Jazz in the Classroom
JITC’s mission: To inspire a lifelong passion for music and creative expression while helping eliminate financial barriers to Jazz education.
Jazz in the Classroom is a music education program created in 2017 intending to provide a solution to arts programming funding gaps in under-resourced schools. The program brings the professional touring Jazz/Afrobeat/World ensemble The Brighton Beat into schools for music clinics and workshops. Offering the program at no cost, it advances arts equity and ensures that students regardless of background or school resources can engage with music in a meaningful way.
The program includes a short live performance and an interactive presentation on Jazz and its impact on American music, as well as practical lessons in active listening, communication, collaboration, and improvisation. After the presentation, music students participate in hands on workshops with band members, applying these concepts directly on their instruments. Educators consistently report that the skills and approaches introduced through this program support their music curriculum throughout the rest of the year, strengthening both student engagement and overall arts participation.