“With Music On Their Mind There’s No Time For Crime”
OVERVIEW
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY AZ FOUNDATION
WILLIAM S. JONES, III PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
What is International Jazz Day
In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. International Jazz Day is chaired and led by Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General, and legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. The Institute is the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing this annual celebration. International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication. Each year on April 30, this international art form is recognized for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity; eradicating discrimination; promoting freedom of expression; fostering gender equality; and reinforcing the role of youth in enacting social change.
Introducing International Jazz Day AZ Foundation International Jazz Day AZ Foundation is a Maricopa County-based organization that built its name through booking high-quality live concerts & Festivals events while quietly changing the cultural conversation in the Valley regarding music and arts. President/Executive Director William (Doc.) Jones, and International Jazz Day AZ Foundation are responsible for bringing names like Azar Lawrence, Nicolas Payton, Carlos Rivas, Maelo Ruiz, Luisito Rosario, Kermit Ruffins, Nayo Jones and Kerry Campbell to multiple Valley stages. The work being done behind the scenes contributes to the shifting in the cultural conversation not only locally but internationally. For more than fifteen years, International Jazz Day AZ Foundation along with its affiliate organization NextStudent Academy, have provided free summer music and art classes to Valley youth. These
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programs have been fully supported by the proceeds from the entertainment and the support of a reliable music-loving public. •
Doc. Jones and his volunteer staff upon receiving 501 c 3 nonprofit IRS determination status from the IRS for this organization, are aiming to expand the program classes and student population year around with a Real Jazz Annual Festival on April 30th every year, called “Phoenix International Jazz Day” Festival. International Jazz Day AZ Foundation projects an expected draw this year 2017 approaching 3,000 people, the 6th Annual Phoenix International Jazz Day AZ Festival at CityScape is primed to become “Phoenix’s Signature Real Jazz” festival event in the Valley and the driver behind two of Arizona’s most driven nonprofit Arts organizations.
Brief History of International Jazz Day AZ Foundation In 2015, International Jazz Day AZ Foundation was established as the nonprofit owner of the” Official International Jazz Day AZ Festival” with a mission to sow the seeds of the unique location of Phoenix AZ for generations to come. In the beginning, just 5 years ago, these Jazz events were not known as they are today. Accordingly, it is the goal of International Jazz Day AZ Foundation to get everyone involved endeavors to make sure that the Festival’s proceeds will be redistributed into the local community organizations that support and develop arts and jazz music programs for youth at risk, like Academy of Excellence, Nextstudent Academy for the Arts & Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center
Overview of Collaborative Programs Offered: •
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The William "Doc" Jones / NextStudent Academy School of Music. This is our main music education program and has been in existence since 1990. Classes will meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The NextStudent Academy Music School will provide free group lessons in brass, woodwinds, piano, bass, drums, guitar and voice. All students are welcome. Returning students do not need to audition. Regular afterschool classes will resume on Aug. 2017. The Int’l JazzDay Foundation; Brass Band. A new initiative, this is a New Orleansstyle brass band for young musicians. We're looking for intermediate and advanced players. It will meet during our regular Saturday morning classes. The NextStudent Academy A Capella Choir. A showcase for more advanced singers; it will meet during regular Saturday classes and on Thursday afternoons. 2
Audition and Enrollment Guidelines: To register for the auditions, students will need to go online and complete the online form on internationaljazzdayaz.org ’s website. All students must have their own instruments (except for piano and drums) and they must bring them to the audition. Drummers will need to bring their own drumsticks.
International Jazz Day AZ Foundation: Programs accepts beginning to advanced students. Beginners should have completed at least one year of prior instruction on their instruments. They should be able to play a major and minor scale, identify notes on a staff and play at least one song. Students should own their own instruments and should bring them to the auditions. More Advanced students should be prepared to: • Perform a song (preferably a jazz standard) that demonstrates their full range of ability • Demonstrate an ability to improvise over a blues form in the keys of F and B flat • Play a chromatic scale (two octaves) • Sight-read an unfamiliar jazz composition • For pianists and bassists, demonstrate a fundamental ability to read chord changes
Drummers should have at least some experience with: •
Single stroke and double stroke rolls
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Flams and paradiddles Reading snare drum music Playing very basic jazz beat and rock/funk beat Second Line rhythms Playing a C Major scale on the piano
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Vocalists should be able to sing an unfamiliar melodic phrase after hearing it once or twice. Experience with reading music is a plus.
International Jazz Day Brass Band Candidates should be prepared to:
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Sight-read a basic chart for a traditional New Orleans Brass Band standard
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Perform major triads
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NextStudent Academy A Capella Jazz Choir Candidates should be prepared to: • • • •
Sing a prepared piece from memory Sight-read a short melody Sing an unfamiliar melodic phrase after hearing it once Improvise over a recording of a 12 bar blues
About the Founder BACKGROUND: William Doc Jones Let me start with a little background on myself. I was born and raised in Chicago Ill. Attended Roosevelt University where I majored in music education. I move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1986 along with my wife and two children. Over the past 30 years I have use my passion for music education alongside being a professional Jazz musician myself to help work in the community to reduce crime in our neighborhoods. In 1995 I formed Quick’s Academy of music to work with corporations to provide free music lessons for young people considered at risk. That naturally called for me to create and design a music curriculum for charter school programs. From 2000 to 2008, under a 501 (c )3 corporation titled NextStudent Academy of the Arts, Inc. (“Next Student”) I and my associates were able to succeed in accomplishing our goals to give free music lessons to youth involved in the programs. I was able to accomplish this with the help of volunteers on a minimal budget of $125,000. Over a period of two years, through Next Student we administered over 5,000 free music lessons contributing to music programs in five after school programs.
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