North Lake College came alive with the soulful sounds of jazz during a special concert on the evening of April 15. The concert featured the Nimitz High School Jazz Ensemble along with faculty members from North Lake’s jazz program, filling the campus with energy, creativity and connection.
“I can’t tell you how exciting this is for us — for the students, for the faculty and for the kids in high school,” said Dr. Luis Palacios, director of jazz and instrumental music at Dallas College/North Lake Campus.
As students and guests gathered to enjoy an evening of live music, one standout performer was freshman Aliya Ibrahim. She played trombone and improvised on a solo during the performance.
“It was definitely terrifying at first,” she said. “He’s like, ‘Okay, here’s a minor pentatonic scale, now figure it out.’” With practice, she learned how to create her own music. “The classes gave us the language and phrases to use, and that really helped during the actual stage performance,” she said.
Ibrahim began playing trombone in middle school but took a break during COVID. Now in her first year at North Lake, she’s happy to be performing again.
“They had us do instrument aptitude tests and I was better with the mouthpiece than the reed,” she said. “But I really enjoy the trombone. It’s a unique instrument.”
The jazz program is part of a larger effort by Palacios to reconnect the community with live music. “Our goal is to build a bridge between schools, communities and cultures through live music,” he said. “When students perform in the community, it’s real — it’s not just practice; it’s connection.”
The program moves forward with several upcoming shows including Haynes Elementary on May 9 and a recital in downtown Irving on May 24. Students continue to show their professionalism, often meeting just hours before a show to rehearse and perform.
“Every time we play, we’re not just making music. We’re telling a story that belongs to all of us,” Palacios said. “Bringing jazz back into the schools isn’t just about music—it’s about giving students a voice.”
North Lake will host a major jazz festival in the spring of 2026, featuring 12 high schools from across the region. As Palacios put it, “Jazz is one of the few musical languages that unites people no matter where they’re from.”
