If WSU’s hills seem to be alive with the sound of music this week, it may be the University of Idaho’s doing. Beginning today and continuing until Saturday night, the University of Idaho will host its annual “Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.” During the week, students and community members are invited to attend numerous events put on by the University of Idaho.

An annual event since 1967, the festival acquired its full name in 1985, a year after Lionel Hampton first performed at it, said Chloe Rambo, the marketing coordinator for the festival.

“He was so impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and participation that he vowed to support the festival,” she said.

The festival will feature a number of different activities, including workshops, concerts and open houses, Rambo said.

Numerous concerts by prominent jazz artists will take place throughout the festival. Artists like Wycliffe Gordon, five-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves, and swing shows put on by Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, along with Bria Skoneberg and the All-Star Quartet, will perform at those concerts, Rambo said.

“We have an absolutely dynamic lineup this year for all our evening concerts,” she said.

Select students will also have the opportunity to show off their solo talents during the daily Hamp’s Club Jam, which takes place every evening.

“Hamp’s Club gives students the chance to feel what it’s like to play the clubs,” Rambo said.

Ultimately, the festival has always had one mission, Rambo said, and that is to “connect students with artists and continue the education of one of America’s greatest genres of music.”

The wide selection of workshops cater to interests across the board, including ones on dancing, the history and culture of jazz and the science behind being a musician.

For students interested in biology, “What Might Be Living in My Instrument?” is a workshop that will focus on instruments and bacteria and will take place at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

“I remembered reading a story on the Daily Mail about a man catching pneumonia from his bagpipes, so I thought it would be interesting to find out how common that type of thing happens,” said Jill Johnson, a UI associate biology professor.

During the lecture, audience members will learn about some effective ways to clean their instruments, as well as gain a deeper insight into the (mostly harmless) bacteria they interact with on a day-to-day basis, she said.

“We don’t have any hands-on stuff, but we have dug up some nice pictures of various bacteria and molds that were found growing on instruments,” Johnson said.

Aside from the music, other forms of art will also be on display.

The 24th Annual High School Art Exhibition – a free event that gathers student paintings and 2D works from more than 30 different state high schools – will be running throughout the entire concert.

This year’s art theme, human rights aesthetic, was chosen to encourage students to visually interpret ideas such as diversity, religion and geography in hopes of gaining a broader understanding of each, said Sally Machlis, a professor of art education at UI.

Although a committee of University of Idaho art majors selects the winners, there is a people’s choice award, she said.

Besides just honoring the students’ work, the event also acts as a great opportunity to connect them with other art students and professors, she said.

For more information on concert tickets, workshop themes and times, as well as a full program guide, visit http://www.uidaho.edu/jazzfest.