ArtsFund Awards Community Accelerator Grant

ArtsFund and the Paul G.Allen Family Foundation has administered a total of $10 million in funding as part of the Community Accelerator grants program, a historic investment in Washington’s arts and culture sector. Included in this announcement is a Community Accelator grant of $22.5K to Seattle JazzED to further sustain music education as an arts pathway for youth in the Seattle area.

The Community Accelator program grants range from $2,500 to $25,000 and are unrestricted (meaning they can be used for anything an organization deems necessary). Grant distributions were informed by a Community Advisory Panel who advised ArtsFund on the application design, outreach, evaluation and outcome, and included 12 panelists from across the state.

Since 2010, Seattle JazzED has been investing in youth to increase access to high-quality music education for students. The organization was created to address inequities in access to jazz education and provide an alternative pathway to the arts for all students. It serves over 1300 students annually, with all programming provided on a sliding scale and free loaner instruments for every musician.

Earshot Jazz Commissions JazzED Musicians

In the winter of 2023, Earshot Jazz, partner nonprofit jazz support organization, issued a Call for Composers to be commissioned for their original works. Of the dozens of candidates who applied, 3 artists were selected. Of those, 2 are on the Seattle JazzED team. Both Jahnvi Madan and Carlos Snaider have been chosen to create new works and premiere them at the 2023 Earshot Jazz Festival in the fall.

Jahnvi Madan is a musician, activist, and educator. Originally from Bellevue, she spent high school heavily involved in JazzED’s programs, and currently serves as JazzED Development Associate and educator. She will also be co-leading this year’s Femme Jazz Day.

Alongside pursuing a BM at the New England Conservatory, over the past few years Jahnvi has co-led a racial equity organization in successfully organizing and lobbying for a change in WA state law around policing in schools. Musically, Jahnvi is active in playing in the Boston and Seattle areas, and is an avid composer, songwriter, and clarinetist.

Jahnvi is focused on the intersection of arts, education, and activism, and believes strongly in JazzED’s mission to create equitable music education and community. Madan's compositions reflect her lived experience and create a response to the invisibility she felt growing up as a first generation Indian American.

Carlos Snaider is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, improvisor, and composer based in Seattle. He began playing piano at the age of 8 and picked up guitar shortly thereafter while living with his family in Quito, Ecuador. Carlos grew up listening to a wide array of musical styles, which has translated to his love of playing everything from jazz and Latin music to funk, hip-hop and experimental songwriting. He currently teaches private lessons with Seattle JazzED, co-leads the bands EarthtoneSkytone (with fellow JazzED faculty Kelsey Mines) and Eléré Salsa con Jazz in Seattle, and is a member of the Ay Ombe Theatre performance group led by Dominican-American performance artist Josefina Baez.

His work explores extended encounters of the present through individual and collective experiences of sound, language, and movement. He operates in the interstices of jazz, creative music, global dance music and hip-hop. For his commissioned work, he is planning to create an avant-Latin fusion trio or quartet that includes electronic instruments and open forms.

A thorough review of all applicants was made through a juried process including leaders of the Seattle artistic community. The recommendations of the panel were then reviewed, discussed and rescored by the panel to select the final three composers. Congratulations to Sheridan Riley, Jahnvi Madan, and Carlos Snaider.

A Soundtrack to Remember

Over 480 guests gathered at the Amazon Meeting Center on March 9 at the Soundtrack for the Future Gala hosted by Seattle JazzED. This annual event benefits JazzED’s work to foster lifelong learners through accessible, exceptional jazz education.

Thanks to the generosity of the collective, the organization raised $392,000 and counting as folks continue to send in their gifts. Every dollar makes a difference and community support is essential to JazzED's ability to reach as many students as possible.

Party goers dined on southern inspired fare prepared by Old Ballard Catering Company and desserts from Bell’s Cookies. Emcee father and son duo, Elvis and Malcolm Fraser, guided guests throughout the evening and Executive Director Laurie de Koch shared her vision for the future focus of the organization. Performances featured headliners Martina DaSilva and Friends, JazzED alum and current staff member Walter Cano, and current students in the JazzED Connections program. In a surprise twist, audience members were invited to participate in a full group musical moment directed by JazzED Drumline instructor, Tony Sodano.

Click the button below to see photos of the 2023 Soundtrack to the Future. (Captures by Emazing Photography)