Student Outreach
COMMUNITY & EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH INFORMATION
The Strutters have developed comprehensive jazz outreach programs customized for each academic level. Possessing graduate and masters degrees, along with nearly three decades of professional teaching experience, the Strutters present enlightening educational programs guaranteed to inspire young talent.
Elementary School Matinee: Performance oriented all-school assembly program including brief introductions and demonstrations of various jazz styles and musical instruments. Students are introduced to simple melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic concepts in a light-hearted presentation featuring age appropriate songs. They will see tap dancing and several rare instruments. Audience participation activities are presented including inviting a student on stage to conduct the band.
Jr. High / High School Matinee: Performance oriented all-school assembly program covering a variety of jazz styles (New Orleans, Chicago, Dixieland, Blues, Big Band Swing, vocals, jazz standards) with brief discussions and historical perspective on each. Individual instrumental features, use of rare instruments, and improvisation are all discussed and demonstrated throughout the program.
Jr. High / High School / Adult Master Class: Programs are designed to meet specific needs of each music program. Topics include: Jazz history with demonstrations representing styles from early traditional New Orleans Jazz and Blues, Chicago Dixieland, to Big Band Swing, Bop and post-Bop standards. Theory, song forms, ensemble playing, and how to approach improvisation are all demonstrated by live performance and discussion. Some students will perform with the Strutters.
Jr. High/High School Humanities/Music Class Jazz History Presentation: An audio/video presentation of the history of jazz including vintage video clips of legendary jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. The presentation also includes a live improvisation demonstration and a brief overview on the background and contributions of each musician.
Community Service:
Senior citizen centers, libraries, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Performance oriented with appropriate musical selections chosen for each event.
Materials Available: Teacher study guides available for all age groups.