Hundreds of students get ready to riff at 53rd Annual Jazz Festival in Santa Barbara

​SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - From Dizzy Gillespie to Duke Ellington, hundreds of students are about to riff away at the 53rd Annual Jazz Festival in Santa Barbara.

"I play trumpet and I’m excited just to be in the festival. It’s exciting," said student Julian Herrera of La Cumbre Junior High School.

"I’m very excited to play at the festival and play jazz in front of judges," said student Sebastian Frazer of La Cumbre Junior High School.

"I actually want to be a trumpet player when I grow up … I’ve been liking it since I was 9," said student Joanna Garcia of La Cumbre Junior High School.

The Dos Pueblos Instrumental Music Program is hosting the festival where jazz bands from schools and colleges across Southern California will show off their musical talent.

"I play trombone and I’m really excited because my friends will be there and it’s going to be cool to perform music that me and my family likes," said student Diego Loeza of La Cumbre Junior High School.

"My hope is that I don’t mess up. That we do good," said student Lilo Jacinto of La Cumbre Junior High School.

"I’m excited because I want to see people that also play jazz," said student Sergio Limon of La Cumbre Junior High School.

Students participating in the jazz festival spent all year preparing for this event.

"My hope is for the kids to just have a good time and a great experience," said band director Charles Ortega of La Cumbre Junior High School.

"I hope that we go out and do our best and we have a great performance and they have a lot of fun," said band director Aimee Ware of Dos Pueblos High School.

"We’re sounding super good, so I’m super pumped," said student Rece Graham of Dos Pueblos High School.

"I love jazz because I get to improvise a lot and do whatever and I don’t always have to read the music … on the page," said student Hayden Lo of Dos Pueblos High School.

The competition will be judged by music educators across Southern California. 

Jazz in Paradise is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Elings Performing Arts Center on the campus of Dos Pueblos High School. 

For more from Patricia, follow her on Twitter below: