The Academy is unique because established professional performing musicians in the community, in partnership with the educators in our schools and colleges will teach the students. Paramount to the success of the program is that the Academy provides various outlets for the students to perform. The performances reinforce the need to establish and achieve goals. A discipline that is crucial to success in life.

The need for the offerings espoused by the Jazz Academy is two-fold:

• Jazz music is a historic musical art form that needs a platform for sharing the craft in order to preserve and advance the music.
• Our youth need to be taught the disciplines of music or other art forms in order advance and enhance their artistic and intellectual capabilities.

Louis Armstrong on the steps in the New York neighborhood where he lived the last years of his life. Here he helps some kids with their music.

These two needs are complementary. Jazz music is an art form that has traditionally been preserved through story telling and instruction passed down from generation to generation by professional artists in the community.