Tucson Jazz Music Foundation

Tucson Jazz Music FDN provides tuition and travel scholarships based on financial need for Arizona's youth for jazz music education. In addition, the foundation sponsors residencies and master classes by well-known national jazz artists and clinicians, individual mentorships, demonstrations for school children on the history of jazz, group travel sponsorships to national jazz conferences, festivals, and competitions; and music tech workshops to expand needed skillset and literacy.

The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation has been making outstanding jazz music education accessible and affordable for Arizona's youth (middle and high school students) since January 2012, serving children in Southern Arizona experiencing financial hardship, as well as students desiring to achieve a high level of performance.

CUMULATIVE TOTALS as of 12/31/2023 (since January 2012 inception):
Individual tuition scholarships $138,111
Individual travel scholarships $30,140
Sponsored travel $87,169
Sponsored guest artists $25,900
Sponsored education $3642 (program inception 2022)
Equipment (audio/recording, music instruments since 2021) $5113

NEW in 2024
The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation has partnered with The Century Room, Tucson's first and only jazz club housed within the historic Hotel Congress, to present more jazz education opportunities led by touring guest jazz artists. Since 2022 returning Century Room performers and guest clinicians have been NY jazz pianist Michael Weiss, and NY jazz saxophonist Roxy Coss. Both have held master classes with the Tucson Jazz Institute students and Weiss is returning April 20-21, 2024, to perform and hold the first 'public' Piano Jazz Workshop at The Century Room (free to students 25 and under) on April 20th, and conduct clinics with the TJI students (combos & big bands) on April 21st. We are looking forward to growing the jazz education programming with The Century Room as new and returning performers/qualified educators are given the opportunity to present workshops, clinics, lectures, and residencies.

In 2023 the Foundation added a one-on-one mentorship program to help finance private lessons for those who cannot afford it. This has been important to raise the level of performance in the bands and to help individual students achieve success through the guidance of a mentor. Mentors: Scott Black/ bass & trumpet, Jason Carder/trumpet, Roxy Coss/saxophone, and Arthur Vint/drums.

SPONSORED GUEST ARTISTS
Each year the Foundation has sponsored national guest artists to provide clinics, residencies, and performances. This January (January 2024) we invited back Roxy Coss - musician, composer, educator & activist - to mentor the award-winning Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band (directed by Brice Winston). She conducted her first clinic with this band in January of 2022 and the results were of great value. Last January (2023) we welcomed world-class clinician Ronald Carter (deceased 2/24/2024, 70 years old), and other guest artists included Roxy Coss (October) and Michael Weiss (NY jazz pianist, composer, producer). Weiss is returning to work with TJI students this April 21st, 2024, and will be holding a Piano Jazz Workshop at The Century Room on April 20th -- the first workshop sponsored by the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation in partnership with The Century Room.

Over the years other guest master teachers have been Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members Kenny Rampton, Walter Blanding, Marcus Printup, and Sherman Irby, plus Terell Stafford, Emmet Cohen Trio, Dennis Rowland, Russell Schmidt, and jazz legend Jimmy Heath have shared their knowledge and talent, enhancing and elevating the students' abilities to perform at outstanding and winning levels in national competitions.

SUCCESS & NATIONAL WINS RESULT IN TUCSON'S JAZZ EDUCATION PROGRAM RECOGNITION
Since 2009 Tucson has rose in prominence and achieved visibility on the global jazz map due to the national 'wins' of the Tucson Jazz Institute (TJI) students. Arizonans, seasonal residents, and tourists look forward to hearing them perform in community at weekly jams (now student-led at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites every Monday 6-8 pm), and in concerts in Tucson and throughout the state. Each of the eight years the TJI Ellington Big Band was accepted into the Essentially Ellington Festival and High School Jazz Competition (NY / Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra/Jazz Academy event producer/organizer), the band placed in the top three, and won 1st place 5 times. DownBeat Magazine, Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Competition, NAU Jazz Festival, and Highland/ASU Jazz Festival, and a few others have awarded TJI students either 1st place, or Superior with Distinction recognitions over the years.

GROUP TRAVEL & EDUCATION SPONSORSHIP
The Foundation sponsors group travel expenses for invited TJI jazz bands to compete in prestigious student jazz competitions in Monterey, California, and New York City...

Testimonials

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