Aretha’s Jazz Cafe Educational Jazz Jams

The Jams are an enhanced version of the time-tested method of mentor/student practice as a means of transferring jazz knowledge and skills to the next
generation.

Students develop the confidence needed to survive the night onstage, playing different tunes in unfamiliar keys, with difficult tempos, in front of an audience, often alongside virtual strangers, and they begin to speak the language that only other jazz players understand. As the experienced and new musicians mingle socially and musically, they carry on the legacy of a ‘bandstand education’ that has nurtured the art form for ages. Mentors also offer guidance for families working to navigate the world of music learning, locally and beyond.