Juneau Jazz & Classics is committed to encouraging the appreciation of jazz, classical and blues music among people of all ages. The annual festival offers an innovative array of artistic and educational programs for youth and adults.
Over the years, as our festival has grown in size and prestige, Juneau Jazz & Classics has increased its educational offerings, including programs for youth, clinics, workshops, in-school programs and lectures.
This year, Juneau Jazz & Classics will serve an estimated 2,500 youth and 4,000 adults with dynamic educational programs, concerts and classroom activities, including:
Workshops
Festival musicians will offer master classes, workshops and clinics to local musicians of all ages and skill levels.
Ensemble Coaching
Guest musicians work with local ensembles, including Juneau Public School bands and orchestras, Thunder Mountain Big Band, Ursa Major Strings, Ursa Minor Strings, Aurora Strings and the Juneau Youth Symphony. Most coaching sessions allow for the opportunity for these local ensembles to perform alongside festival musicians.
Free Concerts
Juneau Jazz & Classics offers its free noontime concert series, featuring festival artists in an informal performance environment. These events are attended by school children, day care centers, seniors and the general public who choose to spend their lunch hour listening to fine music.
Music for Juneau Fund
Juneau Jazz & Classics strongly believes that fine professional live music should be accessible to all, regardless of ticket price. Juneau Jazz & Classics solicits donations for complimentary tickets from its individual donors, then matches that amount and distributes tickets to organizations that serve people in need of assistance: a womens' shelter; a homeless shelter; a hospice; Boys & Girls Club; Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood elders and youth; Big Brothers/Big Sisters; and our local alliance for the mentally ill. Each year, more than 100 tickets are distributed to these groups.
Concerts for Children
Juneau Jazz & Classics annually presents festival artists in a concert hall setting and invites up to 1,000 local school children to attend this event specially designed for young audiences.
Classroom Concerts
During the annual Juneau Jazz & Classics festival, artists will perform in classrooms and at assemblies, interacting with youth in their own school settings.
Education is a huge component of the overall production. Juneau Jazz & Classics’ mission is to entertain, inspire, educate and enrich through music. Since the beginning, artists have been in the schools working with students, offering workshops, playing at assemblies. “In addition to looking for great performers, we also look for an artist’s ability and desire to work with young people,” Rosenthal said.
“The musicians like working with kids, and the kids like talking to professionals as if they’re friends,” said Suzuki teacher Guo Hua Xia. Performers send music before they arrive so students can practice and the guest artists also give instructors good ideas for training their students. And then they all—guest artists and students—perform together. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for local young musicians,” he said.
In 1993, the annual family concert featured storytelling by Ghana native Obo Addy and his jazz ensemble, Kukrudu, telling tales of Anansi the Spider interwoven with singing and drumming. “You’re never disappointed,” said Justine Muench. “And it’s all so kid-friendly,” added Carol White.
In recognition of the festival’s community outreach and educational activities and promotion of ensemble music, Chamber Music America presented Juneau Jazz & Classics with the CMAcclaim Award in 2009.
In honor of two long-time supporters, Juneau Jazz & Classics set up the Jane and Tom Stewart Scholarship Fund to assist students who want to attend workshops. Education continues to be a top priority for Jazz & Classics.
Jane &Thomas B. Stewart Education Fund
"Supporting Youth in Education and Performance"
The Board of Directors of Juneau Jazz & Classics has created the "Jane and Thomas B. Stewart Education Fund", in honor of two of our most dedicated supporters.
Jane was a dedicated music teacher to Juneau for almost forty years, and a master organizer of amateur musicians and singers. My first experience with Jane's direction was as a flute player in the little orchestra for the Juneau Lyric Opera's production of Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutti" in 1979. She started us rehearsing a good five months before the scheduled performance.
Tom Stewart was an equally stalwart supporter of Juneau Jazz & Classics. He sat in the front of the house for all of our classical concerts as far back as I can remember, and was always available for sage advice. We remember him as a visionary in the creation of the State of Alaska 50 years ago as well as a cultural leader.
Every year at the first classical concert of our festival, we light a candle and leave it burning during the concert, in memory of Jane and Thomas B. Stewart.
-By Kathy Kolkhorst Ruddy, Board Chair