Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock played a prominent role in today’s 75^th anniversary festivities for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), helping to raise awareness of the UN agency’s unique mandate to foster unity through shared knowledge and cultural heritage. Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue, was invited to provide English narration for the official video overview of the many programs UNESCO has developed over the past 75 years.

The UNESCO 75^th anniversary celebration is taking place during the organization’s 41^st General Conference in Paris, France, where representatives from more than 190 member countries meet  every two years to discuss and shape policies on topics ranging from the ethics of artificial intelligence to combatting misinformation.

International Jazz Day, which the Institute coordinates each year in cooperation with the UN, UNESCO and thousands of partners around the world, was first declared by a unanimous vote at UNESCO’s 36^th General Conference in 2011.

About UNESCO

Founded in 1945 following the Second World War, UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that UNESCO accomplishes its mission to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO’s overarching objectives include: attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning; mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development; addressing emerging social and ethical challenges; fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace; and building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication.

Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UCLA Announce Incoming Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA Class of 2023

Los Angeles, CA – Eight extraordinary young jazz musicians have been selected for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, Class of 2023 starting this fall. Each will attain a Master of Music in Jazz Performance degree from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, one of the nation’s top music schools, after completing this intensive, two-year program in spring 2023.

The Class of 2023 includes tenor saxophonist Art Baden of Rostov-on-Don, Russia; alto saxophonist Devin Daniels of Inglewood, California; vocalist Darynn Dean of Los Angeles, California; trumpeter Julien Knowles of Fresno, California; bassist Emiliano Lasansky of Iowa City, Iowa; drummer Benjamin Ring of Piedmont, California; pianist Javier Santiago of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and clarinetist Matthew Stubbs of San Jose, California. The musicians were selected through a rigorous application process culminating in an audition judged by legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock; renowned musician, producer and philanthropist Herb Alpert; and trumpeter, Blue Note recording artist and Institute of Jazz Performance alumnus Ambrose Akinmusire.

Herbie Hancock noted, “I am very excited about this new class of talented young musicians. They follow in the footsteps of their predecessors who are leaders in the world of creative music. I know they will also make important contributions and I look forward to hearing their ideas and encouraging their creativity during their time in this unique program.”

Launched in 1995, the Institute of Jazz Performance accepts one ensemble of musicians for each class and provides them with unparalleled opportunities to study jazz and its defining element of improvisation with master musicians, composers and educators. All students receive full scholarships, along with stipends to cover their monthly living expenses. This enables them to be fully immersed in their education and development as artists.

“I am very excited about this new class of talented young musicians. They follow in the footsteps of their predecessors who are leaders in the world of creative music. I know they will also make important contributions and look forward to hearing their ideas and encouraging their creativity during their time in this unique program.“

Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock

Throughout each academic year, world-renowned jazz masters serve as Artists-in-Residence, teaching and performing with the students. Artists-in-Residence have included Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Nnenna Freelon, Kenny Garrett, Barry Harris, Stefon Harris, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Wynton Marsalis, Jason Moran, Lewis Nash, Danilo Pérez, Dianne Reeves, John Scofield, and Wayne Shorter among many others. In addition, the students receive composition instruction from GRAMMY Award winner Billy Childs and study improvisation with Jerry Bergonzi and Dick Oatts – two of the world’s top jazz improvisation experts. Students graduate with a master’s degree in Jazz Performance from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

The aspiring musicians study both individually and as a small group, receiving personal mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition. They are also encouraged to experiment in expanding jazz in new directions through their compositions and performances. A music business and technology component helps prepare the students for their careers as professional musicians.

Under the mentorship of their acclaimed instructors, the college students – collectively known as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble at UCLA – present high-profile concerts and lead jazz education and community outreach programs in Los Angeles, across the United States and around the world. In recent years, the students performed at International Jazz Day events in St. Petersburg, Russia; Havana, Cuba; and the White House. They also have participated in performance and education tours of Argentina, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Morocco, Peru, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam with Herbie Hancock.

Institute of Jazz Performance alumni – including Ambrose Akinmusire, Lionel Loueke, Gretchen Parlato, Walter Smith III, Dayna Stephens and Helen Sung, along with many others – have gone on to major careers as performing and recording artists, touring the world with legendary jazz musicians and as leaders of their own groups.

