Minnesota Jazz Education

Minnesota Jazz Education is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, creating and supporting access to quality jazz education for Minnesota youth. Since 1997, Minnesota Jazz Education (MJE), formerly the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education, has provided opportunities for young jazz artists to learn and experience jazz music in new ways, while engaging and employing community artists and educators from across the community. The organization is operated by a volunteer working board and one contracted staff member. In an average year, we employ up to 20 teaching artists and engage hundreds of Twin Cities students. Our programs include: • ‘Experience Jazz’ is a genre-bridging music ensemble program for instrumentalists, vocalists, rappers and DJs, with a goal of fostering creativity and collaboration by bringing together aspiring artists from diverse backgrounds with a common desire to make new music rooted in jazz, blues, pop and hip-hop. Presented in partnership with High School for Recording Arts, this program runs weekly for several weeks in the spring semester. Students rehearse together in HSRA’s state-of-the-art Studio 4. • Jazz Artists in the Schools and Community (JAISC), which connects professional artists and educators with students for music residencies. • Community-wide workshops, which bring together students from across the community to advance their skills in a specific aspect of jazz music (e.g., improvisation, piano skills) • Youth performance opportunities, such as the Youth Stage at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, which offer multiple chances for area bands and combos to play in front of real audiences. Learn more at mnjazzed.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.