Ground Breaking Young Jazz Leaders Event

Jazzonian Established the 1st Annual Exceptional Young Jazz Leaders Band Festival and Scholarship Education Fund

(Saturday, September 24th, 2011 - Fort Lauderdale, FL) The Jazz Museum of Florida, Inc (Jazzonian) is very please to present its 1st Annual Exceptional Young Jazz Leaders Band Festival featuring the following distinguished South Florida school ensembles: Parkway School of the Arts, Florida Atlantic University, Dillards Center for the Arts, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and Blue Money Jazz.

Jazzonian invites you to our ground breaking event that also officially establishes the Young Jazz Leaders Scholarship Education Fund; Saturday, September 24th, 11:00 AM, at the Bienes Center for the Arts (St. Thomas Aquinas High School); 2801 SW 12th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Young Jazz Leaders Scholarship Education Fund and Jazzonian educational community outreach cultural arts programs.

The Young Jazz Leaders Scholarship Education Fund was established to provide financial assistance to promising young high school and college level Jazz musicians with the goal of inspiring individuals to become high achievers, developing future leaders in the community, empowering the next generation of Jazz musicians, and nurturing young fans of this artform.

Thank you to the Jazzonian Young Jazz Leaders trailblazer event volunteer team.

We are grateful and honored to present the following schools that will participating at the 1st Annual Exceptional Young Jazz Leaders Band Festival:

Parkway School of the Arts
Melton Mustafa Jr, Music Director
Parkway school of the arts jazz band is one of the fastest growing music programs in South Florida. Under the direction of Melton Mustafa (son of international jazz trumpet Melton Mustafa), parkway has performed all over South Florida. Over the last 8 years Parkway School of the Arts has received superior ratings at the FBA music performance assessment, featured at the Broward performing Arts Center Stars on Parade Show, featured band at the signature grand, worked with beacon TV, featured at the Florida Memorial University jazz Festival, and many more. The students at Parkway enjoy performing and listening to jazz legends like Charlie Parker, Miles, Basie, and Ellington. All of the student play in the big band and combo band and take pride in improvisation. More information at: www.parkwaymiddlesota.com

Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Tim Walters, Director of Jazz Studies
Florida Atlantic University has offered a jazz performance degree since 1971.  Respected jazz musician Dr. Bill Prince was the initial head of jazz studies, a position that has been held by Dr. Tim Walters since 1987. Jazz classes in improvisation, styles and analysis, theory and arranging and history complement an ensemble component including small and large jazz groups. The Jazz Band is directed by Professor Neil Bonsanti. Professional ensembles in residence include The Jazz Rats Big Band, the Rattette (a 10 piece ensemble), the Ratz (faculty jazz ensemble) and the Orquesta Nostalgia under the direction of Anselmo Vidal Jr. More information at: http://www.fau.edu/music/bm_jazz.php

Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble
Christopher Dorsey, Music Director
Known as the DCA Jazz Ensemble, the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble is a performance oriented ensemble composed of talented student musicians selected from Broward County. Under the direction of Christopher Dorsey, the primary goal of the Jazz program at Dillard Center for the Arts is to introduce students to a wide array of Jazz literature at the highest level along with performance opportunities. The band is open to students in grades 9-12. Auditions are held prior to the start of school. Students enroll in a class that meets daily, and attend extra rehearsals as required. The DCA Jazz Ensemble has earned the reputation as one of the finest jazz bands in the country. In 2011, the DCA Jazz Ensemble, placed first in the nation's highest ranking High School Jazz Competition - Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Competition, and First in The Swing Central High School Jazz Competition and Workshop, Savannah. More information at: www.dcajazz.com

A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Pedro Hernandez, Music director
A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts is an arts-based high school in the areas of music, dance, theater, communications and visual arts. It consists of students from the Palm Beach Co. area. All students must pass a mandatory audition. Though we do not have a dedicated Jazz program (where students audition as jazz students), we do offer 2 big band ensembles: 0 hr. jazz band (mostly freshmen/sophomores) and Jazz Ensemble 1 (upperclassmen or more experienced students). These students come from the wind ensemble/concert bands and from the philharmonic orchestra. We offer a classical chamber group where we pull out players interested in jazz combo and improvisation. More information at: www.AWDSOA.org

Blue Money Jazz Band
Blue Money Jazz started in August 2010 after meeting at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music Summer Program. BMJ has performed at various community, charitable events, as well as corporate and private venues. Most recently Blue Money donated performances for the Fifth Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert and the Band was selected winners for the Young Talent Big Dreams 2011 competition for group instrumental with vocals category. Blue Money Jazz has had the honor of playing with such fine artists as Ira Sullivan, Nicole Yarling, Andy Harlow, Miami Sax Quartet, Wendy Pedersen, and Norman Simmons, as well as the Gold Coast Jazz Society, The South Florida Jazz Summit, and at Miami's local Jazz radio station WDNA. They represent a wide spectrum of the Miami-Dade community and are humbled to know that you enjoy their music. More information at: www.reverbnation.com/bluemoneyjazzsextet