Philanthropist and namesake of The Herb Alpert School of Music, Herb Alpert said, “This new group of incredible young musicians will be able to perform together and learn as a group after a challenging period in which the pandemic created so many obstacles for musicians and live music performances. For them to have the opportunity to learn one-on-one and as a group from jazz masters is a beacon of hope in this difficult time.”

Institute President Tom Carter said, “The Institute is pleased to welcome this new group of phenomenal musicians into the program, where they will learn from legendary artists and some of the most creative minds in music. These students will serve as jazz ambassadors throughout the world as they perform and teach, sharing what they learn from jazz masters with future generations of musicians.”

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Inaugural Dean Eileen Strempel shared “The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA provides the most promising jazz talents with opportunities to learn from world-renowned jazz artists. Studying on a full academic graduate fellowship in The Herb Alpert School of Music’s rich, creative environment, students focus entirely on developing their artistry. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and invest in the future of this vital art form.”

Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA – Class of 2023

Art Baden, tenor saxophone, was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and began playing piano, his first instrument, at age 4. He received full scholarships to attend the Hanze Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen, Netherlands, and a year later, the Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he studied with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Ralph Peterson and Frank Tiberi, and received a Bachelor of Music degree. Baden placed third in the Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition. He is an ambassador for Remy saxophones and has performed at clubs and festivals around the world with artists including Joe Locke, Ralph Peterson, Evgeny Pobozhiy and Alex Sipiagin.

Devin Daniels, alto saxophone, is from Inglewood, CA. He picked up the saxophone at age 11 and participated in the Institute’s Jazz in the Classroom and All-City Big Band music education programs in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Daniels has also been part of the Southern California Honor Jazz Band, Fernando Pullum Jazz Band, Colburn School of Music Combo and Big Band, Los Angeles Youth Jazz Ensemble and Jazz America. He received awards from YoungArts, Vandoren Young Artists Competition, The Music Center and the Charles Dolo Coker Jazz Scholarship Foundation. Daniels was named Performer of the Year at Hamilton High School and the Berklee Jazz Workshop, and was a finalist for the Dave Brubeck Institute Quintet. He attended the Berklee College of Music as a Presidential Scholar and graduated with a B.M. in Professional Music. Daniels has performed with Billy Childs, Donald Vega, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Ralph Moore and Miguel Artwood Ferguson.

Darynn Dean, voice, was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a B.A. in Jazz Vocal Performance and a minor in Cultural Studies. She hails from a musical family: her father, Donald Dean, Jr., and grandfather, Donald Dean, Sr., are renowned drummers and her cousin, Jamael Dean, is a rising star pianist. Dean participated in the 2019 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency and was mentored by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jason Moran. She has performed with Freddie Cole, Dave Holland, Dave Koz, Hubert Laws and Aaron Parks. Dean placed first in the National YoungArts Foundation, Dolo Coker and NAACP ACT-SO competitions, and was a finalist in The Music Center Spotlight Awards. She performed at the 2021 Detroit Jazz Festival with The Woodshed Network and sang at the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s “Celebrating the World of Quincy Jones” tribute.

Julien Knowles, trumpet, was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Fresno, CA. He began playing trumpet at age 10. In 2015, Knowles received the Presidential Scholarship and the Agnes Barringere Music Memorial Endowment to attend the Jazz and Improvisational Music program at the University of Nevada, Reno. He studied with Ralph Alessi, Peter Epstein, Adam Benjamin and Shane Endsley, and received the Nevada Undergraduate Research Award to study composition with John Hollenbeck and present new works for large ensemble. Knowles co-founded the Laughing Planet Jam Session and the Visiting Artist Committee, which presented residencies with top jazz artists. He has played trumpet and composed for the Reno Jazz Orchestra, performing with Kurt Elling, Tierney Sutton and Diane Schuur.

Emiliano Lasansky, bass, was born in Iowa City, IA. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including a DownBeat Student Award, third place in the International Society of Bassists Competition, and two residency fellowships at the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Workshop at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He has studied with Jeff Campbell, Bill Dobbins, Dariusz Terefenko and Gary Palmer. Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Lasansky has performed with artists including Dennis Mackrel, Jimmy Greene, Harold Danko and Clay Jenkins. He has served as a teacher at the Rockport Jazz Camp and Birch Creek Music Performance Center.

