By Nevaeh Porter, Arts Editor
On Aug. 21, 2026, the Arts and Music program at Aquinas added two new features: Jazz Combo and Wind Ensemble.
This year, the Aquinas music program has not only the general band and jazz ensembles, but they now have two more selective ensembles. They have the Wind Ensemble, an audition ensemble with select players from each instrument in the general band. The people selected for wind ensemble are typically those who want to go farther with their music capabilities or just have such a strong passion for their instrument and music as a whole. They also have the Jazz Combo. This combo is a select group of students from Jazz band who want to have more chances and opportunities to progress their jazz skills.
Wind ensemble rehearsing for their fall concert – Photo by Nevaeh Porter
Wind Ensemble is an audition ensemble with students from College Band. There are students selected from each instrument section to be in this ensemble. These students meet on Friday evenings and rehearse their music. Wind ensemble requires auditions because the literature being read is typically more difficult than that being read in College Band. Adding Wind Ensemble for students provides them with more challenging music in a more serious, but still enjoyable environment. These are the students who are typically more dedicated and passionate about music and or their specific instrument. Wind Ensemble provides students with a community of like-minded individuals and peers, while also giving them the challenge that they are seeking in their music careers.
“I’ve wanted to do Wind Ensemble for some time, ” Director and Music Department Chair Person Doctor Thomas Polett said. “We just needed the critical mass and enough humans in the seats for it to make sense. There’s some literature more suited for each band.”
“During lessons with Doc Tom, I told him about how I knew a few basics about percussion,” euphonium player and percussionist Lenise Offray said. “He emailed me and told me could try it as a percussionist. He said I could switch to playing euphonium at any time, but I’m going to stay on percussion.”
Jazz Combo is an ensemble with students from Jazz Band, also referred to as “Big Band.” This is a small group of students who meet on Tuesday nights, as well as any other times all of their schedules align. For students, Jazz combo provides them with not only a more tight-knit community, but with a group devoted to furthering their love of Jazz music. The students are given more opportunities for improvisation, allowing them more chances to find and solidify their individual styles. This combo gives them this safe space to experiment on their own sound, but also with peers’ sounds and allow for more assistance and suggestions if struggles occur.
“Combo we’ve had as a class once in a while, but now we have enough people,” Polett said when asked the same question about the Combo group. “We want to make it a regular thing for Jazz and have people stay.
The students have expressed interest and excitement in their respective groups. When asked about their favorite parts of each ensemble or group, while their answers were different, they had the same underlying aspect of community.
“I like how there’s such a few people in Combo so you get to know everyone and laugh and joke around with them,” Jorja McFarland, Freshman trumpet in Jazz Combo said.
“Rehearsing all together as a big group,” Offray said. “Because when we play together we sound beautiful, even if we make mistakes. As someone who loves music, I really love going to band, it’s my therapy.”
For the students, these new ensembles provide them with a new outlet that allows them to express their musical capabilities, as well as develop close relationships with others who have similar passions. These new ensembles can either be just a place where they feel like they can laugh and get to know everyone, or they can feel therapeutic. Truly, the feeling just depends on the student.
When asked about the hope or goal for both ensembles, Doctor Polett responded saying, “There’s a culture around wind ensemble, like having different choirs, and that’s the dedication level. Wind Ensemble provides harder literature for those who have the strong dedication for it, without ruling anyone out by having it different from College Band. Jazz Combo provides the opportunity for those more passionate about Jazz more chances and opportunities for improvisation than big band.”
The first chance to see both of these ensembles is at the music program’s Fall Concert Showcase on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Kretschmer Recital Hall in the Arts and Music Building.
Picture of Jazz Combo from (left to right) Gavin Padgett, Skylar LeBron, Lylla Walters, Logan Licence, Lauren Espy, Jorja McFarland and Kyle Devine- Photo by Nevaeh Porter
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