FESTIVAL
@jazzeddetroit @jazzeddetroit jazzeddetroit.org
Schedule of Events
MORNING Warm Up Room 2380 Performance Schaver Hall
8:30 am
AFTERNOON Warm Up Room 2380
1:30 pm
pm
Adjudicator Clinic Room 2414 Workshops Room 2402 Expo Booths 2nd Floor Hall
Adjudicator Clinic Room 2414 Workshops Room 2402 Expo Booths 2nd Floor Hall
Workshop Information
MusicHall
ImprovisationandInteractioninJazz*
PresentedbyJordanSchug
Studentswillstrengthentheirimprovisationandensembleinteractionskills throughaguidedgroupimprovisationsession,exploringclassicchordprogressions anddevelopingtheirabilitytolisten,respond,andcreatemusicalconversations.
MSUCommunityMusicSchool-Detroit ImprovisationFundamentals*
PresentedbyMarkCroft
Joinusforaninteractivesessiononthefundamentalsofjazzimprovisation Discover essentialtechniquesandpracticalstrategiestodevelopyouruniquemusicalvoice. Throughguidedexercises,you'llapplytheseconceptsinrealtime,gaininghands-on experienceandadeeperunderstandingofimprovisation.
DetroitSymphonyOrchestra
RhythmSectionChemistry:Let’sGroove,Let’sSpeak,Let’sSupport*
PresentedbyDarell“Red”Campbell
Byunderstandingstyleandapproach,studentswilllearntocommunicatewiththeir bandmates,createaunifiedsound,andstrengthentheirabilitytodeepenmusical connectionforamorecohesiveperformance.
JazzEdDetroit
ThePowerofCollaborationinJazzEducation
JoinusforaninsightfuldiscussiononJazzEdDetroit,agroundbreakingcollaboration betweenfiveofDetroit’sleadingjazzeducationorganizations.Panelistswillexplore howtheircollectiveeffortsareshapingthefutureofjazzeducation.
DetroitJazzFestivalFoundation
"WhentheLightsareLow":OffstageLifeasanArtist
PresentedbyChuckNewsome
Exploretwokeyaspectsthatshapeamusician’scareer:practicalstrategiesfor managing,marketing,booking,andpromotingyourselfasanartist,andnavigatingthe mentalchallengesthatcomewithlifeinmusic.
TheCarrCenter ANewStandard
PresentedbySarahWhitaker
Thesessionwillfacilitateadiscussionofthejazzcanon,ourresponsibilitytoexpandit, andtheimportanceofrepresentation ThefilmNewStandards,createdbyCarrCenter ArtisticDirectorTerriLyneCarringtonandMichaelGoldman,willbescreened.Geri AllenFellowandGatheringOrchestradrummerSarahWhitakerwillleadthesession.
Morning Adjudicators
Sean Dobbins - Drums
A product of Ann Arbor Public Schools, Sean Dobbins has devoted his life to both performance and education. His passion for jazz was sparked early by mentor Louis Smith, a Blue Note artist and Ann Arbor Public Schools band teacher, who instilled in him the value of education and musicianship. As a young drummer, Dobbins quickly gained recognition as a sought-after sideman in the Detroit jazz scene, performing with renowned artists such as Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, and Cyrus Chestnut. His hard-driving, melodic style reflects the influence of legends like Art Blakey, Jeff Hamilton, and Detroit’s own Elvin Jones.
Marion Hayden - Bass
Born in Detroit, a crucible of jazz, Marion Hayden is one of the nation’s finest proponents of the acoustic bass. Most recently, Hayden has been named the 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist, regarded as metro Detroit’s highest honor for lifetime artistic achievement. She was Artistic Director for a 2018 Knight Arts Foundation Grant encouraging young women in jazz. An advocate for youth music education, Hayden currently teaches for Michigan State University Community Music School - Detroit, is an educator in residence for the Detroit Jazz Festival. She also holds faculty positions in the Jazz Studies Departments at University of Michigan and Oakland University.
Kenji Lee - Horn
Kenji Lee is a multi-instrumentalist, composer-improviser, arts advocate, and educator merging the intersections of art, community, and equity. Born in Tokyo, Japan, and raised in the seaside town of Laguna Beach, California, Lee began studying music at an early age. He relocated to the Midwest to attend the University of Michigan, where he holds two degrees. Lee has held leadership roles at Canterbury House, Kerrytown Concert House, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In these capacities, he has curated over 200 performances in a diverse array of accessible & transformative concerts, poetry readings, dance recitals, art shows, and more.
Alina Morr - Piano
Alina Morr cut her musical teeth playing in Detroit’s blues scene, gaining valuable experience in playing Roots music, then ventured into the jazz scene. She spent several years living in the Spanish Caribbean: living and performing music in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and performing with a Latin music group, Los Hidalgos, on various cruise ships throughout the Caribbean. She then spent a year in Boston, studying at the Berklee College of Music, before returning to Detroit, where she was invited to join the groundbreaking jazz group, Straight Ahead, along with band members Marion Hayden, Gayelynn McKinney, and Regina Carter.
