FESTIVAL FESTIVAL
Celebrating High School Jazz Bands
@jazzeddetroit
@jazzeddetroit
jazzeddetroit org
Schedule of Events
Morning Warm Up Room 2380 Performance Room 2402
Adjudicator Clinic Room 2414 Workshops Schaver Hall Student Lounge 2223
7:45 - 8:15 am Check-In
8:15 am Welcome - Schaver Hall
am
am
am
am
Afternoon Warm Up Room 2380 Performance Room 2402
Adjudicator Clinic Room 2414 Workshops Schaver Hall Student Lounge 2223
1:15 - 1:45 pm Check-In
1:45 pm Welcome - Schaver Hall 2:00 pm JazzEd Detroit 2:30 pm
3:00 pm Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation 3:30 pm 4:00 pm The Carr Center 4:30 pm 5:00 pm Student Mixer
5:30 pm
Workshop Information
MusicHall
BigBandBalance-PresentedbySteveWood
Explorehowtocreateabalancedandcohesivebigbandsoundacrosssections.This sessionfocusesonblendingsaxophones,brass,andrhythmsectionwhilerefiningphrasing andarticulationtoachieveanauthenticswingfeel.Studentswillworkdirectlywith ensemblepassagesandgainpracticaltoolstobringclarity,precision,andmusicalityto theirperformances.
MSUCommunityMusicSchool-Detroit
BuildingBasieRiffBackgrounds-PresentedbyTrevorLamb
Discoverhowtosupportsoloistswitheffectiveandstylisticallyappropriateriff backgrounds Centeredinthebluestradition,thisworkshopexploresdynamics,timing, andimprovisationtechniquesthatstrengthenensembleinteraction.Studentswilllearn howtolisten,respond,andcontributetoamoreengagingandsupportivegroupsound
DetroitSymphonyOrchestra
RhythmSectionChemistry:Let’sGroove,Let’sSpeak,Let’sSupportPresentedbyDarell“Red”Campbell
Learnhowtocommunicateandconnectwithintherhythmsectiontobuildaunified groove.Thissessionfocusesonlistening,interaction,andstylisticawarenesstohelp musicianssupportoneanotherandelevatethefullensemble Studentswillleavewith strategiestodeepenmusicalcollaborationandstrengthentheirrolewithintheband.
JazzEdDetroit
DigitalToolsforJazzStudentsandEducators-PresentedbyKrisJohnson Explorepracticaldigitaltoolsdesignedtosupportpractice,creativity,andgrowthasajazz musician Inthisinteractivesession,studentswillengagewithfreeJazzEdDetroit resources,includingplay-alongsandonlinematerials,whilegaininginsightintoeffective waystobuildskillsusingtechnology Idealforbothstudentsandeducators,thisworkshop offersaccessiblestrategiesformodernmusicianship.
DetroitJazzFestivalFoundation
TheSoundsofDetroit-PresentedbyMarionHayden DiscoverthemusicandartiststhatdefineDetroit’suniquejazzlegacy.Thissession highlightsinfluentialcomposersandstylesacrossgenerations,connectingjazztobroader musicalmovementsincludinghip-hop.StudentswillexplorehowDetroit’ssound continuestoshapemodernmusicandgainadeeperappreciationforitsculturalimpact
TheCarrCenter
RootsandRhythm-PresentedbyLauraSimone ExperiencethefoundationsofBlackmusicaltraditionsthroughrhythm,movement,and interactivelearning.Fromworksongstojazz,thisworkshopconnectshistoricalcontext withhands-onexploration.Studentswillengagedirectlywithrhythmicconceptswhile discoveringhowmusicexpressesculture,history,andidentity.
Adjudicators
Timothy Blackmon, Jr. - Trumpet
As an educator and artist-in-residence, Blackmon has taught masterclasses at The Florida State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama (Birmingham), University of Vermont, and The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Canada. As a performer, Blackmon is a member of The Modern Jazz Generation led by Marcus Roberts, a member of The Rodney Whitaker Sextet, a member of The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra, and as a Geri Allen fellow and member of the Gathering Orchestra of Detroit. He has also appeared alongside a diverse list of great artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Joan Rivers, and Savion Glover.
