Silver, the color of the medals won in the International Association of Jazz Education (IAJE) Competition on March 12 at Foxboro High School and at UMass Lowell, stands for excellence and superb achievement. But what filters through the musicians’ minds during this time of stress and the relief that follows a win?

Christine Vo- “I thought about focusing in on the time. I was excited when we won the High Silver Medal because that meant we would go on to finals.” (Vibes/Piano)

Ryan Leo- “What I thought about when preparing for the competition was corn-dog, music, and hauling a bunch of drums. When winning the High Silver Medal, I felt terrible knowing we didn’t get the gold.” (Drums)

Erin Klim- “What I thought about when preparing for the competition was really concentrating hard, and perfecting my part. I felt shocked when winning the High Silver Medal. I couldn’t believe we qualified for the states.” (Saxophone)