Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced its education initiatives for the 2016-17 season. Enrollment for the fall term is now open in two separate programs: WeBop and Swing University.
WeBop is an early childhood education program that will explore the “ABCs of Jazz” from Sept. 20 – Nov. 20. The eight-month program will be open to children ranging in age from 8 months to 5 years. As worded in a press release, participants will “swing to favorite nursery rhymes, stomp the blues away, solo like Satchmo, and jam with a live jazz quartet.”
Swing University will offer three separate courses: “Louis Armstrong” (Sept. 22 – Oct. 27), “Jazz 101” (Sept. 27 – Nov. 29) and “Ellington, Basie and Beyond: Big Band Jazz” (Oct. 3 – Nov. 14).
As the name indicates, the first course will cover Louis Armstrong’s career, looking at his body of work and influence on popular music and American society. The course will be taught by Ricky Riccardi, director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.
“Jazz 101” will be taught by Seton Hawkins, manager of public programs and education resources at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The course will cover the history of jazz, and will focus on developing one’s ear to understand the intricacies and different styles of the genre.
Trombonist and big-band scholar John Wriggle will teach “Ellington, Basie, and Beyond: Big Band Jazz,” which will cover the history and diversity of big bands throughout the decades.
Courses will take place in the Irene Diamond Education Center at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, N.Y. WeBop classes will also be available at the Harlem School of the Arts at 645 St. Nicholas Avenue.
For more information, visit jazz.org.
JALC Announces Fall Education Initiatives
Course subjects include Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and more
