Jazz Education Support

The Clearwater Jazz Holiday Student Workshop

Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation is an advocate and supporter of jazz music and works to provide resources, opportunities and guidance for jazz education in the Tampa Bay area both for today's youth and the future of jazz. During its 28 year history, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation has made talent and need based scholarships available to students interested in pursuing jazz education. Through the years, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation has brought students, local based instructional talent and participating international jazz recording artists together to provide intensive jazz education sessions and provide outlets for young people to connect and perform with jazz artists. 

Clearwater Jazz Holiday is currently partnering with Ruth Eckerd Hall's Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute to offer jazz clinics, an annual two term jazz track program and grants the Clearwater Jazz Holiday & Ruth Eckerd Hall Jazz Youth Scholarship. Clearwater Jazz Holiday provides support in the form of talent and need based scholarships, funds materials and contacts artists to participate in the programs.

More specifically, the jazz track program includes participation in a musicianship/improvisation course including: Jazz Rudiments, Basic Improvisation or Advanced Improvisation, placement in either the LAB Band or The Ruth Eckerd Hall/Clearwater Jazz Holiday Band, followed by combo jam sessions. These groups perform an eclectic mix of jazz repertoire from the works of Ellington to the present, with performance opportunities from the Ruth Eckerd Hall Main Stage to the Clearwater Jazz Holiday.

A select group of 10 students involved in the jazz track program are chosen to participate in The Ruth Eckerd Hall/Clearwater Jazz Holiday Combo. This elite band is made up of top performing students, usually in their junior or senior year of high school. As a reward for gaining entrance into the combo, the student's tuition is paid under scholarship. The tuition costs cover the fall and spring terms. This advanced level group has performed at events for both Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, including: the Chocolate Nutcracker, Pre-Bacchus Dinner event, The Annual Bacchus at the Vinoy, Clearwater Jazz Holiday and various Clearwater Jazz Holiday events.

For more information on the jazz track program or Clearwater Jazz Holiday & Ruth Eckerd Hall Jazz Youth Scholarship please see www.rutheckerdhall.com/Learning_and_Outreach

Clearwater Jazz Holiday is committed to education and in 2007 reached out further into our community by partnering with the Pinellas Education Foundation. In this partnership, Clearwater Jazz Holiday was able to award a scholarship to a graduating senior in Pinellas County to help further their future education. A history and passion for music is the main quality that the Jazz Holiday Selection Committee looks for in the winning student. In 2007, the first Clearwater Jazz Holiday scholarship was awarded to Joseph Sipiora, a graduating senior of Seminole High School. Joseph has played the trumpet since he was he was in elementary school. He has enjoyed being  in the Marching Band, Jazz Band and All County Band through out high school.       

Helping to further the education of youth in our community is the fulfillment of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation mission. By having students participate during the event in October, giving them experience with back stage activities and by giving them the opportunity to meet with artist and enjoy seeing the event from the performer's perspective.

If you would like to contribute to the Education Program of Clearwater Jazz Holiday, please contact our office at 727-461-5200 or email michelle@clearwaterjazz.com