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The Denton High School Jazz Program

The Denton High School Jazz Program has had a long history of pride and success. The band was founded as the Denton High School "Stage Band" in 1967 and in the time since has been a part of the fabric of the Denton community.

 

Awards/Honors/Mentions: 

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Commended Winner (Lab Band 1, 2024)

  • Superior Performance Award- PlayBook Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2024)

  • Superior Performance Award- Wylie East Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1 and Lab Band 2, 2024)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Commended Winner (Lab Band 1, 2023)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Commended Winner (Lab Band 1, 2022)

  • DHS jazz student Matthew Garcia selected for Carnegie Hall's NYO for the second time (2020 & 2021)

  • 1 DHS jazz student earned a spot  in the 2021 TMEA All State Jazz Band (Matthew Garcia)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors  Winner (Lab Band 1, 2020)

  • Invited performer @ the Apex Jazz Festival. Will Premier On Fulton Street by Augustin Alonzo (Lab Band 1, Southlake, TX, 2020)

  • 3 DHS jazz students earned spots in the 2020 TMEA All State Jazz Band (Eric Crenshaw, Owen White, Matthew Garcia)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Lab Band 1, New Orleans, 2020)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Lab Band 2/3, New Orleans, 2020)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Commended Winner (Lab Band 1, 2019)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors National Winner (Lab Band 1, 2018)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Lab Band 1, Dallas, 2018)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Lab Band 2, Dallas, 2018)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Commended Winner (Lab Band 1, 2017)

  • Invited performer @ the Apex Jazz Festival. Premiered Asher by Brandon Moore (Lab Band 1, Southlake, TX, 2017)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Lab Band 1, New Orleans, 2017)

  • JENerations Jazz Festival Award (Soul Glo, New Orleans, 2017)

  • Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Winner (Lab Band 1, 2016)

  • 1st Place 5A at the Texas Wesleyan/ Tarrant County College (Lab Band 1, 2016)

  • Outstanding Jazz Band Texas Wesleyan/ Tarrant County College Jazz Festival  (Lab Band 2, 2016)

  • Outstanding High School  Jazz Band and 2nd Place at the University of Oklahoma Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2016)

  • Featured performance- University of North Texas Educational Leadership Conference (Lab Band 1, 2015)

  • Certificate of Merit, Essentially Ellington (Lab Band 1, 2015)

  • Third place Texas Wesleyan Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2015)

  • Featured performer at the Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference (Lab Band 1, 2014)

  • Excellent performance rating at Festival Disney (Lab Band 1, 2014)

  • Featured performer at the Thinline Film Festival (Lab Band 1, 2014)

  • Selected as a featured performer at the Jazz Education Network Conference (Lab Band 1, 2014)

  • Outstanding performance award at the JENerations Jazz Festival (Lab Band 2, 2014)

  • Superior performance award Texas Tech Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2013)

  • Invited performer at the Apex Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2013)

  • Outstanding performance award Collin Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1 &  2, 2011)

  • National finalist at the Swing Central Jazz Festival (Lab Band 1, 2011)

 

The  Denton High School Jazz Bands have performed or donated their services for these Denton community events and organizations: Denton Public School Foundation Groundhog Gala, Denton Christian Preschool, The Denton Senior Center, The Denton 100 Club, The Denton Community Health Clinic, The Denton Kiwanis Club,  The Denton Arts and Jazz Festival, Golden Triangle Mall, The Denton ISD Teacher of the Year reception, The Denton Holiday Lighting Festival, University of North Texas Educational Leadership Conference, Denton ISD Adopt a School, Denton ISD Grandparent Recognition, Denton ISD Top Volunteer Recognition, and the The Thinline Film Festival.

 

Past Guest Artists, Friends, and Co-Conspirators 

3X Grammy Winner Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck)

Grammy Nominated saxophonist Jeff Clayton

Noel Johnston

Earth Wind and Fire's Bobby Burns Jr.

