The Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center

Education Programs Vision

introduction

“Jazz music is one of America’s most significant contributions to world culture. It speaks to the universal need for community, communication and self-expression.”—Wynton Marsalis

Jazz in AZ

Since 1977, Jazz in Arizona has fulfilled its mission: to support the art of live jazz and cultivate interest in the music through education, scholarships and community outreach.

Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center

In Spring 2012, Jazz in Arizona will have a new home: the Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center.

Named for the legendary musician and Phoenix native, the Center will celebrate the cultural treasure of American music and ensure the future of jazz for generations to come.

about this project

The education committee of the Board of Directors has prepared this document as a tool to help us visualize the various types of education programs we intend to provide.

The Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center (“The Nash”) will be more than a concert venue. The new facility offers Jazz in AZ the opportunity to dramatically expand upon its educational programming.

The goals of this visioning process are to:

articulate our vision for jazz education;

gather information and advice from the community;

describe our long-term (5-year) program plans;

establish guidelines for participating artists-educators; and

identify key program objectives for our first year of operation. This is the stage we are in now. Year one objectives should be specific, measurable and attainable.

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Jazz in AZ stakeholders

Respected colleagues

Experts in the field

We solicited advice from three groups 1

We asked the following questions:

What are our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?

What kinds of jazz education programs are possible? What are other, similar organizations accomplishing nationally and around the world?

What models should we study? What are the best practices in the field? What can we learn from other organizations’ successes and failures?

What kinds of programs are needed here in the Valley of the Sun? What resources currently exist? Which are lacking?

What education programs would you, personally, like to see? What would be of benefit to you and your network?

executive summary

The Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center will offer a dynamic array of jazz presentation and education programs for youth, adults, artists and audiences in the concert hall, classroom and community.

We envision a year-round calendar of intimate on-site events, enhanced through strategic partnerships with regional an national artists, schools and organizations, reaching a global online audience.

The following values emerged as guiding principles to shape all our programs:

Inclusivity — the conviction that jazz is for everyone: children, adults, seniors, and families; musicians and non-musicians; privileged and the under-served.

Diversity — a commitment to stylistically diverse programs and culturally diverse artists and audiences. Freedom from jazz purism and genre stagnation. A “both/and” approach to jazz preservation and exploration.

Unity — educational programs should be fully integrated with performance programs. We will be neither a jazz club that offers workshops, nor a school that hosts shows, but a unified jazz presentation and education organization.

Relevance — always fill real essential needs, never duplicate existing programs, assist rather than compete, seek out effective strategic partnerships.

Excellence — maintain the highest quality. Strive for all programs to be informative, interactive, fun, regularly evaluated and improved.

program recommendations

1. Jazz in the Schools | introducing kids to jazz2. Teacher Training Institute | in-service certification3. Meet the Masters | workshops for musicians4. Jazz in AZ Academy | after school & weekends5. Jazz in AZ Camp | summer session6. Jazz in AZ Scholarships | talent, merit & need-based7. Private Instruction | rental & referral8. Jazz in AZ Combo Lab | coaching & mentoring 9. Jazz After Hours | hosted jam sessions10. Family Matinee Concerts | jazz for young people11. Inside Jazz | pre-concert talks12. Jazz Essentials | music appreciation course13. Lewis Nash Jazz Fellowship | artist in residence14. Arizona Jazz Summit | industry symposium15. Jazz on Film Festival | features & documentaries16. Member Listening Parties | guided listening & commentary17. Jazz in AZ Career Center | technical assistance consulting18. Online Learning | calendar, curricula & resources

Based on the innovative model developed by ArtsVision 2, Jazz in AZ will contract with, train and supervise ensembles of teaching artists to lead Jazz in the Schools for 4th grade students and teachers.

Jazz in the Schoolsintroducing kids to jazz

Jazz in the Schools will incorporate some elements from, and significantly expand upon, the existing How Cool is Jazz program.

Offered free to public schools throughout the academic year, the program will be expanded (as funding permits) to encompass several ensembles serving different 4th grade classes on multiple campuses.

