About Us

We want to provide an outlet for teenage talent to play in real settings, and to get the experience needed for them to become well rounded musicians. Being a well rounded musician to us means being versatile, flexible, and experienced, all traits which are necessary traits to possess in the music industry.

What is the Center Square Jazz Collective?

We are the Center Square Jazz Collective, a group of middle and high school jazz musicians from the Capitol Region. Founded in 2018, the CSJC plays all over, from farmers markets in downtown Albany to centers for the elderly in Colonie.

Who runs the CSJC?

Our collective is entirely student run and organized from top to bottom, including everything from our repertoire of songs to when and where we practice. We were founded by students Josh and Aidan, who continue to organize the collective, but we remain firm in not having a traditional group leader.

When was the CSJC founded?

The Center Square Jazz Collective was founded in late 2018 when a group of students from the Empire State Youth Orchestra's jazz program played together and Barnes & Noble. A couple months later, the group got together once again, under the name of the Vanderlyn Quintet. However, since the group size and lineup ranged, we decided to be known as a collective.

Where can I see the Center Square Jazz Collective perform?

Check out in the 'Upcoming Gigs' tab. We update it every time we book a new gig.

How can I contact the collective? What if I have more questions?

Check out our "Contacts" tab. You can find out general email account there in addition to the individual contact information of some of our group members.