By Matt Micucci
The Newport Festivals Foundation announced the beginning of a new performance series titled Newport Jazz Festival Assembly, which will bring music to elementary schools throughout Rhode Island.
The series will connect professional musicians to schools with minimal or no music programs, and aims to present jazz concerts to students who may not have had the experience of attending a live concert. These concerts will be performed by a 7-piece band led by clarinetist and saxophonist Ben Marcoux.
Each Assembly event will also include a 35-40 minutes long section consisting of oral presentations, question and answer sessions and several musical segments that will revolve around the timeline of jazz history, from Dixieland, Big Band and Bebop to Fusion, Cool and Modal Jazz.
Chairman of Newport Festivals Foundation and producer of the Newport Jazz Festival George Wein said, “At 90 years old, I can still remember the music assemblies at my grammar school. They changed my life and helped to build the foundation for my career in music. We believe it is important to introduce young people to music in their early years, and we hope the concerts will make life-long impressions on their future listening experiences.”
The series started last week and the final assembly of this semester is currently set for April 29.
For more information, visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.