SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL LAUNCHES FREE WEB-BASED LEARNING CENTER FOR ASPIRING JAZZ MUSICIANS AT SWINGCENTRALJAZZ.ORG
Savannah, Georgia—Recently praised as the “Pro Bowl of high school jazz band competitions" by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, SWING CENTRAL JAZZ (SCJ) has become a year-round jazz education program with the launch of its multimedia web-based learning center at swingcentraljazz.org. The new site includes video lessons from SCJ's esteemed clinicians focused on elements of practice, rehearsal, performance and inspiration, and also serves as a companion site to the annual jazz band workshop and competition. “Through this technology project, we're making our unique jazz education initiative accessible to the masses," remarks SMF Associate Artistic Director of Jazz Education, Marcus Roberts. “The internet continues to be a primary learning tool for people of all ages, and young jazz musicians will benefit greatly from the lessons, artist interviews and audio/video performances that are featured at swingcentraljazz.org."
At swingcentraljazz.org, jazz students can create individual profiles, filtering SCJ video lesson content by their specific interests. Individual profiles can also be linked to group band profiles, which are administered by participating band directors. The students can ask specific questions to SCJ staff about lesson content, post comments under each of the videos, and communicate with one another about their pursuits in jazz. In addition to streaming video lessons, free downloads are available to all approved users for use in the classroom or at home. To promote their artistic and scholastic abilities as a whole, clinician profiles are also hosted at swingcentraljazz.org. The clinician profiles include individual video lessons, concert footage, biographical information, RSS feeds and tour schedules, links to artist websites, and links to purchase downloads of their music.
As a companion site to the annual competition & workshop, swingcentraljazz.org includes downloads of forms and audio previews needed for bands to complete and submit applications. SCJ staff is also working on a video documentary project with the Center for New American Media that follows the 2010 SCJ workshop and competition process from the clinicians' perspective, further promoting the importance of mentorship and teamwork within the jazz tradition. Tentatively entitled “Passing It On," the documentary will be available to all future applicants for the SCJ workshop and competition, both online and on DVD. SCJ staff will continue video and audio documentation of the annual competition and workshop every year for use on swingcentraljazz.org.
The project is funded by the Jazz.NEXT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
About SWING CENTRAL JAZZ
SWING CENTRAL JAZZ is an annual summit of America's finest jazz educators and high school jazz bands at the Savannah Music Festival. Committed to promoting the continued study of jazz among young musicians, it fuses a world-class mentorship program with a jazz band competition of national scope. SWING CENTRAL JAZZ is sponsored by Robert & Jean Faircloth, Atlanta Gas Light and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Dates for the 2011 workshop and competition are March 31 through April 1.
About the Savannah Music Festival
The Savannah Music Festival presents a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Savannah, Georgia. The 2011 festival runs from March 24 through April 9, including more than 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other genres of American and international roots music in intimate venues throughout the historic district of Savannah. The season will be announced on November 10, 2010.
Savannah, Georgia—Recently praised as the “Pro Bowl of high school jazz band competitions" by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, SWING CENTRAL JAZZ (SCJ) has become a year-round jazz education program with the launch of its multimedia web-based learning center at swingcentraljazz.org. The new site includes video lessons from SCJ's esteemed clinicians focused on elements of practice, rehearsal, performance and inspiration, and also serves as a companion site to the annual jazz band workshop and competition. “Through this technology project, we're making our unique jazz education initiative accessible to the masses," remarks SMF Associate Artistic Director of Jazz Education, Marcus Roberts. “The internet continues to be a primary learning tool for people of all ages, and young jazz musicians will benefit greatly from the lessons, artist interviews and audio/video performances that are featured at swingcentraljazz.org."
At swingcentraljazz.org, jazz students can create individual profiles, filtering SCJ video lesson content by their specific interests. Individual profiles can also be linked to group band profiles, which are administered by participating band directors. The students can ask specific questions to SCJ staff about lesson content, post comments under each of the videos, and communicate with one another about their pursuits in jazz. In addition to streaming video lessons, free downloads are available to all approved users for use in the classroom or at home. To promote their artistic and scholastic abilities as a whole, clinician profiles are also hosted at swingcentraljazz.org. The clinician profiles include individual video lessons, concert footage, biographical information, RSS feeds and tour schedules, links to artist websites, and links to purchase downloads of their music.
As a companion site to the annual competition & workshop, swingcentraljazz.org includes downloads of forms and audio previews needed for bands to complete and submit applications. SCJ staff is also working on a video documentary project with the Center for New American Media that follows the 2010 SCJ workshop and competition process from the clinicians' perspective, further promoting the importance of mentorship and teamwork within the jazz tradition. Tentatively entitled “Passing It On," the documentary will be available to all future applicants for the SCJ workshop and competition, both online and on DVD. SCJ staff will continue video and audio documentation of the annual competition and workshop every year for use on swingcentraljazz.org.
The project is funded by the Jazz.NEXT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
About SWING CENTRAL JAZZ
SWING CENTRAL JAZZ is an annual summit of America's finest jazz educators and high school jazz bands at the Savannah Music Festival. Committed to promoting the continued study of jazz among young musicians, it fuses a world-class mentorship program with a jazz band competition of national scope. SWING CENTRAL JAZZ is sponsored by Robert & Jean Faircloth, Atlanta Gas Light and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Dates for the 2011 workshop and competition are March 31 through April 1.
About the Savannah Music Festival
The Savannah Music Festival presents a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Savannah, Georgia. The 2011 festival runs from March 24 through April 9, including more than 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other genres of American and international roots music in intimate venues throughout the historic district of Savannah. The season will be announced on November 10, 2010.
