ECC students win awards at jazz fest

Five student musicians at Elgin Community College won Outstanding Musician Awards at the recent Skyway Jazz Festival held at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.

The musicians performed with the ECC Youth Jazz Band under the direction of Mark Bettcher.

The winning students were: Omar Garcia, Algonquin, on drums; Andrew Soderstrom, East Dundee, on drums; Connor Bernhard, Crystal Lake, on guitar; Brendyn Dobbeck, Elgin, tenor saxophone; and Ryan Palmer, Sleepy Hollow, piano.

The Skyway Conference is made up of eight member colleges: College of Lake County, Grayslake; Elgin Community College, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills; Morton College, Cicero; Oakton Community College, Des Plaines; Prairie State College and Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove.

In addition to its intercollegiate athletic conference, Skyway sponsors four annual co-curricular events: the Jazz Festival, College Bowl Tournament, Writers Festival and Art Competition.