Jazz'd 4 Life

Oh what joy to hear someone of Esperanza's talent expounding on how she approached her own training, the mentor's she choose, her strategy of studying and listening to other artists, whether traditional, classical, or on the edge contemporaries! Students enrolled in the Jazz studies program at Kipp Amp Academy of Brooklyn, New York, hung on every word, after enjoying her performance at the Newport Jazz Festival this August. Their annual trip to Newport is sponsored by a partnership of the Festival itself and funds from Jazzed for Life. Every year since 2008, they have come up to enjoy the tunes and the seashore with enthusiastic faculty and parent chaperons. "It is always an inspiring day" says music and arts director Jamison Chandler," something they look forward to every year and can take back to school with them when they think about their studies and their own musical futures". Newport Festival Productions has recently reorganized to be a charity and is committed to bringing Jazz, the American art form to the rising generation.

Dear Friends,

As we set our sights on 2011, it is only fitting to give an appreciative goodbye to 2010 and summarize some of the highlights.

First things first, we would like to bring your attention to a long anticipated television premiere being broadcast on December 6^th, my father (Dave Brubeck)'s 90^th birthday. The documentary “In His Own Sweet Way” was filmed by Bruce Ricker and produced by Clint Eastwood.. It will be shown on Turner Classics at 5pm (EST). So Happy Birthday to a great patriarch who has helped us all so much, and happy viewing to all of you!

As far as Jazz'd 4 Life, we look forward to expanding our work with the Kipp (Knowledge is Power) charter school network. In the summer, the Kipp Amp Academy from Brooklyn attended the Newport Jazz Festival and had an amazing time listening to music and visiting with artists Dave Brubeck and Wynton Marsalis, after their performance. It was a memorable time and getting to be a treasured tradition.

Our outreach to Haiti continues, and even though there was a tragic earthquake in the beginning of the year, our resilient friends have risen to the occasion. HELO has opened its doors to 28 new orphans, the BEM school continues to teach nearly 800 students a day and plans for a community hospital have begun. For those who have asked, yes, the 3 wells that were dug last year remain intact and are supplying residents with much needed fresh, clean water. There is much less cholera in the Les Cayes area. New wells are slated to be dug in 2011.

Our international circle expanded this year through an association with the Russian Arts Foundation, founded in 1992, after the dissolve of the Soviet Union, to support the arts in Moscow and beyond. To ensure all children have access to their rich cultural heritage, in music, arts and dance, the Russian National Orchestra reaches out to orphans and underprivileged children across the city. Especially at Christmas time, Jazz'd 4 Life will assist in party plans through the “Magic of Music “ program, where each child attends a beautiful production of the Nutcracker Suite and is given a toy by symphony members.

My husband, Arne Yaghsizian will attend a different kind of Christmas party this year in Les Cayes, Haiti, and regions around. Last year over 1000 children were fed a rare hot meal and given perhaps their only toy at Christmas. In 2010, plans have expanded to feed up to 2000 kids, and Arne and the team will be handing out food and gifts. How Fun!

All this is of course made possible by people like you. Because of you, we were able to supply tents, food and medical supplies after the January earthquake. We had donations from music students at New England Conservatory, from students and parents at the Milwaukee University School, individuals, churches, a local telethon sponsored by Minotti Music, and the Russian Arts Foundation. We are truly humbled and inspired by this work as it takes us so many unexpected places and allows us to meet the most fantastic people.

Happy Holidays from The Brubecks, Yaghsizians, and Barnes' To YOUR Households, from OURS, and may “God Bless us Everyone!”

Sincerely, Catherine Brubeck Yaghsizian, Jazz'd 4 Life

 

Please Consider a Year-End Donation to Jazz'd 4 life

$8 – per Child, gives food/Gift for Christmas in Haiti

$10 - provides Solar Cooker for one family

$35 per Month – Sponsors One Child in School

$85 per Month – sponsors one child for school,

clothing food and shelter in Orphanage

$100 –purchase a Farm Animal for Orphanage


Images courtesy of HELO Inc.

