Project Consortium
A project consortium made up of administrators, corporate and non-profit cultural organizations, producers, educators, and musicians will be established to assist in the development and implementation of this project.

• Area school educator access to performing
ensembles
• Ensemble artists in residence at area schools
• Artists work with educators
• Artists work with students with educators observing
• Teach-back sessions (educators work with students while artists observe)
• Evaluation sessions with artists and educators
• Students observe performing ensembles in rehearsal
• Student ensembles perform at festival

Professional Development — Phase 1
The first phase of the project will include planning sessions where teachers and artists will come together to discuss residency structure, project goals and curriculum focus. The intent of this phase is to establish a relationship between the artist and teacher that will be cultivated over the course of the project. This will allow artists and teachers to interact and model teaching techniques where artistic and educational ideas, resources and philosophies are shared. The goals of this phase are to stretch the parameters of pedagogical methodologies; to explore and discover new ways to integrate jazz music into the school curriculum; document the impact of the jazz on the music education at the schools and develop resources in the form of lesson plans and resource guides to be shared with the education community.

Educators from the area schools will be invited to take part in special presentations conducted by members of the performing ensembles. The presentations will focus on Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal Techniques (The study of styles and techniques necessary to rehearse and conduct a student jazz ensemble). Emphasis will be on developing good band "time", swing feel, phrasing and articulation, ensemble balance, note duration, listening skills and arranging styles. Artists and teachers will also discuss assessing levels of student musicianship as it relates to jazz and choosing graded music that is appropriate to their playing level, historically and artistically significant and technically challenging.

Student Workshops — Phase 2
The second phase of the project will include direct services to students in the form of extended residencies conducted by members of the performing ensembles. Through interactive workshops artists will engage students in activities that will introduce them to various jazz concepts. Students will also learn about the literature, materials and historical origins that are specific to jazz music. The hands-on activities will give students an in depth look at the creative process of various artists and familiarize the participants with the tools and materials with which the artist works as well as the cultural context from which the music emerges. Students will apply their knowledge to the creation of their own music and improvisations. With the arts specialists and teachers acting as facilitators, students will explore research, develop and document jazz concepts, enabling them to create a portfolio of new music and ideas.

Community Outreach Workshops — Phase 3
Phase 3 of the project will focus on outreach to community members and general concert attendees. This phase will be designed to give audiences an opportunity to interact with the artists as well as to provide insight into the lives, history and creative process of the musicians.

Post Project Assessment Session
This is the culminating session with artists, staff and teachers. The time will be spent evaluating the general impact of the program, allow participants to discuss the content and explore future collaborations and replication.

Evaluation
The project liaison will be in weekly contact with artists and teachers to ensure the smooth running of the program. The general assessment goal is to measure the impact of the project on students, teachers and community members with regard to their understanding and performance of jazz music. Specific objectives will be determined by education and arts administrators, artists and teachers at the beginning of the project. Measuring tools and methods for analyzing data will include workshop observations; teacher, student and audience questionnaires; artist and teacher evaluation forms. Project evaluation will be conducted in both formative and summative areas to determine overall project effectiveness and to assist in program modifications.