Legacy and Performance

Indianapolis has been pulsing with the rhythms of jazz since the 1920s. Today, the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation celebrates this rich heritage by showcasing the legacies of Indiana’s renowned jazz performers and artists and bringing top international talent to Indianapolis stages. As we approach the Indy Jazz Fest, we have an exciting opportunity for jazz enthusiasts and community supporters: your donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $45,000 until September 30th!

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and its signature event, Indy Jazz Fest, are supported in part by community contributions. As a donor, YOU play a large role in keeping the current Indianapolis jazz scene vibrant and preserving the legacies of Indianapolis jazz.

Why Your Donation Matters:

1. Preserving Jazz Legacies: Your contribution helps maintain Indianapolis’ vibrant jazz history.

2. Supporting Local Musicians: Your support helps provide platforms for both established and emerging artists to showcase their talents.  Your support of today’s artists builds tomorrow’s legacy.

3. Enriching Community Programs: Free educational workshops and concerts enrich the lives of students and  inspire the next generation of jazz lovers.

4. Boosting the Local Arts Economy: Your donation is an investment in Indianapolis’ creative landscape.

This year your donation makes an especially immense impact - from now until September 30th, three generous donors, Al Hall, Drs. David Ingram and Sarah Stelzner, and Turner Woodard and the Van Riper Woodard Family Foundation are generously matching donations one-to-one for up to $45,000, helping the jazz community flourish.

Education

The impact of your donation reaches beyond the stage. The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation provides various musical education opportunities to inspire and create the next generation of musicians, artists, and music-lovers. Your support provides free community programs and workshops for children from elementary to high school ages.

Jazz in the 21st Century - Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Goes to IPS

The gymnasium at Northwest Middle School (formerly a high school) was teaming with fourth graders from 15 IPS elementary schools on Tuesday March 12 and Thursday March 14.  They came for a journey of “Jazz in the 21st Century,” a high energy program about jazz and Indiana’s rich jazz history. As the students filed in by the busloads, they were welcomed with the swoon of a saxophone riff and the rhythm of “When the Saints go Marching In.”

The IJF quintet, led by Rob Dixon, took the students on a musical journey from the start of jazz in New Orleans to the heyday of Bebop in Indianapolis to sounds of jazz today.  Through call and response, hand clapping, dancing in place, and mimicking the moods of music (Happy, Sad, Angry, Crazy, and Cool) the students took an interactive ride through American jazz with stops for Wes Montgomery’s “Road Song” and Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay.”  Indianapolis Public Schools is on a strategic path to bring music back into the curriculum.  Jazz is being incorporated into their study of Indiana (and Indianapolis) history.  IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson furthered the enthusiasm by attending the Thursday convocation. The introduction to live performance is timely as students will have the opportunity to study a musical instrument starting in fifth grade. 

As one teacher wrote: “No one will argue that the event was a great learning experience for the students. We can teach Jazz online and, in our classrooms, but the real live performance makes a difference.”

Freddie Hubbard Memorial Jazz Band Fest.

Indianapolis Jazz Foundation was proud to be an education partner for the third annual Freddie Hubbard Memorial Jazz Band Festival, held at Arsenal Technical High School on Friday, February 9, 2024.  Ten ensembles from eight area high schools, plus one ensemble from Butler University participated in the non-competitive festival.  Indianapolis Jazz Foundation musicians Richard “Sleepy” Floyd, Pavel Polanco-Safadit, Steve Allee, and Rob Dixon served as judges and coaches for the event. Each ensemble was asked to perform at least one piece by a prominent Hoosier musician.  Along with a performance by each ensemble, students were invited to attend workshops that focused on special techniques and/or instruments.

Over 200 student musicians participated in the event. Josh Goodman, Director of Bands at Arsenal Technical High School, and founder of the event, said that the festival gives the students opportunities to learn from each other as well as professional mentors, builds confidence, hones skills, and teaches a little about Indiana’s rich jazz history.   The festival is named for the accomplished Hoosier jazz trumpeter, Freddie Hubbard, a graduate of Arsenal Tech.  Other partners supporting the event include Music for All and Musicians Repair and Sales. The evening concluded with a concert by an IJF ensemble celebrating the 100th birthday of jazz guitarist and Indianapolis native Wes Montgomery.  The closing concert was enjoyed by the students, their families, the neighborhood, and IPS school administrators.

The Impact of Your Donation

Donors are essential to keeping the jazz legacy alive in Indianapolis. Along with advancing the careers of current local musicians, donations help preserve the rich histories of musicians and melodies.  Your donations preserve and advance the genre. By donating to the Indy Jazz Fest, you are doing more than helping present a concert.  You are preserving a music genre and Indianapolis’ jazz identity, celebrating America’s Indigenous art form, and fostering a sense of unity and belonging within the community.