Benjamin Ring, drums, is from Piedmont, CA. He was accepted into the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra at age 12 and both the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars and the Berkeley Jazzschool Studio Band at age 14. Ring also participated in the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. While earning his Bachelor of Arts in Music at the University of Southern California, he studied with Ndugu Chancler, Peter Erskine, Will Kennedy, Vince Mendoza and Patrice Rushen. Performing across Europe, Japan and the United States, Ring has shared the stage with David Binney, Terri Lyne Carrington, Louis Cole, Ravi Coltrane, Remy LeBoeuf, Donny McCaslin, Bob Mintzer, Patrice Rushen, Ed Simon and members of the San Francisco and Chicago symphonies. He has received scholarships and awards from the Monterey Jazz Festival, YoungArts and SFJAZZ.

Javier Santiago, piano, was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, and has lived in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. He was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Workshop at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and in the Mentor Fellowship Program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. In addition, he won first place honors in the 2015 American Jazz Pianist Competition and received the 2016 McKnight Fellowship for Musicians. Santiago attended the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School, where he studied with Aaron Goldberg, Kevin Hays, Aaron Parks and Edward Simon. He has released two albums on the Ropeadope label.

Matthew Stubbs, clarinet, was born in San Jose, CA, and grew up in nearby Mountain View. He began playing clarinet at age 9. Throughout his teens, he was involved with both the San Jose and San Francisco High School All-Star programs and toured Eastern Europe with the El Camino Senior Symphony. Stubbs graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Performance and Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music and later received a M.M. in Contemporary Performance from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. He has studied with Terri Lyne Carrington and George Garzone, among many others, and has performed with Danilo Pérez, Kenny Werner and Rakalam Bob Moses. Stubbs was the last clarinetist to be featured in the late Ralph Peterson’s Fo’tet.

About the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit education organization established in 1986. Its mission is to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and to present public school-based music education programs for young people around the world. The Institute preserves, perpetuates and expands jazz as a global art form, and utilizes jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. All of the Institute’s programs are provided free of charge to students, schools and communities worldwide. The Institute’s programs help fill a tremendous void in arts education left by budget cuts in public school funding, and use jazz as the medium to encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, a positive self-image, and respect for one’s own and others’ cultural heritage.

About the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA

In January 2016, the University of California Board of Regents formally established The Herb Alpert School of Music as UCLA’s 12th professional school and the first music school in the University of California system. Created in 2007 with a $30 million gift from the Herb Alpert Foundation, the school sets a new standard for 21st century music schools by balancing performance and scholarship, and by embracing classical western music, world music and jazz, and popular contemporary music. With more than 550 undergraduate and graduate students, the school offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs through three highly rated academic departments, each with internationally acclaimed faculty. The Department of Music competes for students with the nation’s top music schools. It provides intensive individual studio instruction, thorough theoretical training and full participation in large and small ensembles, and offers many degree tracks including the M.M. degree in conjunction with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. The Department of Ethnomusicology is the only one of its kind in the U.S. and the most celebrated program in the world for the study of diverse musical cultures. The Department of Musicology teaches and conducts research on jazz, heavy metal, techno, musical theater, and other forms of popular music as well as European classical music. The National Research Council recently recognized UCLA Musicology as the top ranked academic music doctoral program in the U.S. Visit The Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA online.

Download a PDF of the press release.

Download the Class of 2023 group photo.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation announced that renowned saxophonist, composer, bandleader and Institute Trustee Wayne Shorter is among the recipients of the 2021 Doris Duke Artist Awards, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to composed and improvised music over a career spanning more than six decades.

Shorter joins his bandmate, UNESCO Artist for Peace and longtime Institute collaborator Danilo Pérez, as well as pianist Kris Davis in the Awards’ jazz category. Also among the honorees is theater director Lileana Blain-Cruz, who is currently collaborating with Shorter on his operatic work, “Iphigenia,” set to a libretto by esperanza spalding.

First awarded in 2011, the Doris Duke Artist Awards provide a select group of exemplary artists with prizes of $275,000 each, $250,000 of which is unrestricted. According to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, “The award is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, it is a deep investment in the creative potential of dedicated artists. The foundation aims to empower Doris Duke Artists through the freedom of unrestricted support to take creative risks, explore new ideas, and pay for important professional and personal needs not typically funded by the project-related grants that dominate arts funding.”

