The Jazz Ensemble recently took its triennial trip to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs for the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) conference.

CMEA is the largest music educator conference in Colorado. It is a four-day gathering of music educators from across the state.

Attendees include high school band directors, early childhood music educators, music professors, private studio owners and students.

Each year, conference organizers invite one collegiate jazz ensemble to perform. The invitation rotates between the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University and CMU.

The Jazz Ensemble plays a wide range of music, including 1950s dance tunes, gospel charts and modern Afro-Cuban pieces.

The group performs music from artists such as Count Basie and Gordon Goodwin. The band includes a horn section of 15 players and a four-person rhythm section.

“The performance went really well,”  CMU sophomore saxophonist Riley Casey said. “I think it was about the best we have ever sounded as an ensemble, and we were told the same by Dr. Flanigan and Dr. Hinkle.”

Dr. Flanigan said the ensemble “peaked” during its CMEA performance. Students also reported compliments from conference attendees.

The conference also includes clinics, master classes and performances. It has long served as a resource for Colorado musicians who want to develop new teaching tools.

Sessions covered topics from music equipment and private lesson techniques to “The New Jazz Reading Session,” a clinic about modern jazz methods.

Jazz Ensemble members had several days to attend sessions that matched their interests. Some students attended for professional development. Others attended for fun.

“I was just kinda there to have fun,” Jazz Ensemble guitarist Casey Draper said.

Senior percussion performance major Rob Reid said the conference offered resources that can help his career in percussion performance and teaching.

He said CMEA helped him learn how to be a better music educator.

“Performing at CMEA was riveting and life-changing,” Reid said. “Getting to perform in front of an audience of band directors, professionals of numerous different calibers, it was a wild and awesome time.”