- In-school clinics
- TTI (Teacher Training Institute)
- Boys & Girls Club clinics
- Scholarships
- Support for the Crescent Music Festival
- Festival Education Day
- Complimentary tickets to hear a variety of jazz concerts and participate in musical events
Background
PCJF’s educational programs ensure access to jazz for children from all backgrounds, income levels, and economic areas. Currently, PCJF serves six entities, including five schools and the Boys/Girls Clubs in the Salt Lake City Metro area, along with the West Valley area. This program, alone, provides access to jazz education and improvisation to 5,500 students who are, at-risk of failing.
Through our educational programs, children are exposed to a series of in-school clinics with top tier jazz educators employed by PCJF.
During the Park City Jazz Festival, music students practice and attend clinics with visiting artists, that have in the past included Steve Smith, Dave Samuels, Javon Jackson, Corey Christiansen, Jeff Coffin, and Russell Gunn, to name but a few.
Children are also provided with opportunities to hear and learn from Grammy-caliber visiting artists through our complimentary ticketing offers at The Crescent Jazz Festival, the Jazz at the Sheraton series, and the Park City Jazz Festival.
In addition, PCJF provides scholarships for ethnically diverse musical students in conjunction with our talent scholarships.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the programs offered by PCJF is to provide performance opportunities, access, instruction, and continued education for the community, in particular, students at-risk. By educating students in the art of jazz, the program, with its strong emphasis on improvisational skills, teaches children to think creatively and independently while providing community access to this unique musical genre.
The Arts was identified as a core academic subject in the Academic Standards established by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for Humanities. It is as important to education as English, mathematics, history, science, and foreign language. However, with education budgets, shrinking, the Arts are the first thing to be cut in public schools.
It has been proven that music education:
- Enhances higher brain function
- Improves reading and math performance
- Develops quick and decisive thinking
- Builds teamwork skills
- Enhances cooperation
- Prepares children for the future
As a foundation, it is our goal to, through the medium of jazz music, increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression for people of all backgrounds. We foster the transmission of both new and traditional world music. With our education programs and Festival, we broaden audience involvement and access while improving the livelihoods of artists and offering a place for them to contribute to the community.
Coming Soon
Beginning in 2008, PCJF will host the Park City Jazz Summit.