School Residencies

We believe in the power of jazz education to inspire and empower young minds. Through collaborative partnerships with local schools, we organize educational residencies led by seasoned jazz educators. These immersive experiences provide students with valuable insights into the history, theory, and performance of jazz music.

We have two programs for schools to engage with the Madison Jazz Society. Our jazz artist-in-residence program is where a school music teacher plans with a jazz artist-educator and together they create a jazz curriculum unit that incorporates into the regular scheduled music classes in a given school. The jazz artist visits the classrooms multiple times teaching students alongside the music teacher with the hopes of everyone learning more about jazz and making music together.

Our other program is called “Discover Jazz.” Discover Jazz is a one day outreach to middle and high school music programs led by a jazz combo comprised of jazz educators and university students. They typically do a short performance and encourage music students to try jazz through simple improvisatory games. Students who participate in Discover Jazz often discover that jazz is a viable form of music that they can enjoy. We leave the students with options for free and accessible community programming and opportunities to engage in music making outside of school.