INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

Our mission is to influence the discovery and celebration of live jazz performance and music education through community engagement anchored by a world-class jazz festival in downtown Tucson.

During Festival

The Tucson Jazz Festival Education Program creates opportunities for students of all ages, especially in local underserved communities. During the festival we provide performances, master classes, and workshops, bringing professional artists into schools to share their experiences and talents. Our goal with these programs is to inspire students, not only musically, but also creatively through any and all facets of life and learning that may follow a presentation.

We also present student concerts either through matinee performances at local venues or through in-school performances. Whenever we have the ability to do so, we offer free concert tickets to students who may be studying the artform or simply interested in attending live concerts.

We create opportunities for high school and collegiate jazz students to perform alongside top industry professionals at festival events. These programs are made possible through the support of dedicated individuals and community partners, including leadership support from Vantage West Credit Union.   

“The impact of having that access to artists of that caliber to come through and be able to have some facetime with students is just tremendously amazing.”                                                                                                                                             
Morani Sanders

Director of Bands, Tucson High Magnet School

Tucson Children’s Museum

Field trips are an important part of a student’s educational experience, often becoming some of the most impactful and memorable moments in their learning journey. Experiential learning through field trips inspires curiosity, creativity, and lasting engagement.

In partnership with the Tucson Children’s Museum, we have created a long-term field trip program designed to inspire our youngest students. Professional musicians and educators work with students using real instruments to create improvised music inspired by the environment, culture, and history that surrounds us all.

These experiences encourage creative thinking, active listening, and new ways of seeing and hearing the world. While the joy of the moment is immediate, the skills and inspiration gained extend back into the classroom, supporting growth across core subjects and continued exploration.

This program is made possible through the support of dedicated individuals and community partners, including sponsorship support from Nova Home Loans for our Spring 2026 field trips.

“[Bringing] music into our field trips, bringing music into our outdoor events, bringing music into our free days, making sure that there’s ways for us to expose our families and our community to the things that you’re [TJF] doing and to really bring about so many more engagement opportunities with music is huge for families.  Huge for kids.”
Hilary Van Alsburg

Executive Director, Tucson Children’s Museum

Special Projects

Building on the success of our TJF 2025 Community Cookout, we partnered with the University of Arizona School Garden Workshop, Tucson Unified School District Food Services, John B. Wright Elementary School, Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro, and Vantage West Credit Union to present a community-centered cookout and live performance featuring New Orleans’ own Cha Wa.

Students and staff from the U of A School Garden Workshop harvested fresh produce from the school’s garden to create a special salad in partnership with TUSD Food Services. Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro contributed cookie sandwiches inspired by the flavors of the Sonoran Desert, distributed by volunteers from Vantage West Credit Union.

Set in the school’s outdoor courtyard, the cookout created an unforgettable experience where music, food, and learning came together in celebration. Reflecting on the impact, School Garden Workshop Director Moses Thompson shared, “You can’t underestimate the value of joy, and what a difference it can mean in a student’s life.”

TJF continues to develop community-centered programs like this that foster connection, celebrate culture, and create meaningful experiences for students and families across Tucson.

New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian outfit Cha Wa radiates the energy of the city’s street culture.
“We had kids growing produce, harvesting produce. And then for those families to see that produce come back to the school and prepared by amazing City of Gastronomy chefs and served up in an atmosphere that was electric with amazing music–it was an amazing community event.”
Moses Thompson

Gardens Director School, UA School

K-12

  • Create opportunities to bring more students to view TJF concerts
  • Continue and expand the student matinee program to become a permanent fixture within the festival
  • Create opportunities for local and national jazz musicians to do short versions of larger performances
  • Bring high school students to evening jazz performances and events
  • Bring jazz artists into schools for residencies
  • Create and implement jazz specific curriculum in local schools

HIGH SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY

  • Create more artist residencies for college/HS music students
  • Present artists outside Tucson Jazz Festival to offer master classes to students
  • Create performing opportunities for graduates of TJF supported institutions
  • Continue to support Tucson Jazz Institute artist in residence program as well as creating more fundraising opportunities for TJI

ADULTS/LIFELONG LEARNERS

  • Providing jazz history and cultural seminars for active adult learners such as The Learning Curve, UA Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
  • Creating programming for active adult communities such as Splendido, Saddlebrooke, La Posada
  • Partner with Alzheimer’s units or organizations for specialty jazz programming