Teaching artists will be selected annually by invitation and competitive audition, across a variety of musical styles and sub-genres. In the interest of access and diversity, participating ensembles will change from year to year.

Program highlights include classroom visits, school assemblies, field trips to the Nash, a Teacher Training Institute, student workbooks, vocabulary, and other pre- and post-visit activity resources for teachers and students to use throughout the year.

Program content will follow government curriculum guidelines and district content standards, and will be informed by the most current arts education research.

Our teaching methodology will confer skills to help students negotiate this important transitional period in their lives. Drawing on the fundamental elements of jazz, students will be immersed in the jazz concepts of collaboration and improvisation.

Curriculum-based residencies, developed in consultation with district personnel, will link jazz with classroom subjects. For example, Blues & Poetry to language arts, Oral Tradition to social studies, Jazz & The American Spirit to history, Syncopated Rhythm to mathematics.

Annual program evaluation and revision will ensure ongoing program improvement and student achievement.

Twice annually (one Saturday afternoon each academic semester), Jazz in AZ will host a Teacher Training Institute for Jazz in the Schools teachers (and interested others), providing special training, resources and in-service participation certification for bringing jazz into the classroom.

Teacher Training Institutein-service certification

Meet the Mastersworkshops for musicians

5 to 10 times annually, Jazz in AZ will host Meet the Masters workshops for musicians, featuring prominent regional and touring artists (in association with partner presenters) at the Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center. Offered free to Jazz in AZ members and students, most workshops will be open to the public for a nominal fee.

Meet the Masters workshops will include:

Informances — informal performances, aka “concerts with conversation,” in which teaching artists present a mini-concert on stage followed by a moderated Q&A session with attendees;

Open Rehearsals — in which aspiring musicians have the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and witness the creative processes of masters as they develop new work and prepare a performance;

Clinics — interactive and topical lecture/demonstrations, often vocal- or instrument-specific, in which master musicians offer training in the finer nuances of specific techniques; and

Master Classes — ensemble instruction based on the conservatory model, in which an exceptional student/ensemble performs for and is critiqued by a master musician, before an audience of fellow students.

Jazz in AZ Academyafter school & Weekends

The Jazz in AZ Academy will offer instrumental jazz instruction to middle school students throughout the academic year.

Interested students must submit an application, letter of recommendation from a band director or teacher, and attend a live audition. The moderately priced program will be offered tuition free to selected students based on household income verification.

Modeled after successful programs in San Francisco and New York 3, the Jazz in AZ Academy will meet weekly from October through May, with a culminating public performance at the close of each semester. Each student will receive Private Instruction after school during the week in addition to Saturday Academy group classes at the Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center in downtown Phoenix.

During the Saturday Academy, students will be taught to play jazz, with an emphasis on teamwork, creativity and self-expression. Academy faculty will be accomplished artists and educators from the region.

Participating students will have the opportunity to participate in Meet the Masters workshops with legendary musicians each semester.

Students will also receive free and discounted tickets to evening and weekend Family Matinee Concerts.

Jazz in AZ Campsummer sessions

Modeled on leading national 4 programs, Jazz in AZ Camp will be a week-long intensive day camp during the summer months which expands upon our Jazz in AZ Academy offerings during the school year with additional listening, learning, study and performance opportunities.

Jazz in AZ Scholarshipstalent, merit & need-based

5 to 10 Jazz in AZ Scholarships will be offered annually to aspiring musicians of all ages, to assist with expenses associated with jazz studies. Scholarships may be offered over a range of amounts up to several thousand dollars in value, and may be awarded based on talent, merit and/or need.

The existing Jazz in AZ Scholarships program will be enhanced as follows:

Deadlines — Annual application and award deadlines will be established, driven by the rhythm of the academic year, planning timetables of students and parents, and the Jazz in AZ fundraising calendar/fiscal year. Scholarships will only be awarded once annually after segregated funds have been raised and allocated. Annual deadlines will be established for completion of fundraising, application, adjudication, notification, awards and award ceremonies.

Named Scholarships — Jazz in AZ will adopt a donor-designated named scholarship fund model to allow for greater specificity with regard to award amounts and individual scholarship objectives. Scholarships may be named after historic jazz masters (for example, Illinois Jacquet, Lewis Nash or Art & Addison Farmer), after donors

making multi-year gift commitments (an excellent naming opportunity for donors who express interest in jazz education), after community leaders or artist-educators of special significance to the organization, or in memory of a donor who makes a generous bequest to the scholarship program. An annual concert may also be created to raised funds for a named memorial scholarship (the James Williams/William Patteron University model).

Application & Adjudication — The Jazz in AZ education committee will recruit a jazz education advisory council to recommend applicants each cycle by telephone or email. Jazz in AZ will actively seek out students recommended by this group and encourage them to apply. The education committee of the Jazz in AZ Board of Directors will serve as the Scholarship Adjudication Committee, evaluating applications in an ad-hoc meeting each cycle. Existing application requirements may be enhanced with the addition of required audio/video samples. Final award decisions will be at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Private Instructionrental & referral

Jazz in AZ will assist musicians seeking Private Instruction by offering studio rentals to regional artist-educators and by maintaining a preferred teacher referral list, including teachers who may reside outside the Phoenix area and offer lessons by Skype.

Jazz in AZ Combo Labcoaching & mentoring

Open to student musicians of all ages, at all levels of ability, the Jazz in AZ Combo Lab will be an ongoing, year-round program, helping aspiring jazz players meet up with others of comparable skill, form combos, jam together and learn the nuances of small ensemble playing. Experienced bandleaders will guide these sessions and serve as coaches and mentors.

Jazz After Hourshosted jam sessions

Jazz A(er Hours will be a series of jam sessions at the Nash, held frequently as part of the venue’s year-round schedule of events. In addition to regular evening sessions, special late-night “after hours” sessions will be offered so that regional and touring artists can come together after performances to jam. Sessions will be supervised by a rotating series of “host” musicians.

As part of each season of concert offerings, Jazz in AZ will include one or more Family Matinee Concerts designed for kids and families. Fun-filled, educational and interactive, these one-hour shows on weekend afternoons will feature lively performance, audience participation and Q&A with the artists.

Family Matinee Concertsjazz for young people

Inside Jazzpre-concert talks

At select performances during each concert season, Jazz in AZ will offer intimate, moderated discussions with featured performing artists one hour prior to show time. Free to ticket holders, Inside Jazz pre-concert talks will provide insight into the performer’s music and creative process.

Jazz Essentialsmusic appreciation course

Modeled on leading national 5 programs and presented twice annually, each five-week Jazz Essentials course will offer an in-depth look at jazz in all its forms. Taught be top regional artists and lecturers, these classes will combine discussion, deep listening, live performance, guest musicians, and classic audio and video clips to offer the most distinctive jazz appreciation course available for adults.

Lewis Nash Jazz Fellowshipartist in residence

The Lewis Nash Jazz Fe)owship is a cash award and residency, awarded annually to an artist-educator, who works with young musicians participating in Jazz in AZ programs. The artist-in-residence serves as a clinician and mentor to students, while developing his or her own new work for a premiere performance at the Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center.

Arizona Jazz Summitindustry symposium

Hosted by Jazz in AZ and attended by musicians and industry professionals, the Arizona Jazz Summit will be an annual symposium, town meeting and panel discussion to discuss the current state of jazz in the region. Moderately priced and free to members, the Summit will explore solutions to shared challenges while introducing peers to Nash programs and resources.

Presented annually over several consecutive evenings, the Jazz on Film Festival will invoke jazz as a visual medium. Hosted by guest archivists and curators, the annual event will include historic footage of jazz legends in performance, documentaries on jazz subjects and feature films with jazz soundtracks.

Jazz on Film Festivalfeatures & documentaries

Member Listening Partiesguided listening & commentary

Member Listening Parties feature a jazz recording artist in conversation, playing excerpts from favorite albums and sharing insights and anecdotes about the music. Offering a behind-the-scenes perspective in an intimate setting, this annual event will be one of several unique programs offered only to Jazz in AZ members.

