JAZZ SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENT MUSICIANS

The Gold Coast Jazz Society is currently accepting applications for the Jeanette M. Russell Jazz Scholarship Program.  March 6, 2015 is the deadline to submit applications for consideration.  For scholarship guidelines and applications, go to the Gold Coast Jazz Society’s website at http://www.goldcoastjazz.org/scholarship.html. 

Awardees are selected through a competitive review and audition process.  Initial applications are reviewed by the scholarship committee and finalists are selected. Finalists will be required to participate in a live audition on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the Dillard Center for the Arts, Dillard High School, 2501 NW 11th Street in Fort Lauderdale.  The competition is free and will be open to the public to attend. 

There are two categories of scholarship awards, Jazz Camp Scholarships and College Tuition Assistance Scholarships.  Jazz Camp Scholarships afford qualified high school student musicians an opportunity to attend summer music camps to study jazz.  College tuition support scholarships enable qualified graduating high school seniors and currently enrolled college students financial support for college tuition costs.  Students must be majoring in jazz or majoring in music with a jazz emphasis.               

Over the past fourteen years, the Gold Coast Jazz Society has distributed over $350,000 in scholarship awards.  This program was made possible due to a generous bequest from the estate of Jeanette M. Russell and is one of the most comprehensive jazz scholarship programs in the country.   Jeanette Russell was a longtime supporter of jazz and of the Gold Coast Jazz Society.  Originally from New York City, Ms. Russell was a fashion designer and consultant to many prominent clients. Mona Hinton, wife of the famed bassist Milt Hinton, affectionately dubbed her “Lady Jazz.”

The Gold Coast Jazz Society is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to perpetuate and advance the cultural art form of jazz through performances, education and outreach activities.  For more information about the Jeanette M. Russell Jazz Scholarship Competition or the activities of the Gold Coast Jazz Society, call 954-524-0805 or go to www.goldcoastjazz.org.