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Students “score big” when they participate in Jazz in July, the UMass Fine Arts Center’s summer program focused on jazz improvisation and jazz culture. Jazz in July offers two challenging one-week residencies with the country’s top jazz artist/educators. Students work with these cutting-edge artists to hone their musical and performance skills through one-on-one sessions, lectures, group clinics, jazz theory and improvisation training, ensemble coaching, style explorations, jam sessions and public performances.

Some impressive notes on Jazz in July: Jazz in July educators believe that all students are on the same musical path. There is no age limit. Students range in age from 15-65+. Jazz in July creates an atmosphere where music is the only unifying factor. It strives to eliminate age and cultural barriers. Jazz in July Alumni rave about the chance they had to work with faculty and students from across the country and around the globe! They have all made lifelong friendships at Jazz in July!

Jazz in July is rooted in the tradition of jazz. Training is focused on the “nuts and bolts”—where students are taught how to apply basic skills to their own musical sense and style—taking the music where they want it to be.

Jazz in July provides a “real world” experience for students. Jazz in July strengthens students’ artistic abilities but also their ability to become “working/productive” musicians. Each session includes various opportunities for students to perform live for a ticket-buying audience!

“WE LEARNED THE LANGUAGEOF JAZZ!”

Our alumni have gone on to do some great things! Visit our website, www.jazzinjuly.com. Like our Facebook page!

Nnenna Freelon

Ryan Sands

Nnenna Freelon is a jazz singer, composer, producer and arranger of national and international renown. She’s been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has performed with such jazz greats as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Ramsey Lewis and more. She was born in Cambridge, MA and attended Jazz in July for three years in the early1980s. Prior to that, she received her degree in health care administration and moved to North Carolina. It was at the North Carolina Central College Jazz Festival where she met Dr. Billy Taylor, who convinced her to attend Jazz in July.

“ I was a mom, married with three children. I had finished my degree in health care administration. I was singing and performing locally,

Ryan Sands is 19 years old and a freshman at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has been playing the drums since he was 3 years old. Playing the drums came very naturally to him. Today he says he can feel the overall power in his hands and the energy of the people around him when he performs. Ryan hears rhythms everywhere around him, such as walking around the city listening to the sounds vehicles make on the road to the patterns and scrapes of elevators and escalators.

From 2008 to 2011 he attended Jazz in July at the University of Massachusetts. “Steve Kuhn, renowned as one of the most lyrical and affecting pianists in jazz, changed my whole perspective and creativ-ity. He made sure all of the students maintained parts of themselves while performing exercises by putting our own spin on it.”

Every year he learned something new. The first time he ever wrote and composed music was at Jazz in July. From there he had the opportunity to perform the piece. One of his greatest experiences while attending the program was meeting Dr. Fred Tillis, a soprano and tenor saxophonist who has performed music in the jazz and other African American traditions throughout this country and the world. Talking with Dr. Tillis about Max Roach’s music was another highlight.“Attending Jazz in July was a very great experience. I learned something new every summer and became a better player. It was fun there. I met wonderful musicians, making new connections and forming great bonds.” Ryan expects to return to the program this summer.

“ I was a woman chasing my

dream and Jazz in July gave me that shot, my

chance to achieve my dream.”

Evan ShermanEvan Sherman a native of Short Hills, New Jersey attended Jazz in July in 2009. Sherman was a sophomore in high school, and described his experience as “The best way to play instruments.” He attended the intensive two-week pro-gram at UMass Amherst on a merit-based scholarship.

Steve Johns, one of the faculty members and alumni of the program was the first person to encourage Sherman to at-tend Jazz in July. Thus, after researching the program, Sherman found its faculty appealing and applied.

In the instrumental ensemble program, Sherman enjoyed playing with older experienced musicians. One of his favorite moments was being part of a large percussion drum choir, organized by Steve Johns in which only drummers attending the program performed. Sherman emphasized the occasion as rare and unique. The typical ensemble he participates in consists of various instruments such as piano, base, trumpet, and saxophone, but never of drum sets only.

