Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra
"Presenting the great works of jazz"
SRJO Jazz4Kids concerts are special events that
provide children and youth a rare opportunity to hear
jazz performed live in an excellent concert hall. The
Nordstrom Recital Hall is a relatively small hall (540
seats) where audience members can enjoy a very close
interaction with the performers. The concerts include
demonstration of the instruments by members of the band
and time for questions. Jazz4Kids concerts
include instrument demonstrations by SRJO musicians, and
time set aside for questions from kids in the audience.
Kennelly Keys Music has helped sponsor the concert by providing
instrument displays in the lobby before and after the
concert, letting kids look at and handle musical
instruments up close. The concerts are very popular, and
for the past three Jazz4Kids concerts at Nordstrom
Recital Hall, we have given out all tickets two or more
weeks before the event.
Objectives of Jazz4Kids Jazz is a reflection of the unique mixture of
cultures found only in the United States, and is enjoyed
by people of all ages and ethnic background. By
encouraging young people from throughout the area to
enjoy and understand jazz, the SRJO is building a
community that crosses racial and age barriers. The SRJO has enjoyed a great deal of success in
presenting free concerts for young people. All tickets
for the past Jazz4Kids concerts were distributed more
than two weeks prior to the concert. Audiences have
shown great enthusiasm for the performances, and
attendance has included many families with young
children, teenage students who came with friends, large
groups from community organizations, churches and clubs
that serve young people and families, and school groups.
Turning the professional concert hall into a classroom
Our next Jazz4Kids concert will be held on Saturday, March 3rd (at 4:00 PM) in the the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya, presented with special support from The Glaser Foundation.
A hands-on "instrument petting zoo" will be presented in the lobby for the March 3rd concert (doors open at 3:15 PM) courtesy of Kennelly Keys Music. Kids can come and try out a band instrument!
Jazz4Kids concerts are presented at a nominal ticket charge ($1) for all children and youth,
plus any parent, teacher, family member, or youth group leader accompanying them.
ADVANCED TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED. Click Here to open the Jazz4Kids Ticket Order page.
A parent comments on Jazz4Kids:
"The concert was great - thanks to your organization and sponsors, our 20 month old loved it!! She was dancing and clapping the entire time,
and her attention was captivated for the entire concert.... which is saying a lot for 20 months! Best - Julie G."
OUR COMMITMENT TO KIDS
The members of the SRJO have a long history as mentors for individual youth, as leaders for several local high school jazz orchestras (including the bands of Garfield High School, Roosevelt High School, and Mercer Island High School) and as faculty in the Jazz Studies department of the University of Washington and Cornish College. In addition to our Jazz4Kids concerts, the SRJO undertakes many educational outreach activities during its concert year, including:
- in-school visits and performances by SRJO artists
- jazz workshops and clinics for local school musicians
- the SRJO Jazz Scholars Program, which provides select students free private lessons with an SRJO musician, and a free instrument when necessary.
To hear an informative interview with SRJO artistic co-director Michael Brockman (broadcast on KUOW-FM with host Amanda Wilde) about the importance of exposing children to all the arts at a young age,
Click Here.
Audience surveys at past Jazz4Kids concerts have
shown that many were attending a jazz concert for the
first time. Audiences have been drawn from the entire Puget Sound region, including Pierce,
Snohomish, Island and Kitsap counties, and both East and
West sides of King County. Offers for free tickets were
distributed to parents, teachers, schools and community
organizations throughout the region.
The need for Jazz4Kids is very clear: Love for jazz in
young people must be encouraged so that America's
special music is held up as the highest artistic example
of the strength of American diversity and creativity.
The SRJO's objective in giving free concerts for
young people is to introduce young audiences to this
great American art form, and to make it possible for
young people to enjoy live music performed by the best
musicians in the area, alongside nationally-known guest
artists. To do this, we give away tickets to students,
their parents, grandparents, teachers, club leaders, or
whoever accompanies the young person to the
concert.