This year we proud to announce that East Side High School Jazz Band program has established a partnership with Jazz House Kids.  JHK is a community organization that helps bridge the gap between schools and the real world of Jazz.  They are dedicated to educating students through jazz education, mentoring, performing and they give an artistic edge that most students may not have received otherwise.

East Side’s after school Jazz Band is a club developed for any student in the school or feeder school students rather if they are enrolled in any other program or not. This club is developed for intermediate and advanced students. The club meets once a week after school from 3pm to 4:30pm. Students will not receive a grade but will develop the experience, skills and knowledge of playing an instrument the way of a musician.

One objective of After School Jazz Band Club is designed for students to learn how to express themselves on their musical instrument through reading, listening and improvisation.

All students will learn the following criteria: produce a quality tone/sound, develop technique to play their instrument, dexterity, articulation, increased reading ability, learning body language, blending within a small/large ensemble, history, advanced theory, harmony, chords, simple/complex/compound rhythms, contrast in dynamics, various styles via Marching Band, Concert Music, Salsa, Merenque, ChaCha, Funk, Latin, Swing, R&B, Rock, Soca, Waltz, Grooves and Slow Ballads.

Joining After School Jazz Band club is a commitment and every student who joins. He/She should make every effort not to miss rehearsals. It is important to develop consistency in attendance and practice.  If not, the students will not hone the skills that is necessary to play on a highly proficient level.

Parents should be aware of the time commitment their child is making.  If a student begins missing multiple rehearsals without notification the student will no longer be a part of the club.

Learning to play music on an instrument takes discipline and will help students to become more responsible, caring, cultured, worldly, matured, smarter, improvisers, better thinkers and composers.