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| Students To Participate In Jazz Education Programs With generous support from the Northrop Grumman Corporation and National Endowment for the Arts, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a non-profit education organization, will introduce its Jazz in America: The National Jazz Curriculum to thousands of public school students in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi on February 20-24. Jazz in America is the Institute’s Internet-based jazz curriculum that is available to all 5th, 8th, and 11th grade public school students in the United States. Designed to be a regular part of each school’s social studies or American history classes, it is the first jazz curriculum to use state-of-the-art Internet technology and is offered free of charge on a national basis. As part of Black History Month festivities, the tour will include a series of jazz assembly programs, jazz band clinics, vocal master classes, and community concerts. The tour also marks the second time in a year that the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has visited the Gulf Coast region. Each assembly program will feature a five-piece jazz combo led by world renowned saxophonist Bobby Watson, a presentation called “What is Jazz?” by J.B. Dyas, Curriculum Project Director, and a question-and-answer session with students. In addition, jazz drummer Thelonious Monk, Jr., Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Trustees, will make remarks about jazz and its role as America’s greatest musical contribution to the world. The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will also present two public concerts free of charge for citizens of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans. The concerts are a gift from the Institute to the communities that were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the aftermath of these storms. The first of these one-hour concerts will be held at 7:00pm on Monday February 20 at Moss Point High School, just outside of Pascagoula, MS. The second will be held on the campus of Xavier University, one of America’s historic black colleges, on Thursday February 23. This noon-time concert will be open to students and faculty of Xavier as well as the general public. These concerts will feature Bobby Watson, Thelonious Monk Jr., and internationally acclaimed vocalist Lisa Henry alongside local student jazz ensembles. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |