Momoko Heaton
student artist
roosevelt high school
Concert memorabilia:
Momoko’s artwork, featured on T-shirts and postcards, is available for purchase at the performances
Step into the magic of a Seattle holiday tradition as we unveil our 25th anniversary Jazz Nutcracker artwork, brilliantly crafted by student artist and percussionist Momoko Heaton. Her inspired design perfectly blends the timeless enchantment of the Nutcracker with the soul of jazz at Roosevelt High School.
Join us as Roosevelt’s powerhouse lineup—three jazz bands and our celebrated vocal ensemble—swings through Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn classics alongside beloved holiday tunes. Three unforgettable performances, December 6-8. Don’t wait—secure your tickets today to be part of this milestone celebration.
When the jazz booster club asked Momoko to create a poster and merchandise line including T-shirts and postcards, the student artist and percussionist knew she wanted to reimagine the Nutcracker characters as jazz musicians. The Nutcracker’s uniform is inspired by our school’s marching band attire. The traditional mouse king has been reimagined as the city’s ubiquitous rats, while the sugar plum fairy sports a poinsettia—a flower that will be sold at the December 6-8 concerts.
“I filled close to 10 sketchbook pages with sketches of the nutcracker, rat king, and sugar plum fairy,” Momoko explained. “The most challenging part was figuring out how to make each character unique while maintaining cohesion with the others and the overall poster design. “I’m most proud of the personality and emotion I was able to express through each character, like the sneaky expression on the rat king’s face.”
It was difficult to find the energy to finish towards the end, but I pushed through and ended up with something I’m proud of!
—Momoko Heaton
While Momoko’s school commitments and dedication to drumline and marching band have left her unable to play in a jazz ensemble this year, her love for jazz remains strong. She plans to attend various jazz concerts throughout the year and, of course, the Jazz Nutcracker!
Draw or drum, it all takes practice
As both an artist and a musician, Momoko finds similarities and differences between the two disciplines: “There’s a lot of collaboration in making music (in an ensemble, which is my primary experience), compared to creating visual art, which is mostly an individual process for me,” she said. “I’ve also found that music requires significant technical and physical skill on top of knowledge about musical concepts. To draw, you really only need to be able to hold a pencil and have creative ideas. But above all else, to be a successful musician or artist, it takes practice.”