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SRJO Jazz Scholars Program
Jazz Scholars is SRJO’s school-partnered pilot program, providing jazz technique and instrumental music lessons for 19 low-income and minority band students at Denny International Middle Scholl in southwest Seattle. This growing public school music program has 120 students currently enrolled, half of whom qualify as low income. Denny band director Marcus Pimpleton selected 19 students to participate in the Jazz Scholars program for the 2009-10 school year.
Six professional instructors selected by SRJO provide weekly individual or group lessons in the six areas of band instrumentation: saxophone and reeds, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass and drums. All instructors are experienced music teachers and active performers in the Seattle area. The instructors provide individual and small grup lessons, and occasionally assist band director Marcus Pimpleton in sectional rehearsals for the entire jazz band.
The overall project goal is to demonstrate “best practices” for providing essential music training that will permit these students to succeed. By the end of the 2010-11 school year, we hope to achieve a stable individual music lesson program at Denny, with a diversified funding base; creation of a successful model demonstrating how to support low-income middle school band programs; and possible inclusion of the Jazz Scholars program in other schools.
We have long known that music study encourages individual cognitive improvement and growth in areas of study other than music, including reading and mathematics. Participation in band, orchestra and chorus also teaches students crucial social skills, including organization and leadership, cooperation with others toward a goal, acceptance of direction, and active mastery of skills they love.
SRJO also works with Mills Music to recondition donated instruments to provide for students who cannot afford to buy their own.
SRJO is proud to have developed and to support Jazz Scholars. To learn more about supporting this program, or to donate an instrument, please contact the SRJO at
To view a slide show of Jazz Scholars (and their teachers) at work,
click
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