When a performer is confident about their work, they can make anyone believe in it.

The confidence rolling off the stage last Tuesday night at the Jazz Ensemble concert was enough to momentarily distract the audience from their worries and bring them on a mental vacation down South.

Cameron Crump, a sophomore secondary education and history major said, “The performers put on a great show with the best music choices to showcase the talent in the band.”

The annual event was hosted by the School of Visual and Performing Arts.

Directed by Larry Anderson, the hour and a half long performance featured 10 songs.

According to Crump, the band was getting better with every performance.

Jazz music holds a special place in Louisiana’s art culture especially with New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz.

The concert was also a great place for students out of state/country to learn about the state’s history through music.

Performer Kody Jernigan shared that the effort the band put in its practice was very rewarding.

“It is always so amazing to start a project from scratch and work every day toward this goal to make something great,” said Jernigan, a junior instrumental music education major.

“It makes us feel good to see other people in the crowd feeling good and I think that is just what makes participating so great.”

Bryson Barnes, a freshman pre-physical therapy major said, “You could really tell how much pride the jazz band took in their performance.”

The band’s final song “The Chicken,” left the audience wanting for more.

Although the longest, the high energy song was a perfect end to the evening.

“It was an amazing turnout and by far the best jazz concert I have participated in,” said performer Delton Dickson, a freshman music education major.

The group left the audience with high expectations for the next concert, and it doesn’t look like they will be disappointing anytime soon.