Algonquin’s top Jazz Band performed at the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education (MAJE) Gold Medal Showcase at the Hatch Shell in Boston on Sunday, May 5.

Following a silver medal with an invitation to the Central District festival and a gold medal at the State festival, Algonquin’s Jazz Band was invited to play at the Hatch Shell alongside other jazz ensembles and choirs from across the state.

Rather than a competition the MAJE Gold Medal Showcase is a festival that allows groups to display their skills and watch others perform, according to, Director Eric Vincent

“It’s a pretty famous venue; the Boston Pops play there on the 4th of July, there’s been albums recorded there, Green Day has played there,” Vincent said. “I mean, it’s a major Boston landmark and performance venue and it’s probably the biggest venue that they have played at. It’s kind of prestigious and an honor to be invited to do that. It’s another opportunity for the kids to showcase what they do.”

This is the sixth time the jazz band has been invited to perform at the Hatch Shell and senior Oliver Kubik’s third year attending. 

“There’s a certain feeling you get playing, especially at the Hatch Shell,” Kubik said. “It’s kind of surreal because you don’t normally get to play up there so it’s very exciting.”

For Kubik, though, playing at the Hatch Shell isn’t the only rewarding part of being in the band.

“There’s a certain connection when you play in an ensemble,” Kubik said. “You don’t know each other just by name or by personality. You know each other because you play together. You know who sounds like what. It creates a different kind of connection that separates from the normal friendship. So I think that in itself is pretty rewarding.”