Hello Young Jazz Lions!

Blues Alley Jazz Society is pleased to announce our return to Carter Barron Amphitheater for our annual “Summer Jazz Camp” for kids between July 8th and 19th, 2013. Under musical direction of internationally renowned bassist Michael Bowie, and accompanied by a host of complementary jazz educators, he shall conduct classes Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:30 am and 3:00 pm daily.

Every summer the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra takes up residence in Rock Creek Park at the historic Carter Barron Amphitheater. The Amphitheater shares a deep historical tradition with such jazz luminaries as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and the Count Basie Orchestra. The big band tradition is alive and well on the Carter Barron Amphitheater stage and it is the jazz DNA of Washington, DC. Every summer the stage hosts the military big bands of the Army, Navy and Air Force and we will continue that tradition with our own culminating concert on Sunday, July 21st.

The only prerequisites required are that students be between the ages of 11-18 years old, can read music, own their own instruments and are members of the Blues Alley Jazz Society. Blues Alley Jazz Society membership is open to all regardless of race or ethnicity and scholarships are available to those students who are in need of financial assistance. An audition will be conducted in March of 2012 to determine a student’s level of musical proficiency based upon the criteria above. The musical director shall have sole discretion as to the suitable proficiency of each and every student applicant. Mr. Bowie can be reached via e-mail at Michael.Bowie1@gmail.com for further inquiries relating to any individual student’s abilities. For further administrative information you may also contact our Executive Director Harry Schnipper or “Donate Now” on-line to receive your placeholder position.