Paul Carr

Paul Carr, a Houston native and 1985 Howard University graduate, has dedicated his professional career to mastering the saxophone and the art of Jazz. He carries on the Texas tenor tradition espoused by great heroes such as the late Houstonians Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson who served as his early idols and mentors. He grew up in inner-city Houston, Texas and was a member of the Kashmere High School Stage Band, whose director, the late Conrad Johnson, is the subject of a documentary, Thunder Soul, produced by actor, Jamie Foxx. Though never having had private music lessons, Paul has received several outstanding musician awards at high school and college jazz festivals.

Paul is passionately committed to the education of children and particularly as it relates to the preservation of jazz. In 2002, he founded the Jazz Academy of Music, which hosts summer camps and jazz ensembles for kids throughout the year. Paul has changed the lives of hundreds of his students by selflessly sharing his knowledge of music and life. Several of his students have been admitted and even received full scholarships to some of the top music schools and conservatories in the country. In fact, five of Paul students have been admitted to the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York. Many of his former students are touring and performing all over the world, sharing the stage with some of the top names in jazz music today. Paul’s work was acknowledged in 2012 by ABC Channel 7 News when he was selected as a “Harris Hero” for his amazing work with music students across the area. Most recently, in March 2014, Paul received the prestigious, Howard University, “Benny Golson Jazz Master Award”, for his outstanding work as a performer, presenter and educator. He most recently served as a panelist at the 2014 Congressional Black Caucus where he spoke on the importance of jazz education and advocated for a Bill currently being vetted in Congress that will offer federal support toward the advancement and preservation of traditional jazz.

Finally, in 2010, Paul re-established the East Coast Jazz Festival as the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, and serves as its Executive and Artistic Director. The festival enjoys over 2,000 attendees that travel from states across the U.S. and beyond. Held every President’s Day weekend in Rockville, MD, the festival incorporates a strong educational component, with a high school band competition and free master classes for students as well as an entertainment component with performances by NEA Jazz Masters, such as Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Roy Haynes, just to name of few.

When you think of an ambassador for jazz music today, you have got to include Paul Carr in that grouping, as his work touches all fronts including jazz education, performance and presentation.

For more information on private lessons please see the following website:  http://www.paulcarrjazz.com

Karmen Carr

Karmen Carr has worked in the financial services industry for more than 20 years. She has had executive level management responsibility for more than 15 years. Karmen is the founder and managing partner of Concentrance Consulting Group Inc, a management consulting firm. Prior to Concentrance, Karmen was the Director of New Business Development Sourcing for Freddie Mac. In this role, Karmen was charged with the identification and analysis of new investment/growth opportunities for the company. During her eight-year tenure with Freddie Mac, Karmen was the visionary behind many high-profiled strategic initiatives and also led the implementation of the systems, products and programs associated with those initiatives. Prior to joining Freddie Mac, Karmen was the Vice President of Mortgage Operations for First Virginia Bank Mortgage Corporation from 1986 until 1991.

Karmen graduated from the University of Maryland in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science having majored in economics and minored in music. In 1995 Karmen obtained a Masters of General Administration also from the University of Maryland. Karmen has been inducted and is a lifetime member of two national collegiate honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Sigma Lambda. Karmen is also a member of the National Association of Female Executives.

The Academy maintains a pre-screened roster of professional musicians in the local area that are qualified to provide one-on-one instruction to Academy Member Students. The Academy provides course guidelines, training, tools and communication facilities to the instructor-musicians. Private instruction on all instruments covering applied music fundamentals as well as, jazz music and improvisational techniques is available. Prospective students and parents may review the instructor roster bios and make a preliminary selection of the instructor(s) that best suits your requirements. The Academy will arrange an interview between you and the instructor(s) to confirm and ensure the selected instructor(s) suitability. The private instruction sessions are offered based the student’s age and level of proficiency on the instrument. Recommended duration for private sessions are as follows:

Specific times and locations of the lessons are arranged directly between the student and the selected instructor. Students may however, view instructor availability and schedule lessons through this website. The fee schedule for each instructor has been pre-negotiated by the Academy.