Community Partnerships

Working with community organizations, the Jazz Poetry Ensemble™ uses our talents in a cooperative way to educate, to communicate, and to inspire.
Our goal in our performances is to connect, to inspire, to energize, and to commit.

Connect: We connect with our audience through our words and music and the words and music of the great progressive modern poets and composers. The use of iconic poetry from historical struggles around the world connects them to our communal pasts. Jazz, as the most ubiquitous musical genre in the world, helps us connect with our audiences artistically, emotionally, and referentially. Musically, emotionally, and culturally, we connect our audience to the similar struggles of people around the world. We connect them to their neighbors.

Inspire: We inspire by recalling the iniquities of the past and how they were overcome by the brave struggle of those who came before us. We connect people to the struggles that helped us progress to where we are now.

Energize: Our original poetry contextualizes the poetry of the past in a way that moves us forward. It tells us we can make a difference. It tells us that through struggle and sacrifice, we can win. The music reinforces this with its improvisational, collective nature. Everyone is working together: supremely individual, yet inspiringly together.

Commit: When people are connected, inspired, and energized, they commit. They know they can make a difference. They volunteer. They donate. They participate. When we exhort them to “Make Jazz Not War”, we encourage them to take an active role in advancing the cause of social justice and human rights.
If your organization would like to work with the Jazz Poetry Ensemble™, please contact us. We can make your next rally, fundraiser, or other event something to remember.

Education: The Jazz Poetry Ensemble™ can also provide educational components. We have the resources to present seminars, lectures, or panel discussions about politics in art, jazz poetry, translation, aesthetics, and many other subjects. We can also present master classes on many subjects.