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I n
1975 Leonard Feather Wrote:
"To
sum up the accomplishments of the Thad
Jones/Mel Lewis phenomenon as succinctly as
possible, Let me put it this way: In 1965, at
the Village Vanguard, a child was born. In
almost a decade that has elapsed, his cries
have been heard and received with elation
wherever true jazz has been heard. Never has a
youngster been more prodigious in his ability
to communicate in the universal language of
music. I would like to believe that the
recordings of this orchestra will find their
way into every library of music; every college
music department; every connoisseur’s
collection, whether he grew up with Basie or
Brubeck or the Beatles or Herbie Hancock.
There just aren’t any greater sounds being
created by any musical organization."
from
the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Blue Note reissue
series LP, BN-LA392-H2 |
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| In
recent years the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra has
been exploring, developing and implementing
new initiatives to maintain access to its
diverse audience. Through community and
educational outreach, the band has been
providing residencies, master classes and jazz
clinics to colleges and high schools, reaching
out to under-served audiences through
community concerts, and developing programs to
introduce young people to various aspects jazz
music, history and culture. |
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The
orchestra’s commitment to education has led
to the development of the JazzEd -
Cultural Access Initiative. The aim is to
establish a viable link to audiences that
would not normally have access to jazz and
related musical genres. In addition, the
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra actively pursues
partnerships with schools, corporations and
community based organizations to develop jazz
outreach programs in both inner city and rural
communities.
The mission of
the initiative is as follows:
To support the
orchestra’s on-going professional and
educational jazz music programming
To replicate
existing programs in schools throughout the
World
To develop
new, comprehensive jazz education and
mentoring programs that will have a positive
impact on inner city and rural youth
To develop a
performance series that will allow students
and teachers and community members to
interact with the orchestra in both school
and professional settings
To develop
curricula related to the history and
performance of jazz music and the training
of young musicians
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| Since
1995 the JazzEd Cultural Access
Initiative has been supported by numerous
government and private funds including: the
National Endowment for the Arts, the New York
State Council on the Arts, the Music
Performance Trust Fund, the National
Association of Recording Arts and Sciences,
the Aaron Copland fund for Music and the U.S.
State Department. The orchestra’s outreach
programs include: |
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to
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| The
Art of Jazz (contact
the VJO for more information) |
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| The Art
of Jazz performance series celebrates
the legacy of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz
Orchestra, explores the classic compositions
of Thad Jones and his followers, premiers new
work by established and emerging composers and
introduces the artistry of the orchestra to
adult and student audiences who may not be
familiar with their work. |
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| Precepts
of Swing (contact the
VJO for
more information) |
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| The
focus of the Precepts of Swing
workshop/performance program is to share the
orchestra’s talent, expertise and vision in
the nurturing of young players. Interactive
workshop/performances are based on a selection
of arrangements from the orchestra's
repertoire. Using this as a framework, band
members discuss topics dealing with all
aspects of ensemble playing, improvisation and
the art of listening. Special emphasis is
placed on section development, the role of
section leaders and the unity of the full
band. The content of the workshop is an
historical and relevant educational experience
for today’s young players. |
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| Jazz
Outreach (contact
the VJO for more information) |
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| Outreach
through Jazz is a partnership project that
provides sequential workshops to students
enrolled in the music programs of
participating schools. Selected orchestra
members and associates serve as artists
in residence and work with partnership staff
to develop program formats that best meet the
needs of the students. Resource materials are
developed and disseminated to students and
staff to enhance the content of the workshops. |
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