Jazz at the White House

A good-news press release from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Amazing: Jazz at the White House and it's not even Black History Month. Amazing x 2: Jazz education at the White House. Amazing x 3: A music education series that starts with jazz. What's next, a garden on the White House grounds?

Sean Jones, who's dear to us in Minnesota and the Dakota (and who played "Happy Birthday" to HH last year around this time), will be part of the program. Go Sean!

White House Music Series Begins with Jazz Hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama
June 11, 2009

First Lady Michelle Obama will introduce the White House Music Series which will feature artists of all ages who will perform, educate and interact with young people. The series will begin with the Jazz Studio on Monday followed by country and classical music events this summer and fall.

On Monday, June 15th, 150 students will participate in classes led by jazz experts including Wynton, Branford and Ellis Marsalis. They will then attend a concert featuring jazz greats, Paquito D’Rivera and child protégés Tony Madruga with his ensemble…

Jazz at Lincoln Center is honored to participate with Mrs. Michelle Obama in the launch of the White House Music Series: The Jazz Studio. The series presents educational events that demonstrate the importance of arts education to reinvigorate the creativity and innovation that has made this country great.

Through the Jazz Studio educational workshops, young students will come to the White House to celebrate this uniquely American art form and learn from and interact with some of the world’s most renowned jazz musicians.

Musicians and educators leading the Jazz at Lincoln Center produced workshops include: Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Sean Jones, Stephen C. Massey, Todd Williams, Eli Yamin and others.

The White House has brought together a number of organizations to participate and Jazz at Lincoln Center is proud to collaborate with the following: Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts; Duke Ellington Jazz Festival; Levine School of Music; New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts; SITAR Arts Center; Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz; WPAS Capitol Jazz Project.

The Jazz Studio workshop themes include exploration of the core elements of jazz: American History and Jazz; The Syntax of Jazz; Improvisation; The Blues Experience and Jazz; Duke Ellington and Swing. The audience will include 150 instrumental middle school and high school students from the collaborating organizations.

The Jazz Studio culminates with a concert featuring Paquito D’Rivera, Artistic Director of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, with Tony Madruga, Zach Brown, Kush Abadey and Elijah Easton.

Source: JALC