Blog

The vibrant sounds of New Orleans recently echoed with the passion and dedication of countless individuals who gathered for the 2024 Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, LA. As the President and CEO of JazzArts Charlotte and the Board President of the Jazz Education Network, I am filled with tremendous pride as my two worlds came together at this exceptional event.

Everywhere we turned from planned venues to restaurants for dinner, we encountered stellar musicianship and warm smiles to go with it, generously offered alongside fresh mojitos. One leaves Cuba humbled by the artistry assiduously cultivated in their culture at large in comparison with our own, making me appreciate JazzArts’ commitment to student education all the more.

Our JazzArts All-Star Ensemble recently traveled to the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in New Orleans after being selected to perform at the prestigious international conference.

This past November 4-7 was the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) Conference in Winston-Salem. The largest gathering of music educators in the state with well over 1,000 attendees, this year’s theme was “Inspire Harmony.” The JazzArts All-Star Youth Ensemble had their inaugural performance at the conference in front of an appreciative and impressed audience!

Charlottean and JazzArts alum Sean Mason is a familiar face to local supporters who watched his musical growth over the past decade. Last week he took some time while on his “When You Wish Upon a Star” tour to talk about the roots of his new album, The Southern Suite, which releases on October 27.