Want to see nascent jazz stars?

Want to see nascent jazz stars?

By Don Valentine

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 the Gold Coast Jazz Society will present the annual Jeanette M. Russell Jazz Scholarship Competition. The competition will be held at the Dillard Center for the Arts, Dillard High School, 2501 Northwest 11 Street in Fort Lauderdale, occurs from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public to attend. Thirty-eight jazz finalists will participate this year who are from area high schools and have met the financial criteria and other scholarship qualifications.

The students will participate in a live musical audition and compete for scholarship awards to attend 2016 summer music camps or for tuition assistance to attend colleges or universities in the fall of 2016. Since 2003, the Gold Coast Jazz Society has awarded over $400,000 in scholarships to students from middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities pursing studies in jazz. This year students will also compete for scholarship support from the Robert G. Friedman Scholarship. “We’re very grateful that Jeanette Russell provided us with the resources for this program and we thank the Friedman family their support of the scholarship program again this year,” said Pam Dearden, Executive Director of the Gold Coast Jazz Society. “It’s very rewarding to know that we are able to assist these talented kids to achieve their jazz education goals.”

Jeanette Russell, affectionately known as “Lady Jazz,” was an avid jazz fan and frequently assisted jazz musicians in need.  Originally from New York City, Russell was a fashion designer and consultant to prominent clients. Her love of jazz lives on through her scholarship program.

The Gold Coast Jazz Society is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to perpetuate and advance jazz through performances, education and outreach activities.

For more information log on to www.goldcoastjazz.org.