The Institute sends its sincere congratulations to Shorter and all of the 2021 Doris Duke Artists on this well-deserved honor.

Click here to read the full announcement and learn more about the 2021 Doris Duke Artists.

Iconic jazz guitarist and educator Stanley Jordan paid a visit to the Institute’s Jazz in the Classroom programs at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. this week, sharing insights gained over more than four decades of playing professionally. Jordan’s sessions at Ellington and Wilson heralded the return of in-person, socially distanced master classes for the Institute’s programs in the District of Columbia, following 18 months of online-only learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students at Ellington had the chance to show off their chops for Jordan on arrangements of Thad Jones’ “A Child is Born,” Chick Corea’s “Spain” and Roy Hargrove’s “Strasbourg/St. Denis.” The multi-GRAMMY Award nominee offered feedback on the performances, encouraging the young players to be mindful of the unique musical personalities of their peers, and to support others’ self-expression.

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At Wilson, Jordan went in-depth on topics including the minor blues, turnarounds and group dynamics. He worked closely with the student guitarists, highlighting voicings that can be used to complement the role of the piano in the ensemble, and discussed the importance of honoring the vision of the arranger and composer when interpreting a chart. While rehearsing the Lou Donaldson tune “Blues Walk,” the young musicians had an opportunity to play alongside the legendary guitarist as he conducted the band from the rhythm section.

The session also afforded older Wilson students an opportunity to reconnect with Jordan – who had previously visited the school for an Institute master class prior to the pandemic – asking him questions about his diverse musical, scientific and educational pursuits.

About Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan is an extraordinary artist who has earned headlines around the world for his innovative way of playing guitar. By age 13, he had begun studying jazz and developing his distinctive technique, which allows him to play chords with both hands or perform two simultaneous melodies. Jordan attended Princeton University, where he studied music and had the opportunity to perform with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie. Following a period as a street musician in New York, he released his 1985 album Magic Touch, making him the first artist signed to the newly recreated Blue Note label. After several more releases, Jordan retreated from the limelight, moving to the Southwest to pursue his growing interest in music therapy. In recent years, he has continued to tour and record while still devoting time to his passion for music therapy. Jordan’s latest release, in collaboration with fellow guitarist Kevin Eubanks, is titled Duets. 

About Jazz in the Classroom

The Institute’s worldwide, highly regarded Jazz in the Classroom programs are tailored for elementary, middle, high school and college students to help them develop an understanding of and appreciation for jazz music. The initiative strives to share the positive aspects of jazz with young people who would not otherwise have opportunities to learn about this great national treasure. Through Jazz in the Classroom, the Institute has reached millions of students, teachers, and families in major cities as well as rural and remote communities, with many of the participants experiencing jazz for the first time. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact learning across the country, the Institute is working closely with teachers and officials at each of its partner schools to offer instruction that meets students’ needs while also adhering to public health policies. The Institute continues to offer virtual programming where necessary.

Students across the Institute’s programs recently began heading back to school for the 2021-22 academic year, with the continuing impacts of COVID-19 necessitating a wide range of safety protocols and alternative strategies, including continued virtual learning. The Institute is working diligently with teachers and administrators in each of its partner schools to confront the complex challenges presented by the pandemic, and ensure that students from every background continue to get the most out its programming.

Jazz in the Classroom activities are ramping back up in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Institute teaching artists are bringing their insight to jazz band, combo, orchestra and other ensemble classes, helping students grasp and practice such musical concepts as improvisation, song form and swing. Instruction also focuses on building life skills that will aid students throughout their academic careers and beyond. Of particular importance, the study of jazz is a highly effective method for developing discipline, enhancing communication, sharpening math skills, and–naturally–learning to improvise, a critical ability in everyday life.

Institute staff, instructors and students are happy to be discussing these lessons face-to-face once again, even masked and with appropriate social distancing. “Teaching virtually has its advantages–for one thing, being able to reach so many students throughout the country–but there is nothing quite like being back in the classroom and in front of a band,” says Institute Vice President of Education and Curriculum Development Dr. JB Dyas. “We are tremendously excited to be able to resume in-person teaching and learning with the necessary safety measures in place.”

