With a little help from his friends

The Friends of Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival exists to honor a “living legend,” local music educator Frank DeMiero.

DeMiero began developing his teaching philosophy when, in 1967, while teaching at Mountlake Terrace High School, he transformed his show choir into one of the world’s first high school jazz choirs.

DeMiero went on to found the music department and the Soundsation Jazz Choir at Edmonds Community College, which quickly became internationally known for its unparalleled musical excellence. In 1976, he founded the Frank DeMiero Jazz Camp, which has gone on to touch the lives of more than 6,000 student and educator participants.

In 1985, the Edmonds School District hired him to be its Supervisor of Music. During his 13 years in that position, Frank took a program that had just a few hundred students participating in music, and transformed it into a department with more than 10,000 students, in grades kindergarten through 12, participating in instrumental and vocal music programs.

DeMiero also served as the Director of Vocal Jazz Studies at the University of Washington for two years, was on the Advisory Council for the International Association of Jazz Educators, served as President of the Puget Sound Music Administrators Association, the Sno-King Music Educators, the Washington Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators and was the Northwest Coordinator for IAJE. He is a voting member of the Grammys.

Currently, DeMiero conducts and manages the Seattle Jazz Singers and is the conductor of the Sno-King Community Chorale. The Edmonds resident is also the co-founder of Sound Music Publications, a publishing company that offers contemporary choral literature, recordings, and choral clinics.