Make a Donation Today
We count on support from our community to help keep Memphis Jazz Workshop moving forward.
The Memphis Jazz community needs a revival.
Jazz represents one of the most important musical, historical, and cultural phenomena of the Memphis and Mid-South area. A true renaissance of Jazz culture can only come about from the youth in this city — aided by those of us who know and have lived the musical richness of this American art form. Memphis Jazz Workshop is in position to keep moving the legacy forward, creating the next generation of jazz enthusiasts and highly trained musicians.
Cultivating
the Future of Jazz
The future of jazz still burns bright. We are preparing the next generation to move the music forward. We are cultivating the next Miles, Dizzy, Ella and Esperanza
Educating
Young Artists
We know that there is no future without connectivity to our past. Education is an imperative. We are doing our small part by building upon the legacy of the greats
Preserving
the Art of Jazz
By making a donation to our organization, you support our students so that they may continue to benefit from high level, intensive instruction.
What Music Educators are saying
“The Memphis Jazz Workshop is a lifeline for students in Memphis, where jazz has become a foreign genre. With little exposure to jazz on the radio, most students would never encounter this rich musical tradition without programs like this. The Workshop, meeting once a week on weekends, offers an immersive experience with masterclasses, private lessons, music theory, and jazz history. But what truly sets it apart is its outreach—by bringing jazz directly into schools during the week, it allows even more students to discover and engage with this art form. Led by some of Memphis’ top professional musicians, who are actively performing, the Workshop provides hands-on learning from the city’s finest, making it an irreplaceable part of music education in Memphis.”
Brandon Doggett, Director, Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts
“Having MJW as partners in band rooms across MSCS has been a great experience. In my own classroom, they have helped my students develop a strong jazz vocabulary and have exposed them to high levels of musicianship by having experienced professional sit side-by-side with my students. This has helped me push my students to achieve at a much higher level than I could have done alone. Also, the opportunities for extended learning through gigs and workshops is a plus. It is an invaluable experience.”
Jeremy Thompson, Director, Germantown HS
“The Memphis Jazz Workshop has been an invaluable partner in my students’ jazz education. My students were among the first to participate in the MJW, and the exceptional roster of jazz educators has truly enhanced their skills, particularly in improvisation. It’s inspiring to witness the growth of all the students involved with the MJW over the years. I take great pride in seeing my former students, along with MJW participants, return as teachers in the program. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to every music student.”
Ollie Lidell, Director, Memphis Central High School
As an active musician and teacher, I can easily say that there is never a moment where I could ever claim to have the knowledge and skills to truly lead a room full of students, simultaneously, all on different instruments, through the complex and amazing language of Jazz Music. With this being said, I have made it my mission to research and gather advice and aid wherever possible.
Last year, even though I knew the benefits of their program, I was in a school of MSCS, White Station High School, that was fortunate enough to have the members and founder Stephen Lee from the Memphis Jazz Workshop come into my classroom once a week and give individual aid to my students. The information they were able to share was far above and beyond the scope of my knowledge and the effects on the students progress was obvious and immediate.
The approach and patience with which this individualized instruction was given was everything that my own school and administration emphasized they wanted to see in all their teachers: clear, concise information that led the students to ask questions, leading to the synthesis of ideas and finally an enhanced musical product.
I cannot say enough about the opportunities that MJW is able to provide for a program at any grade level that is interested in cultivating a jazz program of any size and dimension. Even now, at my current school, I am seeing the immediate shift in knowledge and playing ability that I know I cannot provide by myself.
I highly encourage and endorse the MJW for any and all programs whether they are middle school or high school; combo size or full big band. The language of Jazz Music is deep enough as it is. What better way to learn it than from those that live it.
Brian Sims, Director, Houston High School