Willie J. McAllister, Jr. - Educator
Willie J. McAllister, Jr. retired as Director of the Office of Fine Arts Education for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. A native Detroiter, he is a graduate of Northwestern High School and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wayne State University. As a music educator in both private and public schools s, his teaching experience includes seventeen years as the Director of Bands and Orchestra at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Michigan, where he established the Jazz and Marching Band programs. Mr. McAllister has served as a clinician at the Michigan Music Conference and as an adjudicator for Solo and Ensemble competitions. Mr. McAllister has been recognized as the Michigan Band and Orchestra Association Teacher of the Year and received the Detroit Public Schools Community District Administrator of the Year award. He was also recognized as the Detroit Public Schools Foundation Champion of Education and the Detroit Jazz Festival Guardian of Jazz. Mr. McAllister is passionate in the support and educational development of fine arts students as well as the career paths of educators. Mr. McAllister currently serves as a Board Member of the Detroit International Jazz Festival, and as a Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Orchestra Conductor and Scholarship Representative.
Jonathon Neal - Trumpet
Jonathon C. Neal is an artist-educator devoted to the advancement of Black American Music and creative improvisation. A graduate of Howard University and Tennessee State University (TSU), he has taught at TSU where he served as Adjunct Professor of Trumpet and Grambling State University where he served as Upper Brass Instructor, Director of Jazz Ensembles, and instructed courses in improvisation, harmony, and ear training. He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan, where his research explores consciousness in performance, noetic musicology, and the role of Black spirituality in the improvising traditions.
Adjudicators
Kaleigh Wilder - Baritone Saxophone
Kaleigh Wilder is a multi-instrumentalist improviser based in Detroit, Michigan. Combining classical, Black American Music, Ghanaian music, and the avant-garde, she translates bodily and ancestral memory into sound to communicate viscerally. She hopes to amplify in the listener their own understanding of music and Self.
Nate Winn - Drums
Nate Winn is a drummer/educator from Detroit, MI with a bachelor’s degree in music from Wayne State University, and master’s degree from Berklee College of Music. He is on faculty at the University of Michigan’s jazz department teaching drums/percussion.
Welcome Performance
Evening Star
Evening Star (Trio) presents a refined and intimate iteration of the ensemble’s jazz-centered artistry. Drawing from a contemporary jazz vernacular enriched with neo-soul sensibilities and a subdued lo-fi aesthetic, the trio exhibits a cultivated balance of precision and spontaneity. Their performances unfold with nuanced interplay, elegant phrasing, and a deep sense of musical rapport offering both
reimagined standards and thoughtfully crafted original works. With an emphasis on tonal sophistication, dynamic restraint, and conversational improvisation, Evening Star curates an atmosphere that is at once distinguished, immersive, and quietly transcendent.
Tariq Gardner's Evening Star
Tariq Gardner
itseveningstarmusic com/
@eveningstarmusic
PHOTOGRAPHS & VIDEO WILL BE TAKEN AT THIS EVENT
We will be documenting the activities of the day to be used in marketing materials and social media. If you have any questions, please talk to one of our staff members. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Participating Bands
Cass Technical High School
Andrea Holley
Detroit School of Arts
Victoria Fernholz
Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Art
Sean Patton
Farmington High School
Zulnie Floreska
Grosse Pointe North High School
Tom Torrento
Martin Luther King Jr.
Senior High School
Lamar Phillips
Plymouth-Canton
Educational Park
Marcus Miller
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
Joshua James
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 Partners’ 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 detroit TheCarrCenter arrcenter.org
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.
@detroitjazzfest DetroitJazzFestival detroitjazzfest.org
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.DetroitSymphonyOrchestradso.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.
@musichalldetroit MusicHallDetroit musichall.org
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.