After more than a year of meeting exclusively via videoconference, Dyas is in the process of scheduling school site visits for the Institute’s National Performing Arts High Schools (NPAHS) jazz program, an annual tradition that the pandemic disrupted. He is set to travel to partner schools in Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Houston and other locations over the course of the fall semester. At the same time, the Institute expects to reinstitute weekly visits by local master instructors at schools in the NPAHS program, working with students on a wide variety of jazz topics, including ensemble playing, time feel and improvisation. This intensive technical instruction will help the young players hone vital performance skills that were difficult to practice during self-isolation.

The current hybrid landscape marks a change from the previous academic year, when the Institute offered all of its free jazz education programming virtually in accordance with state and local policy and public health guidelines. Core initiatives such as Jazz in the Classroom and the National Performing Arts High Schools jazz program were retooled to focus on concepts compatible with the distance learning format, including music theory, reading rhythms, repertoire memorization, transcription, active listening and jazz history. Students had overwhelmingly positive responses to the adapted setup. One student noted that “despite the world seemingly shutting down,” Jazz in the Classroom “showed that music will always keep on going, which is very inspiring to me.”

In addition, last spring seniors in the Institute’s programs had an impressive finish to their high school studies, with 100% graduating from high school and more than 90% going on to college, most receiving scholarships. Many cited the Institute as a helpful influence during the pandemic. Said one recent graduate, “Having jazz as a creative outlet during that difficult time was how I kept a positive outlook on life.”

Through an inspired collaboration with 14-time GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning pianist and composer Herbie Hancock along with an award-winning team of animators from Atomic Kid Studios, the Young Academic Research Group (YAM) at the Touro Graduate School of Education in New York City has released the first in a series of animated videos showcasing innovative methods for educating kindergarteners.

Titled “Treble Leads the Class,” the newly-released video is part of a supplemental curriculum developed by YAM that uses the power of music to help kindergarteners learn about numeracy, problem-solving and computational thinking. YAM is an early phase education and research program led by professors Susan Courey, Timothy Bellavia and Roslyn Haber and funded through a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Hancock, whose commitment to educating young musicians through his work as Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz led to appointments as an adjunct professor at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue, narrates the entire video. “I’m thrilled to be able to create new ways for children to learn about music,” said Hancock. “I hope this video and the others to come will help instill a sense of fun and musical inspiration for kids around the world.”

“Treble Leads the Class” tells the tale of characters Treble Clef and his best friend Four-Four Signature. Treble, like many young children, battles nerves and anxiety when talking with others. When he’s chosen to lead his classmates during a day at school, Treble is challenged with facing those fears. Thankfully, his friend Four-Four is there to keep him calm. Much of the video’s dialogue relies on the language of music to enlighten kids about notes, rhythm and the process of making music.

“I’m thrilled to be able to create new ways for children to learn about music. I hope this video and the others to come will help instill a sense of fun and musical inspiration for kids around the world.”

– Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock

The story for “Treble Leads the Class” was co-written by Courey and Bellavia. “This exciting program integrates mathematics, music, and computational thinking in an engaging way for kindergarteners,” says Courey. “Young children will learn rhythm and music notation, while fun and creative activities will provide structured opportunities for students to connect math skills to music and computational thinking at an early age.”

All characters in the video are voiced by CJ Emmons, a singer/songwriter/producer who also serves as the principal singer on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” The video also features original compositions from Nick Vayenas, a graduate of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance master’s program.

When Courey and Bellavia saw the animated version of their story and characters for the first time, Bellavia said, “I feel like I am watching the birth of my children. Amazing!”

Building on the efforts of the talented team of educators, musicians and artists, “Treble Leads the Class” and its characters were brought to life by animators, editors and producers at the award-winning Atomic Kid Studios in Milford, Conn.

“Developing distinct personalities for each note while maintaining the integrity of each symbol was an exciting challenge,” says Stephen Barrante, co-founder of Atomic Kid Studios’ animation and video production studio with Ben Miller. “We made very conscious decisions about how each note looks and acts, and while notes in sheet music are written in black and white, these notes have color and expression. The concept of diversity was important in their representation.”

Barrante has an especially personal connection to jazz and this project: “My father was a college professor and jazz pianist and exposed me at a young age to artists and legends like Herbie Hancock,” says Barrante. “Working with YAM and Mr. Hancock has been an honor and a career highlight for all of us at Atomic Kid.”

