The Department of Music at Missouri Western State University will host the 12th annual MWSU/Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival Saturday.

According to a press release, school group performances will start at 7:30 a.m., with the MWSU Jazz Ensemble taking the stage at 5:45 p.m. with guest artist, New York saxophone virtuoso Jim Snidero.

Each ensemble performs for the adjudicators, receiving recorded and written critiques of the performance from the clinicians. Immediately following each band’s performance the clinicians will give a 25-40 minute clinic for the band, discussing and working on specific areas of the performance. Bob Long, Missouri Western’s director of jazz studies, said the focus and commitment of this festival is to make it an educational and musical experience for both students and directors. Clinicians for this year are Wayne Page, music educator, Waukee Iowa; Bob Harvey, professional musician and educator, Kansas City; and Dan Stecker, music educator, Pleasantville, Iowa.

In addition to his performance activities, this year’s guest artist Jim Snidero, is one of the most influential jazz authors in jazz education history. His best-selling Jazz Conception book series (Advance Music) have changed the way jazz is taught worldwide, being translated into four languages, and he is the founder of the Jazz Conception Company, offering multimedia products via apps.

The festival will be held in the Fulkerson Center and is free and open to the public.

For more information please contact the Music Department at (816) 271-4420, or [email protected].