Bethel University’s Fourth Annual Festival of Jazz and Jim Pickley Memorial Concert will take place Saturday, February 21, 2026. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 5 p.m. in Everest-Rohrer Auditorium on Bethel’s campus, featuring Truth in Jazz, guest clinicians and the top band from the festival.
Throughout the entire day on February 21, five area high school jazz bands, including Mishawaka, Elkhart, Jimtown, Adams, and Elkhart Christian Academy will gather to perform, learn, and improvise with some of the greatest professionals around! Guest artists/clinicians include Todd Williams, saxophone; Jay Jehl, trombone; Matthew Anklan, trumpet; and Rafael Chavez, guitar.
The Jim Pickley Memorial Concert and Awards Ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. in the Everest-Rohrer Auditorium. Truth in Jazz will perform, along with the guest artists, and then the awards portion will begin with the top band performing with the four artists.
During the festival, each band will be judged by the artists/clinicians while performing. Three Bands will perform in the morning session followed by a jam session on the Everest-Rohrer Stage. After lunch in the Dining Commons, two bands will perform in the afternoon. Four Instrumental Clinics will take place for an hour and then the students will all meet back in the Auditorium for an “open rehearsal” with Truth in Jazz. Following the short rehearsal, the students will have a Q&A time with the clinicians.
The event culminates with the Concert and Awards Ceremony, beginning at 5 p.m.
This event is made possible by a generous donation from Vicky Garrett, Professor of Music at Bethel University. Corporate sponsors include BandTool, Conn-Selmer Inc., Everwise Credit Union, Genesis Laser Design, Quinlan and Fabish Music and Sweetwater Music.
About the Guest Clinicians
Todd Williams, Saxophone, is a distinguished jazz saxophonist and multi-woodwind artist recognized for his work with the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, Septet, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, where his saxophone and clarinet playing first gained international attention. A versatile performer, he has appeared at premier venues including the White House, Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, and has recorded extensively with Marsalis as well as with notable artists such as Sir Roland Hanna, the Newburgh Symphony Orchestra and Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride. Williams has also built a significant career as an educator, serving in roles such as Assistant Professor at Queens College in New York and later joining the music education faculty at Indiana Wesleyan University, where he directs jazz ensembles and mentors emerging musicians. In addition to performing and teaching, he is a four-time recipient of ASCAP’s Plus Award for Composers and has written widely performed contemporary gospel and jazz works, further cementing his reputation as a leading voice in modern jazz woodwind performance and composition.
Jay Jehl, Trombone, is a trombonist and music educator born in Fort Wayne, Ind., who has built a career that bridges professional performance and public school teaching. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Ball State University in 2007 and a master’s degree in conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2016. As a performer, he toured internationally on trombone with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 2005–2006, playing concerts across the continental United States as well as in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan. He later spent 13 years in Charleston, South Carolina, where he taught middle and high school bands and played lead trombone with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, appeared at the Charleston Jazz Festival, and performed with artists including The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Darius Rucker. Now back in his hometown, Jehl serves as band director at Summit Middle School in Fort Wayne and assists with concert and jazz bands at Homestead High School, while maintaining professional affiliations with the National Association for Music Education, the Indiana Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Matthew Anklan, Trumpet, is a Cincinnati-based trumpeter, composer, and educator known for his versatility across jazz, classical, and commercial music settings. He serves as Professor of Trumpet and Director of Jazz at Wright State University, where he conducts the jazz ensemble and teaches applied trumpet and related coursework. An in-demand lead player, he holds prominent chairs with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, and has performed and recorded with numerous notable artists and ensembles in a wide range of styles. Beyond performing, Anklan is active as a composer, producer, and entrepreneur, leading Anklan Musical Productions and creating “The Silencer,” a practice device for trumpet players. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz studies, he is widely regarded as a world class trumpeter and a dedicated mentor to the next generation of brass players.
Rafael Chavez, Guitar, is a versatile guitarist, vocalist, and instructor rooted in the vibrant music scene of Goshen and Elkhart, Ind., where he performs in projects such as Latin-soul fusion band Lalo Cura, rock outfit The Messengers, and various jazz ensembles. Born into a musical family with a Mariachi grandfather and a father who worked as a professional musician, he began playing guitar in his teens and eventually studied music, business, and technology at Goshen College. A left-handed player who performs on right-handed guitar, he moves fluently between jazz, rock, blues, Latin and traditional Mexican styles, drawing on deep improvisational sensibilities and a love for rock energy. Beyond performing, Rafael has spent years teaching guitar to students of all ages in northern Indiana, sharing his bilingual, bicultural perspective and his commitment to music as a medium for expression and connection. He describes playing music as a “cleansing ritual” and a light that pulls people out of dark places, a philosophy that shapes both his stage presence and his work in the community. Rafael performs with the local professional big band Truth in Jazz and also is now Professor of Guitar at Bethel University.