In honor of the collaboration with Hancock, “Treble Leads the Class” premiered during this year’s International Jazz Day. Launched in 2011 by UNESCO at Hancock’s urging, International Jazz Day is celebrated worldwide every year on April 30. This year marked the event’s 10th anniversary and featured a virtual All-Star Global Concert. The concert was hosted by Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas from the United Nations and featured performances by Hancock and dozens of other artists.

Officially designated by the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and recognized on the official calendars of both the UN and UNESCO, International Jazz Day highlights jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing this annual celebration.

To watch “Treble Leads the Class,” visit atomickidstudios.com.

The Institute’s Board of Trustees and staff are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Institute Trustee and longtime friend of the Institute Lynda Thomas. A steadfast lover and supporter of the arts, Thomas was passionate about increasing access to meaningful arts education and mentorship experiences–especially among the less fortunate and those from marginalized communities. During her time on the Institute’s Board, her vision and guidance proved truly inspiring, and were instrumental in helping the organization navigate a period of unprecedented success and expansion. Our thoughts are with Thomas’ family and loved ones during this difficult time.

An obituary for Thomas can be found below:

Lynda Thomas passed away peacefully at the home she shared with her beloved fiancé, Stuart Subotnick. She is survived by her sister Liz, her brothers Louis, Larry, & Leslie, her daughters Aimée & Angélique, and her son Lee.

Born on March 25, 1950 to Louis & Dorothy Levy, Lynda grew up in New Orleans. She was a Senior Manager/CPA/consultant at Deloitte Haskins and Sells in London. She also traveled extensively with the Pacific Council on International Policy, and the National Democratic Institute. Over the past several years, these visits included North Korea, South Sudan, Myanmar, Cuba, Argentina, Poland, Germany, and the Balkans. Lynda served as an international election monitor in Tunisia for parliamentary elections in 2011, and for their first post-revolution direct presidential election in 2014.

Committed to helping children, Lynda volunteered as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate to promote the best interests of abused and neglected youth. Lynda also had a passion for the arts, and was on the boards of the Bowers Museum, Backhausdance, and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz–previously known as the Thelonious Monk Institute–an organization with worldwide educational programs including International Jazz Day.

Lynda had a warm, generous, and kind spirit, and was deeply loved by all those close to her. A memorial service will be held at the Frank Campbell Funeral Chapel on June 12 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity of your choice that best represents her dedication to arts education and international justice.

Click here to watch a tribute movie in Thomas’ honor.

With online and distance learning still the norm due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in early 2021 the Institute began offering a virtual workshop series aimed at students in the Global Jazz Studies department at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The workshops, which will continue through the end of the 2020-21 academic year, feature some of the most innovative voices in jazz discussing key elements of the music. Topics have included composition, improvisation, phrase development and even tips on managing finances as a professional musician.

Each two-hour workshop is fully participatory, with the guest artists inviting students to ask questions, showcase their compositions, and add their own experiences and perspectives to help drive the discussion. Attendance is open to all students in the UCLA Global Jazz Studies degree path, plus faculty and students from other UCLA departments.

Sessions cover a range of theoretical concepts, but the overwhelming focus is on real-world applications that will help prepare students to become professional musicians. Saxophonist Walter Smith III, an Institute of Jazz Performance graduate who currently serves as Chair of the Woodwind Department at the Berklee College of Music, showed students how to develop musically interesting phrases using simple rhythmic exercises. Saxophonist, composer and recent Institute of Jazz Performance graduate Lenard Simpson discussed daily methods for strengthening writing skills in his composition workshop, even taking participants through the process of composing a melody collaboratively, via Zoom.

In his music business and finance seminar titled “Musician Money Matters,” guitarist John Storie of actor/pianist Jeff Goldblum’s renowned Mildred Snitzer Orchestra detailed key strategies for achieving financial health as a working musician, covering topics from choosing the right bank to buying insurance. As part of a master class on hip-hop production, Institute West Coast Director Daniel Seeff, an in-demand session musician and composer in his own right, shared practical lessons that jazz musicians can learn from the hip-hop industry. For “Strategies for Today’s Studio Musician,” trumpeter and Institute of Jazz Performance Class of 2001 graduate Bryan Lipps shared practical rules of etiquette for professional musicians seeking to establish successful studio careers.