Gifts can be specified for Wells, or General J4L Programs including our support of the Kipp Schools

Donate through our website or US mail

336 East Main Street

Wallingford, Ct. 06492

A Jazz Concert with members of THE BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET And soloists of THE RUSSIAN NATIONALORCHESTRA benefitting the instrument fund of the RNO and Jazz’d4Life – helping children in Connecticut and around the World.
Wine and champagne at 6:30 - Concert at 7:30 - Gourmet reception to Follow
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 6:30 pm
RICHARDS OF GREENWICH
359 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, Connecticut

Click to see the WTNH (News Channel 8) Video Segment

Save the Date Document (pdf)
Invitation and Event Info (pdf)

August 6, 2010 - The Dave Brubeck Quartet opened for Litchfield's three day festival in Kent, Ct. with a exhilirating set featuring Dave, Bobby Militello on sax, Randy Jones on drum, and Michael Moore on bass. Following, an oversized montage of Dave, made up of thousands of photographs of musicians young and old, was auctioned to support the Litchfield Jazz Camp Scholarship Fund. Jazz'd 4 Life was thrilled to contribute proceeds from our Infinity hall concert in 2009 to give this fund a Five Thousand Dollar jumpstart. That night the huge art piece went to a lucky and generous donor, all the way from Germany, whose son has attended camp. He was moved to contribute because he said (of Dave's performance), "I have never heard music like that in my life". Dziekuje to our German friend!

August 8 2010 - Wynton Marsalis chose Dave as his special guest in a long provocative set that mixed new and old sounds on the Newport stage last Sunday.Afterwards music students from the Kipp Amp Academy on Brooklyn New York met with the two Jazz masters for a meet and greet and to get their views on what it is like to be a professional jazz musician today. Both Dave and Wynton shared their perspectives from lifelong careers, involving hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a musical art form that they love passionately. Wynton gave a spontaneous mini-seminar running down all the jazz greats that influenced him as he grew into the player he is today. "You gotta use your ears and listen, listen ,listen, and read and study whatever your mentors tell you to study. You got to be willing to practice minimum two, mostly up to six hours a day."
Dave, at age 90, emphasized that he still practices daily "to keep my fingers working....and I'm always working on new tunes and  new projects. That keeps you going."

It was a remarkable time that could not be duplicated , in a beautiful backstage setting at Fort Adams. This field trip was sponsored by Jazz'd 4 Life, for the third time since 2007. We are proud to support Kipp Academies whose network of schools promote a solid jazz music curriculum, and superior academic performance across the board.

Also reported HERE.

Many came together on Saturday February 20th 2010 to help load emergency relief supplies into a 40ft container which is now on its way to Les Cayes, Haiti. Many thanks to those who donated supplies and funds, as well as those who labored so willingly to make this happen!
We are already in the planning stages for the next container. Donations and supplies are still needed in order to keep the momentum going. As we know, the needs in Haiti are still great.

MILWAUKEE, WI (January 27, 2010)    13 year old Berj Balyozian, an 8th grader at the University

School of Milwaukee, knew he had to do something to help those affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. But how much impact could one young teen have? Quite a bit, apparently. Berj knew of a charity called  Jazz'd4Life based in Connecticut which is involved in long-term projects in Haiti and Africa, building schools for orphanages and wells and water filtration systems for impoverished people in those regions.  Founded by Berj's relatives, Arne and Catherine (Brubeck) Yaghzisian of Wallingford, CT,  Jazz'd 4Life was created using the power of music to raise funds for those less fortunate (Ms. Brubeck Yaghzisian is the daughter of famed jazz musician Dave Brubeck). Since the quake, the Yaghzisians have mobilized a massive relief effort to get food, medical supplies and other necessities donated for shipping to the ravaged region.

We love going to Haiti! Arne goes once a year (at least). We have many friends down there, and have had the joy of helping schools, orphanages, churches, mobile medical clinics, wells and community centers get up and running. It is our ongoing privilege to help in these efforts through fundraising concerts, merchandise sales and any other thing we can think of!

Imagine our relief to find that the school children, orphans, staff and teachers were ALL O.K. after last week’s earthquake.

However, we realized that our friends in the Les Cayes region were in the perfect position to help those who were fleeing devastated Port-au-Prince. Many have traveled to find food and shelter with relatives after their homes were ruined.

"Students at New England Conservatory are soon going to be taking our places in the world as professionals in entertainment industry. Instead of always focusing on our own careers, some of us thought it would be healthy to begin thinking about our responsibility to those less fortunate, and helping where we can. We can use the power of music, our talents to change the world for the better. " So says Allegra Levy, founder and President of Musicians for Humanity, a student run organization on the NEC Campus in Boston, Mass. Allegra had volunteered during the summer for Litchfield Performing Arts where she met legendary jazz musician Dave Brubeck. When she heard of the work that some Brubeck family members were doing in Haiti and other countries, as well as urban children in the U.S, she was impressed. She wanted to be a part of it. "We voted unanimously to send our concert proceeds to Jazz'd 4 Life". Their first December Concert for a Cause raised enough money to feed over 50 children at the annual Christmas Dinner in Les Cayes Haiti.And that is just the beginning of their ambitions.