The Wenatchee Jazz Workshop is dedicated to the teaching of jazz music to middle & high school students by professional jazz musicians in a unique classroom setting. The workshop comprises several intense days of instruction and culminates with performances in which the students and the professionals perform for Wenatchee Valley residents. The Workshop is a non-profit endeavor in which all revenues, donations, grants, etc. are used to fund program costs.
History:
Mr. Jeff Sandberg Sr., Wenatchee middle school band teacher, is the founder, promoter and artistic director of the Workshop. Over the years, with growing enthusiasm from students and the community, along with Jeff Sandberg’s passion for sharing the love of jazz, the program has grown and evolved. What started out as one professional musician coming to town to work with one school has now become six pro’s (one to represent each section of a jazz band: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, percussion & keyboard) working with five local school bands. The week culminates with two full-scale public performances providing the community the unique opportunity to not only see their students perform but also experience live jazz performed by some of today’s most influential artists.
The Workshop in its present form has been in existence for nine years. This year we are celebrating our tenth! Three Wenatchee middle schools (Foothills, Orchard and Pioneer) along with Wenatchee High School have participated since the program’s inception. Two years ago Eastmont Junior High in East Wenatchee joined the line-up. The hope is to expand the outreach of the Workshop to include other schools and students in the area.
Format:
The Wenatchee Jazz Workshop is just that: a Workshop. It is not a festival or a clinic. The difference being that the professional musicians are not just lecturing or demonstrating their own talents but, rather, they are sitting alongside the students, in their bands, playing music with them while they teach the music, language and emotion of jazz. Furthermore, all students in the school jazz ensemble participate in the Workshop. There is no “audition” required that might intimidate less advanced musicians, and no required fees that might prove a financial barrier to some families. The intent is to inspire not only the experienced students, but those who might not otherwise take advantage of this type of opportunity.
The visiting pro’s are of a world-class caliber having performed and recorded all over the world with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Lyle Lovett, the Ray Brown Trio and many more. Many have recorded for television and movie soundtracks. Several are Grammy and Emmy award nominees and/or winners. Bruce Paulson and Tom Peterson, both original and returning members of the Workshop were members of the Tonight Show Orchestra with Doc Severinsen for over 18 years.
These professionals are not only performers and recording artists; most of them are educators as well. They bring not only their real world professional musician experience but the ability to teach and inspire as well.
