The Brink, Fowler and Benson win Jazz Aspen Band Battle

The 2015 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Band Battle winners are The Brink (Best Garage Band) and the duo Jacob Fowler & Hoyt Benson (Best Singer/Songwriters), the nonprofit announced Monday. They were among 10 student bands from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley — representing genres from pop to rock and jazz — that squared off in the rain Saturday in Basalt’s Lions Park.

Great Divide Studios in Aspen has donated recording time to The Brink, while Jacob and Hoyt were rewarded a chance to perform a KSPN Kitchen Concert.

Jazz Aspen also announced its 2015 Outstanding Student Awards on Monday. Each student, nominated by their band directors, will receive a gift certificate for music supplies from Glenwood Music. The Winners are Margo Wagner of Aspen High School, Grace Abraham of Aspen Middle School, Rosie Rushing of Aspen Choir, Daniel Barnes of Basalt High School, Emily Northrup of Basalt Middle School, Lyle Luckett of Roaring Fork High School, Joe Salinas of Carbondale Middle School, Sofia Gamba of Glenwood Springs High School and Bryce Risner of Glenwood Springs Middle School.

Basalt Middle and High School band director Nick Lenio has been awarded the 2015 JAS Music Instructor Award. In the three years Lenio has been at Basalt, the band program improved and has grown to more than 100 beginners yearly.

“Nick connects well with his students, they love him,” JAS In-Schools director Chris Bank said in the award announcement. “He manages to give them a solid foundation and balances his music with fun tunes the kids relate to as well as challenging pieces that push them to grow. We hope he is here for many years to come.”