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As a non-profit public
benefit corporation, Generation in Jazz Foundation’s mission is
to:
- Support, create and sponsor youth and adult bands
- Supplement and complement existing school programs
- Encourage participation and create opportunities for musicians
to play and perform
- Promote local community concerts and festivals including, but
not limited to, senior centers, under-served communities, local
fundraising events, musical instrument donation program
- Assist our local Community Theatre and other performance venues
within our community
- Support and teach middle and high school honor jazz band musicians
to achieve higher musical standards and to experience professional
performance acumen in the local community
History
In 1999, the Generations in Jazz program formed the Lafayette Summer
Music Workshop—a summer jazz camp for middle-school- through high-school-aged
children. Student musicians traveled to Lafayette from as far as
Japan and France to learn from some of the finest musicians who
are dedicated to preserving the traditions of jazz as an American
art form.
From that point, Generations in Jazz 2000, a recording arts project,
was launched. Professional musicians led and prepared the band members
for a recording session, which produced a community CD highlighting
the performances of student musicians from the County’s middle and
high schools. The performing arts students from Los Medanos College
(a local community college) assisted us with this successful recording
endeavor.
By Spring of 2001, the Generations in Jazz Festival was produced
in Lafayette, California, borne from an idea by jazz enthusiast,
Larry Pines. Students diligently rehearsed for their live performances,
which featured music from swing to funk. These musicians performed
in the historic Town Hall Theatre of Lafayette. Among the featured
musicians were an Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame artist, Concord Jazz
and Epic Recording artists, and one of the finest big band arrangers
from Lionel Hampton’s band.
Today
With the Jazz Camp and Lafayette Festival running strong...the Foundation
is now focused on outreach classes to teach jazz to deserving music
students and to provide access to instruments through our instrument
donation drive. Our newest project is developing a recording
arts program begining in middle school and going through high school.
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