2015-2016 Season Preview

Don't hesitate to get in touch with your questions or thoughts. You can always reach me at laurie@seattleJazzED.org

New York City Tour

We’re going to New York! Our two top ensembles (Ensemble 1 and New Works Ensemble) will embark on the first ever JazzED New York Tour at the end of our 2015-2016 season. Clinics with working New York musicians, tours of the three top music conservatories, performances at exciting venues, and other NYC cultural opportunities will create an experience of a life-time for our students. It is our goal that this trip will become an annual event so that as students work their way through our educational continuum, they too will get the chance to participate on this exciting trip.

Big Band Ensembles Program

In order to accommodate the busy schedules of our families while still maintaining a high level educational experience for our students, we will be kicking off the ensemble season a little later in the year. Auditions will take place Saturday, November 21, with a full day musical retreat for all students on Saturday, December 5. At the retreat, students will get to know their fellow band mates and music directors, preview their repertoire, and work with various musical artists on their technique. Rehearsals will start on Saturday, January 9 and run through May. In addition, Ensembles 3 and 4 will meet on Saturdays (INSTEAD of during the week after school), and New Works will meet on Tuesday evenings to avoid festival conflicts.

All-Star Combos

Does your combo have what it takes to be one of our JazzED All-star combos? Combo auditions will be held on Saturday, September 26. Four high school combos will be selected to represent JazzED for the academic year. Along with paid gigs, they will receive 3 coaching sessions with professional musicians, a recording session, and a showcase performance at Jazz Alley. Use your summer to get prepared!

Master Class Series

Our popular masterclass series is back for a second year. Featuring talented professional artists speaking on an array of pertinent jazz topics, the series will take place on consecutive Saturday afternoons in October. The artist line-up will be announced in August. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to raise the level of your playing and meet influential artists in the jazz and new music scene.

Girls Ellington Project

It’s back for a 3rd year! The Essentially Ellington Festival is considered to be this country’s best high school jazz festival, and we want our girls on stage. This year, we will be asking the girls to commit to a more rigorous practice schedule, with the hope that their hard work will pay off. Auditions will be held on Saturday, November 7.

Jazz Orchestra Project

This fall we will launch a fantastic program for players of bowed stringed instruments. Co-Directed by Elizabeth Fortune and David Marriott Jr., participants will dig in to jazz concepts, improvisation, and jazz feel in a “string big band” setting, with a full jazz rhythm section. This project will be 8 consecutive weeks; rehearsals will take place on Thursday evenings beginning in October, capped off with a performance in a wonderful, yet-to-be-determined venue.