Arts Student of the Week-Lucas Haratsaris

November is turning out to be eventful for Niwot junior Lucas Haratsaris, a talented saxophonist in the school's advanced jazz band. On Nov. 13, he submitted an audition for the Colorado All-State Jazz Band, which band director Wade Hendricks described as "incredibly challenging to get into." He followed that up on Nov. 15 with a day of rehearsing and performing with the Combined League Honor Jazz Band, a group composed of the upper quadrant of Colorado band students. To top it off, after Thanksgiving break, he will be a featured performer at the school's next band concert, with a solo during "Willow Weep for Me," a complex jazz standard.

"Lucas has really gotten into learning to play jazz and has developed into an amazing performer and leader," Hendricks said.

Haratsaris is a newcomer to the free flowing musical style, but, like many recent converts, has embraced it whole-heartedly. He started with New Orleans-inspired groups, but has recently taken an interest in contemporary musicians/composers such as tenor sax player Chad Eby and alto sax player Grace Kelly.. But he also appreciates the classics, such as John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon.

Haratsaris is patiently waiting to hear back about his recent audition for the All-State group, a call that should come during the first week of December. He said that he spent about a month perfecting his chromatic scales and learning études to prepare for the tryout, but it's hard to predict what the judges will prioritize.

"I think the two things they really focus on are tone quality and time, and then just how well you can express yourself on the instrument, musically through ideas."

Even if the audition results don't go his way, Haratsaris is planning to continue playing and performing jazz, even beyond high school.

"It's been a good baseline of where I'm at right now, to help me improve for the future," he said of the audition.

"Currently, where I'm at, I'd like to make a career out of it, or try to figure out how to do that," he continued.

When he's not playing jazz, Haratsaris is a midfielder on Niwot's varsity soccer team. In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time with his friends.