Scholarship Fund
The Fund award grants to High School students who have an interest in and a demonstrated aptitude for jazz performance. These grants are intended for use in pursuit of music studies beyond the high school level. Usually this involves enrollment in a University or College; but grants have also been made to assist a student in taking individual instruction from an acknowledged professional-level jazz musician. The Scholarship Fund Committee invites applications from local area students throughout the year, gets references, listens to performance tapes and ultimately selects from one to three or four students to share in available money from the Fund. Customarily each winning student receives anywhere from $500 to $1,000 with a total distribution of about $2,000 per year.

Since the Scholarship Fund was established, over $18,000 has been distributed with some very gratifying results as we discover some of the grant recipients beginning careers in music.

Youth Jazz Workshop
There have been nine years of workshops held on the Thursday preceding the Jazz Fest. The students consisted primarily of high school music students, but occasionally even younger specially gifted participants enrolled.

The Workshop was directed all eight of its first years by world renowned bassist, Brian Torff and was staffed primarily by professional jazz musicians who were in La Crosse as players in the Jazz Fest. A high point in the students' experience was when they were prepared to perform onstage at the opening of the Thursday evening Pre-Fest Sampler concert. For many this was a first-time experience of playing jazz before a live audience, and one we've been told was highly motivational for them.

In 2005 the Workshop was resumed with a more structured format utilizing all the members of the Bill Allred Classic Jazz Band with trumpeter Charlie Bertini being named the Workshop Musical Director and the other band members focusing on their particular instrumental specialty.

Unlike past workshops, this one one was open to anyone with an interest in learning about playing jazz. While the primary focus on promotions of the workshop utilized school High School and Middle School band teachers to inform their students of the workshop, non-students including musicians of all ages were also encouraged to attend. Of the 50-plus students, approximately one-fourth were non-traditional students.

Current Situation
Last year a Onalaska High School Band instructor Jim Knutson, in the weeks before Jazz Fest, organized a jazz band made up of High School students from the neighboring communities. They rehearsed during the week of the Jazz Fest, then performed at the Thursday night pre-fest concert. The Coulee Region High School Jazz All Stars also performed throughout the weekend in downtown locations as a part of the Sesquicentennial celebration.

They received considerable exposure and the format was deemed to be a success. The plan will be to evaluate and replicate an improved version of this effort again in 2007!

And, remember, the donations to La Crosse Area Jazz Society and/or its Youth Education Fund are fully tax deductible.

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Anyone interested in helping with the organization of youth jazz band development or other youth jazz education activities, may contact ... (to be named-so hold your horses.)

To view a printable form to attend the Workshop, click Application Form

(Please note that this printable form is for 2005. An update will occur when and if the 2007 Workshop is finalized.)

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