A Man In A Tuxedo Singing Into A Microphone — (Montgomery, Alabama Public Schools / Facebook)

Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) launched the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz’s National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Program today at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School.

Over the next five days, MPS and the Birmingham City Schools (BCS) will be hosting the prestigious program. Read on to learn about this exciting week-long initiative.

Introducing the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz National Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Program

From February 24 to 28, internationally renowned saxophonist Don Braden and vocalist Lisa Henry, along with a talented group of student musicians from all over the country, Montgomery and Birmingham public schools will participate side by side.

“We’ve found that sometimes young people can learn about certain things better from kids their same age, and one of them is jazz. And when you hear how accomplished these musicians are at such a young age, you know their peers are going to listen.”
Jazz great Herbie Hancock, Institute Chairman, NEA Jazz Master, and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

MPS Interim Superintendent Jamie Wilson, Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed, and Alabama State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey attended the week-long kick-off at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School this morning.

The one-of-a-kind educational program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and United Airlines.

How the Herbie Hancock Institute Jazz Education Program works

According to the Institute, throughout the week the program blends performance with education. They call it “infomance.”

At the start of each program, local and national student musicians will have an opportunity to play in front of the student body and talk about what jazz is, why it’s important to America and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy.

They also will discuss the important American values that jazz represents: teamwork, diversity, the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment, perseverance and the importance of finding a passion early in life, being persistent and believing in yourself.

The members of the all-star sextet selected to participate in the Alabama tour include alto saxophonist Ben Leviathan (17) from New York; drummer Troy Liman (17) from Houston; bassist Sofi Longa (16) from Miami; pianist Tinashe McGowan (18) from Dallas; trumpeter Allie Molin (18) from Santa Ana, CA and guitarist Nigel Valle (17) from New Orleans.

Immediately following the informances, Braden, Henry, and music educator Dr. J.B. Dyas will conduct jazz workshops for each host school’s jazz band and choir.

The visiting students will play side-by-side with their Alabama counterparts, providing tutelage peer-to-peer. In so doing, they will teach and learn from one another not unlike what Herbie Hancock did with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and so many other eminent jazz artists more than half a century ago. They’ll also learn about each other’s cities and cultures.

The program is playing at five schools in five days. Here is the lineup of concerts.

February 24 — Booker T Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery
February 25 — Carver High School in Montgomery
February 26 — Alabama School of Fine Art in Birmingham
February 27 — A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham
February 27 — Jam Session at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Carver Theater
February 28 — Wenonah High School

Tuscaloosa Jazz Concert — finale

At the end of the week of education and music, MPS and BCS students and the visiting artists will come together for a public concert on February 28, 2025, at The Sanctuary in Tuscaloosa.

The event is open to the public and will feature a performance of jazz standards, classics, and contemporary jazz, including Braden’s special arrangements of songs by Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder from his latest album, Earth, Wind, and Wonder – Vol. 2.

For more information, you can visit the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz website at www.hancockinstitute.org. Want more like this in your inbox? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.