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The Friends of Jazz upholds it’s mission to influence the next generation of jazz enthusiasts through it’s program: Project Future Legends. Project: Future Legends provides music enrichment programs that focus on engaging school-age children’s minds as well as enlightening them to the history of jazz.
Dr. Frances Rauscher from the University of Wisconsin says that music “…helps improve children’s ability to reason abstractly, by strengthening neural firing patterns of the brain that are relevant to both musical and spatial cognition.” Most music teachers feel that music encourages self-expression and self-confidence. As a non-verbal language, music can convey an array of emotions, and offers a means of expression for shy or diffident children.
Music provides an outlet for children who are at risk. An active child is less likely to participate in drug use, alcohol consumption or gang activity. Youth gang presence is not only in the urban areas but now also in suburban schools. The Friends of Jazz is actively working to decrease the number of children who are tempted to join these gangs by providing a positive outlet for them to expand their energies.
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In 2007, the Friends of Jazz expanded its program to include a Talent Probe. This Probe provides an opportunity for the Friends of Jazz to directly impact the future generation of jazz musicians by providing a contest in which area middle school students competed for a chance to win free music lessons. This year, nine middle school students from Plainfield competed. The competition took place in early May at Crescent Presbyterian Church, located in Plainfield, New Jersey. Each child performed a solo piece that was judged by noted musicians from the New Jersey Jazz Society, as well as Bob Makin from the Courier News, and Mr. Plainfield himself, Robert Graham. Of the nine students three winners were chosen. The student to receive the highest score received free music lessons twice a month for a year from a professional instructor. The second place student received free music lessons twice a month for nine months. The third place student received free music lessons twice a month for six months. It was well received by the students, teachers and the community. Due to its success, this Probe will be an annual event.
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