Shaler Area musician earns spot in All-National Jazz Ensemble

Shaler Area senior Zachary Spondike was selected as the sole bari saxophone player for an All-National Jazz Ensemble comprised of 18 of the best young musicians from across the country.

“When I found out, I was absolutely shocked,” Spondike, 17, said of his selection to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2020 All-National Jazz Band.

The NAfME honors ensemble represents the top performing high school musicians in the nation.

“Being accepted into the 2020 All-National Jazz Ensemble is such an honor for a high school student,” Shaler Area Music Chair George Tepshich said.

The NAfME festival is scheduled for November in Orlando, Fla. The jazz ensemble will be led by Todd Stoll, founder of the Columbus Jazz Youth Orchestra and vice president of education at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Spondike’s audition process began a year ago when he was selected for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Jazz Band, which qualified him to audition at the national level.

“I had to make a series of videos playing standard jazz etudes as well as improvising over a series of chord changes for my audition,” Spondike said.

He also performed additional pieces on flute and clarinet.

“NAfME selects one bari sax for the All-National Jazz Ensemble and to think that I was chosen as that one saxophone player is pretty incredible,” he said.

The senior said he’s been playing clarinet and saxophone since middle school but music has been a guiding principle in Spondike’s life since birth.

Both of his parents are music educators and have inspired him to experiment, grow and create as a musician, he said.

Spondike, drum major for the Shaler Area Titan Marching Band, cited his biggest mainstream influences as Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan, Dexter Gordon and John Coltrane.

Tepshich, who also serves as Shaler’s Director of Bands, said Spondike is a great role model for his peers as he is always seeking new challenges for mastering his craft.

“Zach is a very talented musician and an extremely hard worker,” Tepshich said.

Some of Spondike’s musical recognitions include PMEA District I West Honors Band, PMEA District 1 Orchestra, Allegheny Valley Honors Band, Shaler Area’s “Shrek” Pit Orchestra, Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra and Shaler Area Honors Wind Ensemble.

“It has been an absolute pleasure having him in the program over the last four years,” Tepshich said. “ I am looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish in the years to come.”

Spondike plans to study music in college and pursue a career in music education and performance.