TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival offers free workshops to budding musicians

To help celebrate the 32nd annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society is offering a variety of free educational programs for budding musicians and music lovers of all ages.

In addition to the programs that Coastal Jazz offers year round, the festival will include free public lectures and seminars with homegrown and international talent lending their time and expertise.

A number of workshops will be held at Tom Lee Music Hall and The Studio at the Roundhouse Community Centre, and all are open to the general public.

TD High School Jazz Intensive

One event we’re excited about is the 14th annual TD High School Jazz Intensive, a free program that offers high school students from the Lower Mainland the amazing opportunity to be part of a professional big band.

This year, 21 aspiring young musicians were chosen to participate in the Intensive through a “blind” application process that involved more than 150 local schools.

An open rehearsal for the event is being held on Saturday, July 1 while a full concert led by guest conductor Tomeka Reid will happen the following day on the David Lam Park Main Stage.

In addition to providing students with a safe, nurturing environment to discover their talent, TD awards music scholarships annually to these young, emerging artists. Scholarship winners will be announced during Sunday’s concert.

Image: Coastal Jazz

Sounds of Youth Stage

Another event we’re looking forward to takes place on the Sounds of Youth Stage located at Robson Square during opening weekend.

Through a curated selection process, the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival has chosen a number of Metro Vancouver high school big bands and jazz ensembles to help kick off Downtown Jazz Weekend.

Five talented collectives will perform on Saturday, June 24, while five more will play on Sunday, June 25.

Breath Turns: Improvisation and Freedom

Also happening during Downtown Jazz Weekend is Breath Turns: Improvisation and Freedom, a fascinating two-day symposium that focuses on the relationships between improvisation and the politics of hope.

The free event, presented by UBC in partnership with the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, will include keynote speeches by world-renowned improvisers who are performing during the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

More information on Coastal Jazz’s Education & Outreach programs is available here.