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Solvang Jazz Festival Fills Critical Gap in Local Arts Education
With thousands of public school teacher layoffs across California and drastic cuts to music and arts programs, the Third Annual Solvang Jazz Festival, scheduled for September 25 and 26 and presented by the Universal Guild for Jazz and Progressive Music (UGJPM), is proving as relevant as ever by providing outstanding educational programs in music for Santa Ynez Valley students. In addition to the annual student competition, educational performances, workshops and advanced clinics, a student group performance has been added to this year’s Festival lineup. The 2009 Solvang Jazz Festival is providing quality music programs to Santa Ynez Valley students at a time when these young talents need it most.
“During a time when arts education is truly in crisis, we are blessed to be the focus of Stix Hooper’s vision for the Solvang Jazz Festival to be a community service,” said Linda Burrows, Solvang School Education Foundation Board Member and Solvang Jazz Festival Education Outreach Coordinator. “The Festival education component provides our young people with music, education, rich culture and the pure joy of jazz - but it also offers local teachers unprecedented curriculum tools and priceless inspiration for our students with this access to the world’s top musical artists.”
The Solvang Jazz Festival’s Competition for Student Musicians is a unique opportunity for Valley area students, and is administered in collaboration with the Santa Barbara County/Santa Ynez Valley public school system. Instrumentalists ages 10 through 19 are asked to submit an audition piece in the jazz genre; however, classical, original works or other styles of music that showcase musicality will also be considered. Competition entries will be judged on musicianship, talent, excellence and creativity. Competition winners will be awarded financial assistance to help further their musical education. For more information about the student competition, music and other teachers can contact Linda Burrows at 805.688.7423.
In 2008, a total of $2,500 in financial assistance was awarded to the competition winners: Fifteen-year old Jae Eun Chang was awarded First Place and a $1,000 prize for her piano composition; violinist Hanna Vise, 10, won Second Place; Third Place went to 18-year old guitarist Patrick “Bingo” Wathen; and honorable mentions with prizes of $100 each were given to Michael Feeley, 13 and Jacob Carey, also 13.
“Providing musical education opportunities, and specifically jazz, for the next generation is right at the core of the Solvang Jazz Festival,” said Stix Hooper, Festival Artistic Director/Producer, President of nonprofit UGJPM and founder of the jazz group, The Crusaders. “We have always seen a need to offer young musicians opportunities to explore and develop their creativity and talents and we are committed, with the generous support of our program sponsors and partners, to expanding these opportunities with increased financial assistance for students and bringing students to the Festival stage this September.”
On September 24, the 2009 Solvang Jazz Festival will present a very special educational concert for more than 800 Santa Ynez Valley students, with Grammy nominated Dr. Bobby Rodriguez. After the performance, Master classes and workshops on percussion, trumpets, saxophone and more will be held to give young musicians a hands-on opportunity to perfect their craft with local and guest artists and educators. On September 26, a variety of local student jazz groups will perform at the Solvang Theaterfest from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Saturday performance will be open to the entire community.
The UGJPM was founded to honor, promote, protect and preserve America’s indigenous musical art form, Jazz, along with other progressive musical genres. Through seminars, concerts, clinics and forums, UGJPM strives to educate, inform, teach and enlighten music professionals, while providing general knowledge, information and accessibility of music to the general public. Call 425.481.3274 for Solvang Jazz Festival schedule and ticket information.
— Marjorie Wass is a public relations representative.
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