It sounds like a dream: 

One of your jazz band students records an improvised solo. Gordon Goodwin, leader of the Big Phat Band, hears the performance and is impressed.

The next thing you know, your student and a chaperone are flown to Boulder, Colorado to participate in a master class with Gordon.

Seem too good to be true? It’s not. It’s the Big Phat Jazz Challenge. Here’s how it works:

Using a special free SmartMusic trial subscription, contestants play along with tracks from Gordon Goodwin’s new album, “An Elusive Man.” SmartMusic will record each performance. Contestants can select and submit one performance of each track (and submit one entry each for as many of the provided tracks as they wish). The final winners will be selected based on the quality of each musical performance, as determined by Gordon Goodwin.

The sooner your students sign up, the more time they’ll have to practice!