The members of the SRJO have a long history as both mentors for individual youth and leaders for several local high school jazz orchestras, including the Garfield High School, Roosevelt High School, and Mercer Island High School bands, and groups in the Jazz Studies division of the University of Washington. As a service to the public, the SRJO undertakes many educational outreach activities during its concert year, including:

• the annual Jazz4Kids concert (held each year in March) that is presented free-of-charge to all school age children and youth, plus any parent,teacher or youth group leader accompanything them
• 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 a recent 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.

The Jazz4Kids concertsare 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. Mills 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.

Audience surveys at past Jazz4Kids concerts have shown that many were attending a jazz concert for the first time. Audiences have been drawn from throughout 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.

Objectives of Jazz4Kids
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.

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'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, cub leaders, or whomever it is that will bring the young person to the concert.

The SRJO has enjoyed a great deal of success in presenting free concerts for young people. All tickets for the past Jazz4Kids concers 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.

SRJO - 2005