Musical notes will fill Ed Landreth and PepsiCo Recital Hall this weekend.

Various musicians will share their passion for music at the 41st annual TCU Jazz Festival.

At the event, visitors can enjoy music from the jazz department and various musical guests.

Director of Jazz Studies Joe Eckert said the festival showcases student talent and also is a great recruiting tool because high school and middle school jazz ensembles perform for a panel of adjudicators and have the opportunity to interact with a member of the TCU jazz faculty.

“In Texas we have some of the best talent in the country, so there will be plenty of quality music that will host around 650 prospective music students,” Eckert said.

This year, around 30 middle and high school jazz ensembles will be attending the festival.

The festival is a competition among participating bands in their University Interscholastic League classifications, which means different skill levels and school sizes perform in different divisions in front of a panel of adjudicators.

The festival started in 1978 and since then it has become one of the most prestigious festivals in the state, Eckert said.

For 40 years, the festival has attracted more than 20,000 talented high school players, and guest bands have attended the jazz festival from as far away as Oklahoma, Tennessee, Iowa and Hawaii.

“The festival is a great opportunity from an education standpoint,” he said. “It also showcases amazing talent.”

The festival not only showcases TCU and younger musicians, but also jazz trumpeter, Tim Leahey on Friday night.

Leahey recently retired member/jazz soloist with the premier jazz ensemble of the U.S. Air Force, The Airmen of Note.

Eckert said he’s excited for Leahey to join the festival and their collaborative relationship goes back 25 years.

Anyone who’s interested in attending, can purchase tickets for $10 a the block office or online.

The box office will open at 6:30 p.m. before each performance Friday and Saturday.