Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble in Ft. Lauderdale prepare for Lincoln Center Competition

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SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ STUDENTS HEAD TO THE BIG APPLE

April 4, 2011 -- In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month what better connection than our own South Florida up-and-coming jazz artists to celebrate the joy of music?

Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble, part of the Performing Arts magnet at Dillard High, just returned with a First Place win from the annual Swing Central High School Jazz Band Competition in Savannah, GA. (March 30-Apr. 1, 2011). Swing Central, part of the Savannah Music Festival, provides more than 240 students from 12 high schools across the United States with opportunities to receive instruction from, directly interact with and publicly perform with some of the nation's finest jazz educators and professionals including Marcus Roberts, Wycliffe Gordon, Ted Nash, Marcus Printup, John & Jeff Clayton.  

DCA Jazz is now preparing for their next competition at the famed New York City’s Frederick Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

But the young performers -- whose talents will soon be featured in a public television documentary -- now face perhaps their biggest challenge: raising the $30,000 needed to make the New York trip a possibility for the 25 students in the jazz ensemble.  

The Essentially Ellington competition is part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program headed by musical director Wynton Marsalis. Last year, DCA Jazz qualified for the first time and placed 2nd nationally.

Students have launched an online fundraiser and will have two upcoming benefit concerts:

April 18th - Cinema Paradiso - Reception - 6 pm, Concert - 7 pm - 503 SE 6th St., Ft.  Lauderdale , FL 33301

and on

May 7th at 4:00 pm - "Sweet Dillard Jazz" - Dillard High School, 2501 NW 11th St., Fort Lauderdale.

This is a call to South Florida to help these children reach their fullest potential. Support these young artists. Be proud and part of their accomplishments. Let’s groove together to the wonderful sound of jazz.

For more information, please call Glenda Fegers, chairperson for Dillard Center for the Arts Instrumental Music Friends, at 305-915-3200

Posted by: Jazz & Blues Florida
http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/
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