Expanding Perspectives, Inspiring Learning - Olympic College

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: : 2006 - 2007 OLYMPIC COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT : :
Expanding Potential
Jazz Event Provides
Music Education
A regional jazz event to help middle and high
school students from the Pacfic Northwest and
Canada with their music education was brought
to Olympic College for the first time last year. The
event, called the Olympic College Jazz Classic,
has been around since the mid 1980s, starting
as the Port Gardner Jazz Festival. It then moved
to the University of Washington as the Elliott Bay
Jazz Festival.
Teresa Fraser, director of choral activities at the
college, moved the event to Olympic College
after she assisted in organizing the festival for
two years. The event allows students to work with
nationally known educators in jazz to build and
improve their music skills.
“I changed the name in memory of the Olympic
College Jazz Festival, which was held at the
college in the early 1960s. With permission from
Dave Cross, who organized the original festivals,
we changed the name to honor OC's jazz
history,” said Fraser.
About 800 students from 25-35 schools in
Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Canada
participated in the Jazz Classic at the college.
Traditionally, the jazz event has also featured an
evening concert in which students perform with
jazz artists and the public is invited to attend.
“The unique thing about this festival is the large
amount of time students get to spend working
on their skills. The community also gets to see
how much these students have learned when
students perform in the evening event. It's a great
opportunity to learn and try new ideas,” said
Fraser.�
– “A New Rhythm,” photo by Justin Pearson.