March 18, 2026

On February 27, Hughson High School hosted Show Nite, an annual jazz-themed fundraiser featuring Hughson and Ross Middle School Jazz Bands and Sound Investment, in support of choir and band students traveling to Disneyland.

Both directors, Mitchell Beck from Ross Middle School and Katye Maki, said the night went great. Ross Middle School Jazz Band played during the first half, with their pieces interspersed with solo or small-group performances by Hughson High School students. That included the recognizable “Flower Duet” performed by Noeli Gomez on flute, Alex Jimenez on alto saxophone, and Bailey Bilson on piano.

After Ross students performed “Winter Poem,” Jimenez returned to play an advanced and challenging solo by Paule Maurice titled “Cansoun per ma mio from Tableaux De Provence.” Jimenez prepared the piece for the audition for the all-state honor band. And although Jimenez was not accepted, “just to prepare for an audition is a big deal,” Maki said, ought to be heard.

Ross Jazz Band performed a Duke Ellington tune called “Caravan” with solos by Kayle Sanchez and Helena Lemperle Amador on alto saxophone, Jacob Gonzales on tenor saxophone, and Isael Rios Ortiz on trumpet. “Ross, every year, impresses me more and more. The band gets better, and these young musicians are really developing, and we just get more and more excited to have them join our family at Hughson High School,” Maki said.

Afterward, Sound Investment performed “Touch the Sky” from Brave, a piece the choir will also perform at Disneyland.

Hughson High School Drumline brought the rhythm with “Mambo Schmambo,” a fun nod to mambo rhythms, before Ross Jazz Band closed the first half with “Party Rock Anthem.”

During the intermission, attendees were invited to dessert and the silent auction, which raised $465 for the music program.

Coming into the second act, the High School Jazz Band played “Four” by Miles Davis, with solos by Uriah Mendoza and John McKee, on tenor sax and trumpet.

A flute trio with Noeli Gomez Orozco, Leah Ballard, and Allison Landaverde performed “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins.

In one of the most powerful moments of the night, Maki introduced their next piece, “Fables of Faubus,” by Charles Mingus, a challenging piece, both musically and thematically. “It was in response to some of the difficult times during the 50s, when our country was ending segregation in our public schools. Faubus refers to the governor of Arkansas, who sent the National Guard to block nine black students from integrating their local public school,” Maki said. The students became known as the Arkansas 9 from Little Rock Central High School in the event now known as the Little Rock Crisis.

Maki spoke with the students behind the scenes, explaining the context and reading the lyrics together.

The piece is meant to be unsettling, Maki told the audience, and lighting by Robin Anderson helped carry that sense forward. The instrumental performance was successful and was well-received by adults and children alike. “It was a great growing opportunity and a learning opportunity,” Maki said. Having originated in the United States, “Jazz is one of the most original art forms in our country, and so much of our history and culture as people who live in the United States is reflected in it.”

Maki said that throughout its history, jazz has commented on the times. “Every generation has a challenge that they meet. I wanted students to know we can express ourselves through art. Through music, we can make commentary. We can use art as a means to communicate and share stories that are important to us. I think it's good to give them a little taste of that.”

After “Fables of Faubus,” the tone quickly shifted with a love song duet played by Aliyah Santiago, clarinet and Jaxon Stanhope, guitar. Stanhope was one of the original students in Hughson High School’s first guitar class.

Vocalist Betty Conners sang with the Hughson High School Jazz Band “When I Fall in Love,” and a small group of jazz lovers performed their own arrangement of “Red Swan.” “It was really fun for me as a teacher to see kids take ownership of their own learning and be proud of those kids as well,” Maki said.

The concert closed with a dynamic ending, performing an Earth, Wind & Fire dance mix.

Along with the silent auction, the fundraiser also raised money through advertising sales in the Show Nite program, bringing in another $1,260, which will go to the students who sold advertisements or provided for the silent auction.

The trip to Disneyland is an annual highlight for many students. This year, choir and band travel together, perform on stage, attend workshops with Disney professionals, including an instrumental workshop in which they do a sight-reading session on movie music, then see their performance played along with the film, and enjoy a traditional outing to Medieval Times.

See Hughson High School musicians in their next performance, Best of the Best, on May 4 at 7 p.m.