The N'awlins Gumbo Kings

New York City-based dance modern dance company BODYART

Brad Leali

Grammy Nominated composer Steve Wiest 

Grammy Nominated University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band

Grammy Winner Brave Combo

Aaron Hedenstrom

Denton's Guitar George

Jeffrey Barnes

Donny Osborne 

Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor

Tony Baker

Shelley Carroll

Sol De La Cumbia

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Jesse Woolery has served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Jazz Studies at Denton High School since 2007. He is the music caption head for the DHS Pride of Bronco Country Marching Band, directs the Symphonic Band, and guides all aspects of the jazz program. Woolery also is the Founder and Co- Director of the Chet Baker Educational Jazz Festival which is hosted each spring in Denton. As well as UIL success in both concert/ sightreading and marching band, Mr. Woolery has directed groups from DHS at the Texas Music Educators Convention, Apex Jazz Festival, the University of North Texas Educational Leadership Conference, the Thinline Film Festival, and the Southwestern American Music Therapy Conference. Additionally, the jazz band has been selected as a main stage performer at the Jazz Education Network Conference, was a national finalist in the Swing Central Jazz Competition in conjunction with the Savannah Music Festival, and was the 2017, 2019, and 2022 National Commended Winner of the Foundation for Music Education's Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors and named the National Winners in 2016, 2018, and 2020. The DHS Jazz Program had three students earn spots in the 2020 TMEA 5A/6A All-State Jazz Band and has multiple alumni in the jazz programs at UNT, Texas A&M, NYU, and Berklee College of Music.

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Mr. Woolery won a Perry R. Bass Fellowship Award for his contribution to music education as a graduate student, was named a Denton Independent School District Top Graduate Educator of Influence four times, was appointed as an Educational Leader and Mentor of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, named the Denton High School Teacher of the Year, named a 3 time Denton High School Performing Arts Teacher of the Year, voted by the student body as a “Senior Grade Level Favorite Teacher”, named a “Friend of the Arts” by Sigma Alpha Iota’s Iota Omega chapter for his support of music at the local and regional level, and named to the “Healthcare For All Founders Community” of the Denton Community Health Clinic. He was also inducted into the Newton High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame for his “Dedicated and Devoted Service to the Musical Arts Profession”. Mr. Woolery received the 2017 and 2022 Repeat Director's Award from Festival Disney in Orlando, Fl. 

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As a performer and educator, Jesse Woolery has collaborated with Jeff Clayton, N’awlins Gumbo Kings, Miss Polly and Her Tiny Big Band, Earth Wind and Fire’s Bobby Burns Jr., Brave Combo, Brad Leali, Noel Johnston and New York City-based dance company BODYART. His name appears on recordings of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series published by GIA. 

 

Prior to coming to Denton ISD Jesse Woolery was the Director of Bands at Boyd Middle School in Boyd, TX, and Director of Bands at T. W. Browne Middle School in Dallas, TX. Woolery previously served as the Director of Jazz Bands at Texas Woman's University and taught in their music education department. In addition, he served as the National Camp Director of Bocal Majority Double Reed Camps and has extensive experience administering music camps throughout the United States. As a professional public address announcer, he can be heard every UNT home football game announcing pregame and halftime for the Green Brigade Marching Band and the North Texas Dancers. He has also announced for DCI, USBands, BOA, DCA, the Golden Triangle Marching Classic, and is the current voice of the Whataburger Frisco Marching Band Showcase at The Star's Ford Center.  Jesse Woolery was a featured announcer for the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game halftime show in conjunction with the CBDNA Intercollegiate Marching Band. 

 

Mr. Woolery is a graduate of the University of North Texas, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education with concentrations in bassoon, saxophone, and voice. While at the University of North Texas, he performed in the Jazz Lab Bands on tenor saxophone and the UNT Wind Symphony on bassoon. Woolery received his master’s degree in music education from Texas Woman’s University. His scholarly research has been presented at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and has been published in Texas Music Education Research Online. He is also a contributing author on "Program Notes: A Comprehensive Guide To Band Directing" which is a 2022 release by GIA Publications. 

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Jesse Woolery resides with his wife and 4 children on their hobby farm in Western Denton County (TX). 

Jesse Woolery, Director

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