OAKTOWN JAZZ WORKSHOPS CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

This year, nonprofit youth organization Oaktown Jazz Workshops is celebrating 30 years of music education and community building! Hosted by KCSM’s Jesse “Chuy” Varela, the evening will include performances by Richard Howell, the John Santos Sextet, accomplished alumni including Kazemde George, Elé Howell, Jesse Levit, and Erika Oba, Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ Performance Ensemble, and special guests!

Oaktown Jazz Workshops is a non-profit, community based, cultural education organization dedicated to passing on the tradition of jazz music to young people through music instruction, educational presentations and live concerts.

Founded by the late great trumpeter Khalil Shaheed in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ mission is to provide youth – particularly underserved youth – with the support, opportunity, and agency to build their skills, creativity, and confidence within the uniquely American art-form of jazz music. Our intergenerational community of teachers, mentors, and storytellers challenge youth from all backgrounds to develop the skills and discipline needed to succeed in any field they choose to pursue.

Since 1994, thousands of OJW alumni have moved on to higher education and meaningful careers. According to alumnus, Aubrey Love:

“My time with Oaktown Jazz was beneficial beyond measure. Outside of learning to be the best musician I can be, I was taught valuable life lessons that I continue to implement today. One is the importance of using creativity and being able to improvise to problem solve in certain professional settings. Another is the value of continually practicing to hone and perfect my skills in order to deliver high quality results. Lastly, Oaktown Jazz taught me to find the joy in activities that challenge me.”