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| Fourth year of Jazz Workshops in Novato Mel Martin and Bebop and Beyond are pleased to announce their fourth year of Jazz Workshops in Novato schools has been funded by Chamber Music America as an expanded residency program. In partnership with Sinaloa Middle School and San Marin High School under the direction of Jason Ekyl and Emily Gates, Mel Martin and members of Bebop and Beyond will conduct regular weekly jazz workshops, seminars and concerts at the two schools. Bebop and Beyond members Mel Martin - reeds, Jack Walrath - trumpet, Andrew Speight - alto saxophone, Mark Levine - piano, Robb Fisher - bass and Akira Tana - drums will work closely with advance jazz combo students throughout the school year. The Bebop and Beyond Advanced Jazz Workshop in the Schools promotes a vision for learning jazz improvisation in an advanced and hands-on way, something that is extremely rare in today's public school music programs. By working alongside professional musicians, students at Sinaloa Middle School and San Marin High School have access to a high level of instruction, experience and musicianship. As a measure of its success over the past three and a half years, the program has become an integrated part of the music programs at both schools, attracting strong support from the band booster organizations, as well as from an enthusiastic group of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. In addition, competing in the national arena, the Sinaloa Middle School Jazz Combo received top honors. Downbeat Magazine awarded the Jazz Combo its prestigious 2003 Outstanding Group Performance award in the Junior High division. Students in the program also have been invited to join the San Francisco Jazz Festival's high school all-star big band. Chamber Music America, the national service organization for the ensemble music profession, was founded in 1977 to promote artistic excellence and the economic stability of the field, and to ensure that chamber music, in its broadest sense, is a vital part of American life. With a membership of over 8, 000, including musicians, ensembles, presenters, artists' managers, educators, music businesses, and advocates of ensemble music, CMA welcomes and represents a wide range of musical styles and traditions. In addition to its funding programs, CMA provides its members with consulting services, access to health and instrument insurance, conferences, seminars and several publications including the bi-monthly magazine, Chamber Music, and websitehttp://www.chamber-music.org In addition to regularly scheduled classes, Mel Martin has invited several students to sit in with his All-Star Big Band performance, featuring members of Bebop and Beyond, at Yoshi's, the San Francisco Bay Area's premier jazz venue, on Wednesday evening, September 28, 2005 write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |