Oaktown Jazz Workshop

Based in Oakland and formed in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops (OJW) celebrates jazz music as an American indigenous art form of profound artistic and cultural significance. A complex and enjoyable music as well as an important indicator of American history, jazz offers a rich legacy that has touched the lives of each generation and continues to be an important component of contemporary culture. Our purpose is to promote, preserve, and present this music so that all youth, and especially African American… Show more youth, develop a sense of ownership and pride in jazz music as a uniquely American cultural tradition.

The goal of OJW is to provide young musicians with focused opportunities to develop a new or deeper relationship with this rich medium of expression; both as skilled performers and as informed and involved listeners. Our original program creates a safe, structured environment in which young people with different levels of musical experience are able to come and be a part of a creative jazz ensemble under the guidance of professional master musicians. Through new initiatives, OJW continues to make jazz music accessible to Bay Area youth as our programs bring together young musicians from diverse backgrounds, joined by their common interest in jazz.

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