“You would play everyday which was a great thing. When you stood at your instrument, in my case I sat behind the drum sets the majority of the day, it helped you grow at a much quicker and exponential rate,” said Sherman when summarizing Jazz In July.

Sherman performed at the 2010 and 2011 Grammy jazz ensemble. In the last two years, he has performed with several artists including 2011 Grammy award winner Esperanza Spalding. He now lives in New York and attends the Manhattan School of Music. He continues to perform in various bands in the New York metropolitan area and with other musicians he met at Jazz in July.

and had no idea if I really had what it takes to be in this business.”With an open mind and spirit, mixed with some fear and trepida-tion, Nnenna enrolled at Jazz in July. She received a 50% scholarship which made it affordable for her to attend.

“ It was a life changing experience. Just a beautiful environment to chill and work.” Nnenna especially enjoyed the intergenerational community of the program. There were people of all ages, places and levels of experience. Some were new to performing, some were semi-pro, some from the local area, some from as far away as Copen-hagen. She recalled talking informally, like at lunch or in the library, with fellow students or faculty like Fred Tillis or her voice teacher at the time Jerry Brown. “I was a sponge, soaking up as much as I could, whenever I could. It was such a rich environment! You could learn so much from each other. I made lifelong friendships at Jazz in July.”

Nnenna attributes her decision to be a jazz singer to Jazz in July. “I didn’t know what my skill set was and how it would hold up in the larger music arena. But being exposed to such greats as Dr. Taylor, and the students at Jazz in July, I learned how to negotiate and navi-gate the terrain. My confidence grew and grew. I found my shot, my career at Jazz in July.”

Her advice to future Jazz in July participants--“While you are there, take advantage of everything you can, the faculty, the other students, the beautiful environment of UMass and Western Massachusetts. You can make whatever you want to happen, happen. Work hard!”

Christian Sands

“The piano chose me. In my home what you didn’t do was not play mu-sic.” He began classical training at the age of 3. Four years later he told his mother he wanted to learn jazz piano.

Christian attended the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Jason Moran, a jazz pianist and composer. From 2004 to 2005 he attended the Jazz in July program at the University of Massachusetts mentoring under Dr. Billy Taylor. From Jason Moran to Billy

Taylor he studied the old school and the new school together. Today, touring with Christian McBride and being on the road is like school for him.

“Billy Taylor was not just an educator, player and composer, he was everything music strives to be. He truly cared about music and the individual. When he spoke to you, you felt as if you were the only person in the world he was talking to. He was a huge part of my playing and my inspiration. Dr. Taylor taught us how important it is to speak in the language we know best, the language of jazz. The language of jazz lets us speak many things we cannot put into words. We hope that you, the listener, can respond to the feelings we are trying to express. It’s an important part of our tradition, how we share our music with others to express our feelings.”

Christian spoke of going to his grandma’s church in Geor-gia, feeling the foot stomping and clapping and when you go to jazz you hear the same thing. “Jazz in July did not help me hear music differently but what it did was expose me to different cultures such as Japan and France. When I was playing with these musicians, even though their music was different in very small details, I could hear that it was different. We are all manipulated by sound.”

“Jazz in July was like a family. The entire program was a highlight, everything was exciting, from the staff to the RA’s to the other students. The feeling was to have fun with ev-erything I was learning. When we performed we got to talk with one another. Wednesday nights we would play at the Blue Wall in the Campus Center. Later we moved upstairs into an environment with more of a concert vibe with lights and a performance stage. It was a great experience!”

SPONSOR A JAZZ IN JULY STUDENT Every summer Jazz in July hosts up to 65 students per week—over half attend with assistance from a Jazz in July scholarship. Christian and Ryan Sands, Nneena Freelon and Evan Sherman were all scholar-ship recipients. Scholarships are made possible through private funding. As a donor you can help underwrite a student who otherwise may not have the means to participate in this valuable, often life-changing music experience.

You can Sponsor a student’s one-week residency @ $600; two-week residency @$1,200. Or give toward a scholarship at any level you are able. For more information or to give a gift online, visit www.jazzinjuly.com

Jazz in July results are impressive. Our alumni have gone on to do great things.

See these and more alumni profiles at www.jazzinjuly.com!