(NEWARK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the state’s anchor cultural institution, will present its seventh annual Geri Allen Jazz Camp completely virtually this summer. An initiative to support women in jazz, this world-renowned program is hailed for helping refine technique, grow confidence and build community among performers who identify as female or non-binary.
Winner of Jersey Arts People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Performing Arts Camp,” the Geri Allen Jazz Camp was founded in 2014 in an effort to carry on the exceptional legacy of its founding director: the late jazz pianist/composer/educator and Guggenheim Fellow Geri Allen (longtime Montclair resident), who dedicated herself to developing the next generation of jazz artists. The program is now under the direction of Artistic Director Regina Carter, the multiple Grammy-nominated jazz violinist and composer.
A recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, Carter has been widely hailed for her mastery of her instrument and her drive to expand its possibilities. According to Carter, the camp is a safe place for young women and those identifying as non-binary to learn.”
This summer's sessions will be an exciting opportunity for students to have conversations about different aspects of the music business with esteemed faculty, explore and learn creative tools useful for composing, arranging, and playing, and gain knowledge to drive their careers with agency and confidence. This year's clinicians include: bassist Marion Hayden, pianist/composer Ellen Rowe, drummer Alvester Garnett, saxophonist Bruce Williams, vocalist Carla Cook, vibraphonist/composer Stefon Harris, tap dancer Brinae Ali, harpist/composer Brandee Younger, trumpeter Bria Skonberg, trombonist, Melissa Gardinier, and guitarist/vocalist/composer Camila Meza.
NJPAC’s Arts Education offerings reach more than 60,000 students and families through live performances, in-school residency programs and arts training classes. These programs bring the joy of dance, music, theater, and poetry directly to the classroom. Through our innovative residencies, Teaching Artists create stimulating performing arts experiences that engage students’ imaginations and build self-confidence through positive self-expression. Our residencies help students learn to work together and develop their creative independence.
In addition to NJPAC’s innovative In-School Programs, the Arts Center’s comprehensive Arts Education Department offers an Arts Training Program that helps students at every level learn their artistic and technical skills they need to study acting, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, and musical theater. NJPAC also presents a SchoolTime Performance Series, which introduces students and their families to a world of entertainment and culture. NJPAC’s Arts Education programs feature professional artists from a wide variety of traditions and performances of music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and more.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted nearly 10 million visitors (including over 1.7 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
