Litchfield Jazz Camp Has Scholarships

Available For CT Students

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield Jazz Camp has been awarded a grant by the Connecticut Department of Education Interdistrict Program that will make scholarships available to Connecticut students in financial need. Scholarship applications now being accepted.

Established in 1997, Litchfield Jazz Camp is the teaching arm of the Litchfield Jazz Festival. The festival will celebrate its 13th anniversary August 1–3 at the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen. Recently featured in the JazzTimes Education Guide, Time magazine and on CNN, Litchfield Jazz Camp is a production of Litchfield Performing Arts, Inc.

The Jazz Camp’s music director is saxophonist, composer, and educator Don Braden. A major figure on the jazz scene, he is also well known for his compositions for Bill Cosby’s television projects.

Litchfield Jazz Camp teaching artists include trumpeters Louise Baranger, Dave Ballou, Jeremy Pelt, Valery Ponomarev, and Jack Walrath; bassists Luques Curtis, Marcus McLaurine, Mario Pavone, Dave Santoro, Avery Sharpe, and Joris Teppe; pianists Peter Madsen, Andy Jaffe, and Rachel Z; guitarists Mark Whitfield, Paul Bollenback, and Dave Stryker; drummers Alvin Atkinson, Rogerio Boccato, Winard Harper, Jeff Hirshfield, Steve Johns, and Neal Smith; saxophonists Kris Allen, Claire Daly, Mike DiRubbo, Jimmy Greene, Virginia Mayhew, and Lauren Sevian; trombonist Peter McEachern; and for the first time, vocal instructors Vanessa Rubin and multi-Grammy nominated vocalist/pianist Karrin Allyson.

Courses include combo performance, improvisation, jazz history, rhythm and percussion, music theory, the business of music, jazz composition, jazz production and recording engineering, and more.

In addition to its all-star faculty, Litchfield Jazz Camp will be welcoming back great soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman as a guest clinician this year.

All faculty members are international touring artists, award winners and educators affiliated with institutions such as Berklee, New School, Juilliard, NEC, Manhattan School of Music, and Hartt School. Litchfield Jazz Camp welcomes students ages 13 to adult. The camp’s home is the country campus of Forman School in Litchfield.

All students learn in an intensive but noncompetitive environment. They work in skill-matched combos, at camp and on the Gazebo Stage at The Litchfield Jazz Festival. Camp admission requires no qualifying audition, just a solid commitment to making great music. At a minimum, however, beginners should have basic instrumental and reading skills.

Instruction is offered in virtually every instrument, plus voice. Evening jam sessions and resident and visiting artist concerts are a bonus feature. Litchfield Jazz Camp Sessions run July 6–11, 13–18, 20–25 and July 27–August 1.

For additional in formation, to apply for a scholarship or to register for jazz camp, call 860-567-4162 or visit LitchfieldJazzCamp.com.