People often refer to Jazz 88.3 as a “radio station.” Forty years ago, when we started playing Jazz
and Blues, that was a perfect description of the services we provided to the
community. Today, however, we are much
more than an entertainment-service-formerly-known-as-a-radio-station.
Sure, we present endlessly varied, interesting music al
statements of time, space and being, seen through the lens of the American
experience to San Diego and Southern California via our traditional terrestrial
broadcast. But we also offer the same
insight to listeners across the country and around the world via our online
stream, and our mobile apps. And it
doesn’t stop there. (I know I’m
preaching to the choir, but there’s a reason for this.)
We present 14 live concerts in the acoustically perfect Lyman
Saville Theatre at San Diego City College.
We host eleven Happy Hours a year where people gather to enjoy one
another’s company accompanied by terrific local artists’ performances, as well
as roof-top gatherings during the summer at the Westgate, and other incidental
events around the county.
Besides all this, we support the interest of new people in
Jazz and the Blues, and by “new” I mean newly hatched humans. Kids, of all ages. That is the purpose of this long intro. We
have four on-going, long term music education programs that connect this music
to children today. And connect it
does. You know the toe-tapping, mood
changing power of these sounds. The
syncopations, melodies and improvisations that never grow old, and always bring
a smile. We believe that kids need to
know that there are musical alternatives to the thumping bass line or the
electronically enhanced vocal. And that
those alternatives can be very spiritually satisfying. (Okay, so the kids don’t realize that it’s
emotional satisfaction that they crave, but we
can talk about it when they’re not here.)
All this being said, I present a letter we received in
response to our sponsorship of Jazz: An American Art Form, for Title I
schools. JAAAF is a 45-minute enrichment
program, based on the spontaneous evolution of this music, presented by four of
San Diego’s most outstanding musicians.
Title I schools rarely have the budget for enrichment programs, so,
working with our private donors, we have arranged funding for these
presentations for more than 18,000 area students in the past 3 years. Why bother?
What’s the big deal? The note
from a Title I parent below tells you.
Read full article at:
ARE WE RADIO?
