Title
Honoring Temple University's Jazz Band and Terell Stafford on winning the 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship and recognizing this accomplishment as a source of pride for the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Temple University's Jazz Band, under the direction of Terell Stafford, won the 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship in January at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City; and
WHEREAS, The win was the program's first national title since 2020 and the second in the band's history; and
WHEREAS, The 19-member ensemble competed against leading college jazz programs from across the country and earned this recognition through preparation, discipline and strong ensemble playing; and
WHEREAS, Terell Stafford, who has led Temple's jazz program for nearly 30 years, has built a culture that emphasizes musical unity, seriousness of purpose, and a focus on the music itself rather than competition alone; and
WHEREAS, Stafford said the goal was not to chase a win, but to play with honesty, joy and clarity, and that approach helped shape the band's performance at the championship; and
WHEREAS, The group performed selections including "Windows" by Chick Corea, arranged by Ted Nash, as well as Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" and "Second Line," which highlighted the band's cohesion and shared sound; and
WHEREAS, Temple students also received additional recognition at the competition, including honors for outstanding combo performance, two outstanding section recognitions and twelve individual performance awards including the Harry Carney Good Citizen of Jazz Award and the Earl Hines Outstanding Musician Award; and
WHEREAS, This achievement reflects not only the work of the student musicians and their director, but also Temple University's continued investment in arts education and opportunities for young artists to perform at a high level; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has a long and important jazz tradition, and Temple's ...
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