Titled “How to Hear Deeper,” the most recent session in the series featured renowned vocalist Michael Mayo, widely regarded as one of the most exciting and creative up-and-coming vocalists in music today.

The Global Jazz Studies workshop series continues the Institute’s longstanding commitment to preserving, perpetuating and expanding jazz by training the next generation of jazz musicians. The initiative builds on nearly a decade of partnership with UCLA, where the Institute’s acclaimed, two-year college program is in residence. Known as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the college program is currently on hiatus due to the pandemic and expected to return for the 2021-22 academic year.

About the College Program

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA is a tuition-free, two-year program that accepts one ensemble of musicians for each class. All of the students receive full scholarships, as well as stipends to cover their monthly living expenses. The students study both individually and as a small group, receiving personal mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition. They are encouraged to experiment in expanding jazz in new directions through their compositions and performances. The program is in residence at the prestigious UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

About The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is the first – and only – school of music in the University of California system. The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music trains and educates students across Western classical and world music traditions, transcending traditional academic boundaries by balancing performance mastery and composition with cutting-edge scholarship. Rigorous and improvisational, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music encourages and embraces the exploration of music in all its contemporary and historical diversity. Its 500+ undergraduate and graduate students have a multitude of performance opportunities and access to exceptional faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, world-class archives and instrument collections, and dedicated degree programs and centers of study.

The Institute congratulates vocalist, pianist, composer and actor Tyra “Tyralucia” Dennis on her recent selection as the newest morning host on KJAZZ 88.1, the premier jazz and blues radio station in Los Angeles and the #1 full-time jazz and blues station in the country.

While a student at George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles, Dennis participated in the Institute’s Jazz in the Classroom and BeBop to Hip-Hop music education programs, where she studied with renowned artists including DJ Khalil, Dontae Winslow and Yo-Yo. While in BeBop to Hip-Hop, Dennis performed alongside Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock and other acclaimed jazz musicians as part of a BET television documentary on the program.

Drawing on the fundamentals she learned from Institute programs, Dennis brings a wealth of experience as a musician and performer to her work as a member of the on-air staff at KJAZZ. She has performed with Chaka Khan, Wayne Shorter, George Bohannon, Stevie Wonder, Ali Woodson of the Temptations, Jackson Browne, Ray Charles and Slash from Guns N’ Roses, to name a few. She appeared at the Playboy Jazz Festival and in the feature film Dreamgirls, starring Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx.

Dennis can be heard on KJAZZ every Monday through Friday from 6-8 am Pacific, joining a lauded roster of hosts and presenters that includes Mitch Glickman, David Benoit, Gordon Goodwin, John Pizzarelli, and Steve Tyrell. Institute West Coast Director Daniel Seeff hosts the weekly KJAZZ program ExcursionsRadio, billed as the world’s only jazz and hip-hop radio show.

About KJAZZ

Widely regarded as Los Angeles’ top jazz and blues radio station, KJAZZ has been broadcasting jazz since 1981. Programmed and supported by the California State University, Long Beach Research Foundation in partnership with Global Jazz, Inc., the station is committed to the promotion and preservation of the rich cultural heritage of jazz and blues through engaging, inspiring and informative programming that satisfies the most dedicated music aficionados, while attracting newcomers of all ages.

About Jazz in the Classroom

The Institute’s worldwide, highly regarded Jazz in the Classroom programs help elementary, middle, high school and college students develop an understanding of and appreciation for jazz music. The initiative shares the positive aspects of jazz with young people who would not otherwise have opportunities to learn about this great national treasure. Through Jazz in the Classroom, the Institute has reached millions of students, teachers, and families, many of whom are experiencing jazz for the first time.

About BeBop to Hip-Hop

BeBop to Hip-Hop is one of the nation’s most innovative public school music education programs. Begun in 2004 in Los Angeles, it brings together jazz and hip-hop students under the direction of professional jazz musicians and hip-hop artists to create original work that incorporates elements of both genres. Aspiring young artists study the latest recording technologies and software, musical dynamics of both jazz and hip-hop, and the historical influence of jazz on hip-hop. They also learn how to produce a professional-level hip-hop track from the ground up – all while absorbing and building upon the rich traditions of Black American music. Jazz students learn to produce cutting-edge sounds, construct beats, and incorporate the hip-hop groove into jazz, while hip-hop students learn how to create and record in a live environment and gain technical skills in music.