Jazz in AZ Career Centertechnical assistance consulting

The Jazz in AZ Career Center will provide professional musicians with access to a national database of industry professionals for technical assistance consultations on an hourly basis. Counseling will be available in such areas as publicity, grantwriting, contract negotiation, music publishing & licensing, bookings and more.

Online Learningcalendar, curricula & resources

Jazz in AZ will offer Online Learning through its website, which will include (a) live streaming and audio/video of Nash Center programs, (b) a comprehensive master calendar of Arizona jazz events, and (c) links to top national online curricula for students and teachers: Jazz in America, Jazz for Young People and Jazz in the Schools.

other considerations

Our success will be depend on our ability to form strong strategic partnerships with other nonprofit arts and community organizations, boys and girls clubs, art museums and galleries, arts magnet and charter schools, area restaurants, hotels, resorts and merchants, churches, musical instrument manufacturers and technology companies.

PARTNERSHIPS

ATMOSPHERE

Our venue should be a vibrant and informal “third place,” more gallery than museum, more coffeehouse than concert hall. The atmosphere should be a welcoming one of experimentation, discovery, interaction, participation and fun. A place where all ages, but especially young people, will feel comfortable just hanging out.

TECHNOLOGY

In addition to free, wireless high speed internet, the facility should have turnkey access to state-of-the-art technology, including a midi digital keyboard, computer, monitor, music software, video camera, projection, public address and sound equipment. Simulcasting capability is key, both for live streaming of our events, and on-site viewing of important jazz events happening elsewhere.

conclusion

Life-Long Engagement

The Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center will offer a richly diverse array of listening and learning experiences that serve artists, build audiences and foster life-long engagement with jazz.

The Lewis Nash Jazz in AZ Center

jazz happens here.

FOOTNOTES

1 For Jazz in AZ, Board President Steve Douglass, Executive Director Joel Goldenthal, and Education Committee members Jeff Libman, Dmitri Matheny and Stu Siefer. Arizona-based artist/educators consulted include Fred Forney, Jeremy Lappitt, Nick Manson, Eric Rasmussen, Adam Roberts and Raul Yanez. Experts in the field (studied and/or interviewed) include Marty Ashby, Manchester Cra(smen’s Guild (Pittsburgh PA); Ed Dunsavage, Siskiyou Institute (Ashland OR); Earshot Jazz (Seattle WA); Bruce Forman, Jazz Masters Workshop (Carmel CA); Interlochen Center for the Arts (Interlochen MI); Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York NY); Jazz Camp West (Loma Mar CA); Jazzschool (Berkeley CA); Kennedy Center Jazz (Washington DC); Mitchell Korn, ArtsVision (Nashville TN); Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey CA); National Jazz Service Organization (Washington DC); Tom Guralnick, Outpost Performance Space (Albuquerque NM); New Mexico Jazz Workshop (Albuquerque NM); SFJAZZ | San Francisco Jazz Organization (San Francisco CA); Stanford Jazz Workshop (Stanford CA); Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (Los Angeles CA); Villy Wang, Bay Cat (San Francisco CA); and Young Musicians Program (Berkeley CA).

2 ArtsVision has designed many of the nation’s most important and sustainable arts education initiatives for San Francisco Symphony, New York City Annenberg Initiative, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, Cleveland Orchestra Learning Through Music, San Francisco Ballet, Hart School of Music, Carnegie Hall, North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Baltimore Symphony, Orange County Performing Arts Center, SFJAZZ and others.

3 The Young Musicians Program of UC Berkeley and the Middle School Jazz Academy of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

4 National Music Camp at Interlochen Center for the Arts (Interlochen MI), Stanford Jazz Workshop (Stanford CA) and Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop (Louisville KY).

5 Swing University (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Discover Jazz (SFJAZZ) and Jazz 101 (Kennedy Center).

Jazz in Arizona, Inc.PO Box 2913

Scottsdale AZ 85252-2913www.jazzinaz.org