band and “Funkationland”. Craig lives in South Portland with his wife Carrie. His music can be found on the Portland Jazz Orchestra’s latest CDs “ –Nor Easter”,“ Generations” and “Live at One Longfellow Square” - available on iTunes and CD baby.
Wombat Combat
Program
by Craig Skeffington
Vending Machine Isn't Broken ……………………………………….. by Craig Skeffington
Sao Meu Sol …………………………………………………..……... by Michele Fernàndez
Crescent City Stomp ……………………………………………………….. by Eric Richards
Escalated Quickly
Alto Saxophone
by Craig Skeffington
All State Jazz Ensemble Personnel
Anthony Hoots - Walton High School
Carson Pearce - Ringgold High School
Tenor Saxophone
Hector Rosellon, Jr. - Allatoona High School
Ethan Bruce - Heritage High School
Baritone Saxophone
McColl Finch, Walton High School
Trumpet
Nicolas Anchondo - Heritage High School
Steven Li - Wheeler High School
Riley Case - Heritage High School
Travis Vaughn - Heritage High School
Alessandro DeCesare – Kennesaw Mountain High School
Trombone
Ugo Nwakanma - Cambridge High School
Alex Pugeda - North Atlanta High School
Abigail Stoetzner - Heritage High School
Austen Mathe - Houston County High School
Alaina King - Kell High School
Guitar
Jake Holley - Cambridge High School
Piano
Seth Landers - North Forsyth High School
Bass
Campbell Tunney - Savannah Arts Academy
Drums
Kirk Sones - Parkview High School
Auxiliary
Levi Selman - Cherokee Bluff High School
Vibraphone
Sammy Hilles - Heritage High School
The quality of the Georgia All-State Jazz Band reflects the great jazz programs offered in our schools across the state of Georgia. Thank you to the following directors and their students for being ambassadors of Jazz Music Education:
Allatoona HS - Mark Gurnow & Jonah Ewing
Cherokee Bluff HS – Craig Cantrell
Houston County HS – Jay Davis & Dillon Watkins
Kennesaw Mountain HS – Michael Huebner & Mike Long
North Forsyth HS – Raymond Thomas & Nick Tucker
Savannah Arts Academy – Bryan Agan
Cambridge HS – Daniel Scott
Heritage HS – Bill Wynn
Kell HS – David Roth & Taylor Watts
North Atlanta – Jarius Thomas
Parkview HS – Oscar Prado & Mikala Brown
Wheeler HS – Jason Frey & Mia Jordan
Walton High – John Palmer, Chris Johns & Andrew Clark