Alaska Jazz Workshop

AJW'S 7/1/22 TO 6/30/23 ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THE AK JAZZ WORKSHOP'S JAZZ EDUCATION PROGRAM INCLUDED 6 JAZZ COMBO IMPROVISATION CLASSES IN THE FALL 2022 AND SPRING 2023 SEMESTERS WITH 38 GRADE 7 THROUGH ADULT STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN BEGINNING, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED COMBOS. STUDENTS RECEIVED 2 HOURS OF WEEKLY INSTRUCTION IN SONG WRITING, IMPROVISATION SKILLS, MUSIC THEORY INCLUDING RHYTHMIC AND MELODIC DICTATION, JAZZ HISTORY, DEVELOPING SONG REPERTOIRE, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. THE INSTRUCTORS INCLUDED JOHN DAMBERG AND NICK PETUMENOS. THE JULY 25-30, 2022 AJW JAZZ CAMP AT THE UAA FINE ARTS BUILDING AND INCLUDED 4 BEGINNING TO ADVANCED SMALL COMBOS FOR 27 GRADE 7 THOUGH ADULT STUDENTS. STUDENTS RECEIVED 25 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION IN SMALL COMBO TEAMING, COMMUNICATION, PERFORMANCE & IMPROVISATION SKILLS, AND SONG REPERTOIRE BUILDING. INNSTRUCTORS INCLUDED JOHN DAMBERG, NICK PETUMENOS, MARK MANNERS, AND RICK ZELINSKY. THE AJW PRESENTED 5 STUDENT RECITALS TO OVER 483 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. THE AJW FACULTY JAZZ ENSEMBLE, INCLUDING 11 PROFESSIONAL ALASKA TEACHERS AND PERFORMERS PRESENTED 14 CONCERTS/WORKSHOPS TO 551 STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE ANCHORAGE AND MAT-SU SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THESE CONCERTS/WORKSHOPS EXPOSED STUDENTS TO THE JOY OF CREATING MUSIC USING JAZZ IMPROVISATION AND HELP PROMOTE THE AJW JULY 25-30, 2022 AND THE AJW JULY 31-AUGUST 5, 2023 SUMMER JAZZ CAMPS. THE AJW ALSO COLLABORATED WITH THE ANCHORAGE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP TO PRESENT 13 FREE OUTDOOR JAZZ CONCERTS FROM 4-6 P.M. SATURDAYS FROM JULY 2-AUGUST 20, 2022 AND MAY 27-JUNE 24, 2023 AT THE PERATROVICH PARK IN DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE. THESE CONCERTS FEATURED 20 LOCAL SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL JAZZ BANDS INCLUDING THE JOHN DAMBERG LATIN JAZZ QUINTET, THE BLUE DIXIE COMBO, THE ANCHORAGE JAZZ COALITION, THE NICK PETUMENOS JAZZ QUARTET, THE AJW STUDENT JAZZ ENSEMBLES, THE MELISSA FISCHER QUINTET, THE UNO JAZZ ORCHESTRA, THE MARK MANNERS PROJECT, THE RICK ZELINSKY QUINTET, THE TOM BARGELSKI TRIO, THE A TOWN SHARPS, THE JAMES WEBB QUINTET, AND THE SPENARD JAZZ MESSENGERS. THE AJW AWARDED 8 HALF TUITION WORK SCHOLARSHIPS TO AIDAN FLANAGAN, DAVID CARBALLO, DANIEL COX, BLAZE STENHOUSE, NOAH AMASON, EMILY BAKER, RYAN MELLICK FOR THE AJW 2022 JAZZ CAMP AND FOR THE FALL 2022 AND SPRING 2023 WEEKLY JAZZ CLASSES VALUED AT $2680. GRANTS RECEIVED: ALASKA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP GRANT OF $17,800 ON 7-5-22, ALASKA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT OF $12,500 ON 10-26-22 TO SUPPORT THE AJW JAZZ OUTREACH IMPROVISATION WORKSHOPS TO THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS PROGRAM, ATWOOD FOUNDATION GRANT OF $20,000 ON 3-25-23 TO SUPPORT THE AJW 2023 ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THE 2023 AJW JAZZ CAMP, THE AJW WEEKLY COMMUNITY JAZZ SESSION EXPENSES FROM APRIL-AUGUST 2023, THE AJW JAZZ OUTREACH IMPROVISATION WORKSHOPS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM AND TO PURCHASE CLASSROOM MUSIC EQUIPMENT INCLUDING A PEARL MALLET STATION KEYBOARD CONTROLLER. COMMUNITY DONATIONS FROM THE AJW & ADP CONCERTS IN THE PARK TOTALED $1,280 FOR THE AJW STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND. COMMUNITY DONORS INCLUDE ANCHORAGE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP (ADP)-$10,431 DONATION TO AJW ON 10-8-22 FOR THE 2022-23 AJW AND ADP DOWNTOWN SUMMER JAZZ CONCERTS AT PERATROVICH PARK, ANCHORAGE, AK. COMMUNITY SPONSORS INCLUDED THE ANCHORAGE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, THE ATWOOD FOUNDATION, THE ALASKA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND ANCHORAGE LUTHERAN CHURCH. PRIVATE DONATIONS TOTALED $3,200.