Afternoon Adjudicators
Russ Macklem - Horn
Russ Macklem is a Windsor/Detroit based trumpet player, composer, educator, and recording artist. Macklem has played with a diverse array of artists including Amp Fiddler, Dave Holland, The Marley Bros (Bob Marley’s sons), Cecil McBee, Frankie Valli, Dave Liebman, Bobby Rydell, and Frankie Avalon. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts while studying at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he was on full-tuition scholarship and Teaching Assistant to Grammy Award-winning trumpet player Brian Lynch. As an educator, Russ teaches brass techniques, music theory, music history, improvisation, and has taught at the University of Windsor
Michael Malis - Piano
MIchael Malis is a composer, pianist, and music educator based in Detroit. His compositions have been performed across the United States, including at Harvard University, the University of Maryland, The Owl (Brooklyn), and Orchestra Hall (Detroit). Malis has shared the stage with a diverse array of musicians, including Marcus Belgrave, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Hurst, Gerald Cleaver, and Marion Hayden. He has performed at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade (Japan), the Kennedy Center, Birdland (NYC), and The Stone (NYC). Malis is a recipient of Greek America Foundation’s 40 under 40 award. He has taught at the University of Michigan and Interlochen Arts Academy, and is now a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Michigan.
Gayelynn McKinney - Drums
Born and raised in Detroit, Gayelynn McKinney began playing the drums at the age of two. She received much of her musical training in the Detroit jazz scene, but obtained her Bachelor of Music from Oakland University. McKinney's many awards include; 2014 Kresge Artist Fellows recipient, a Grammy nomination with the group Straight Ahead and McKinFolk, Motor City Music Award, Detroit Black Music Award and State of Michigan Women of Influence Award. She has had the opportunity to play at many famous jazz festivals including the Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Essence Festival, 1996 Olympic Games, and the Kennedy Center.
Jeff Pedraz - Bass
Jeff Pedraz is a Philadelphia native bassist, composer, and educator He is an accomplished musician who possesses both virtuosity and versatility on both the double bass and electric bass and has worked in an array of musical situations ranging from orchestral to more modern genres and beyond. Pedraz was introduced to the colorful jazz community of Philadelphia in the late 1990's at Ortlieb’s Jazz Haus. He worked his way into the rotation of house musicians and had the opportunity to perform with many artists including Jimmy Oliver, Cecil Payne, as well as many others. It was at Ortlieb’s where he received much of his formidable training as a jazz musician.
Participating Schools
Bloomfield Hills High School
Alan Posner
Dominic Waddles
Cass Technical High School
Andrea Holley
Detroit School of Arts
Victoria Fernholz
Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s
Creative Jazz Ensemble
Martin Luther King Jr.
Senior High School
Lamar Phillips
Plymouth High School
Noah Bellamy
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
Joshua James
Darell “Red” Campbell Duke Ellington Conservatory Jazz Band
Welcome Performance Featuring
Sean Patton
Additional Festival Resources
Nearby Restaurants
Within walking distance of Wayne State University. Grab a bite after your events!
Venue Map
Don’t know where to go? View a map of the event space. Each floor has its own map!
JazzEd Festival Website
Visit our website for additional festival information. Check out the JazzEd resources while you’re there!
Our Partner’s Jazz Programs
MSU Community Music SchoolDetroit
Spartan Youth Jazz Elective Series
Spartan Adult Jazz Ensembles
Jazz Education Workshops & Concerts
Detroit Jazz Festival
New Jazz Infusion Program
Youth Vocal Jazz Competition
Collegiate Combo Competition
Jazz Goes to College Scholarship
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Civic Jazz Orchestra
Civic Jazz Band
Creative Jazz Ensemble
The Carr Center
The Gathering Orchestra
Music Hall
Center for the Performing Arts
Performance Workshop Jazz Jams
Jazz Vocal Instruction & Choir at The School at Marygrove
Instrumental Instruction & Jazz Concert
Band at The School at Marygrove
Introduction to Music Course at The School at Marygrove
Guest Artists / Lectures at The School at Marygrove
Jazz Vocal Education at Detroit School of the Arts
Jazz For Young People
FREE JazzEd Detroit Resources
JazzEd Tracks: Your Ultimate Play-Along Practice Tool
Explore our new JazzEd Tracks, designed to help master five essential jazz standards. Professionally recorded play-along
tracks are available in multiple versions, allowing you to practice various rhythm sections and enhance your skills.
JazzEd Masterclasses: Play Alongside
Detroit’s Top Musicians!
Our FREE online masterclass videos deliver ready-to-use skills from Detroit’s top jazz performers. Each video features a faculty member from one of our 5 partner organizations. Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, you can easily find new ways to grow your skills.
Our Partners
Th C rr Center leverages the essence of the African American l experience to inspire, entertain, challenge, and educate place where artists, from all disciplines and communities, ogether to enjoy jazz.
TheCarrCenter arrcenter.org
@thecarrcenter detroit
MSU's Community Music School - Detroit is an outreach division of the MSU College of Music that cultivates a diverse and connected community by providing opportunities for lifelong education, college and/or career readiness, mentorship, and belonging.
MSUCommunityMusicSchoolDetroit cmsd.msu.edu
@cmsd.msu
For nearly 40 years, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation has celebrated Detroit’s rich history of jazz music by providing yearround concerts, educational programming, and organizing the world’s largest free jazz festival
DetroitJazzFestival detroitjazzfest.org
@detroitjazzfest
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, America’s fourth-oldest, has a history as varied and exciting as that of its hometown. The DSO has been at the center of Detroit’s musical heartbeat for more than 130 years.
DetroitSymphonyOrchestra dso org
@detroitsymphony
Music Hall stands as Detroit’s premier venue for jazz, theater, and dance. Its productions provide southeastern Michigan with high-quality performing arts programs and education that reflects the diverse mix of cultures.
musichall org
@musichalldetroit
Funding for JazzEd Detroit is made possible through a grant provided by the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to supporting a culturally vibrant metro Detroit, specifically continuing Detroit’s strong jazz tradition and Fred Erb’s legacy of jazz patronage.