Contribute and propel us into our next 10 years of existence.
Durham Jazz Workshop (DJW) Summer Fund Drive, 2023
The DJW/Sharp 9 Gallery and our programs are dependent on your generosity and now is the time to donate.This is our 10th year anniversary and we plan to be here for the next decade and beyond. Thanks to the DJW family, you have helped us survive and made it all possible.
Here are some highlights of 2023:
We contribute to the development of young jazz musicians, middle school to college students and recent graduates, and to young educators as well as adult learners. We help to provide a lifetime of learning and playing and fellowship through music and we contribute to musicians’ financial existence. We are often reminded by students and concertgoers about how many friendships have been made via the Durham Jazz Workshop/Sharp 9 Gallery and what an impact it has had on the overall quality of life of the Triangle Community that share a common passion for jazz.
The initial grant for the Public School Outreach Program is exhausted, so we hope to raise funds to maintain a yearly jazz presence in the Durham Public Schools. And to expand our program to other public schools in the Triangle area. We also want to raise money for the Mike Freeman Scholarship Fund that helps youth and adult student financial needs participate in our onsite, private lessons, ensembles and Summer Youth Camp. Mike Freeman was an enthusiastic adult student at the workshop for a number of years. After his passing, co-members of his combos created a scholarship in his honor. Thanks to the amazing generosity of donors, the DJW has been able to spend $22k in 2023 on the Public School Outreach Program, Mike Freeman Scholarship awardees and NCCU Students (masterclasses, concerts and lessons). The past 10 years we have contributed $45,000 towards the outreach and scholarship programs.
The DJW also needs funding for overhead & operational expenses to keep the organization moving forward.
Contribute today. Your funds will propel us into our next 10 years of existence and promote jazz programming, jazz education and share the gift of jazz with our community. Many thanks to the 24 monthly subscribers, 30 individual/family donors and 115 Instantseats donors who’ve collectively raised $50k for the DJW so far in 2023. Your support is remarkable and makes everything possible.
Thank you all very much.
Dave & Valerie
The DJW/Sharp 9 Gallery and our programs are dependent on your generosity and now is the time to donate.This is our 10th year anniversary and we plan to be here for the next decade and beyond. Thanks to the DJW family, you have helped us survive and made it all possible.
Here are some highlights of 2023:
- Durham Public School Outreach Program: The DJW, with help from a private grant, sponsored 13 concerts and 4 clinics at 8 Durham Public Schools reaching over 1,325 elementary, middle and high school students. Shaquim Muldrow directed the outreach program this spring, using nine other NCCU undergrad and graduate students.
- Youth Big Band and Combos: The DJW ran a successful 8 week youth big band program this past spring. Directed by Jason Bohde, 16 students participated in the group culminating in a performance at the Sharp 9 Gallery in late April. We plan to run it for the full 2023-24 school year. The DJW also ran 2 semesters of youth combos. Talented students performed a concert at the Durham Public Library, Southeast branch.
- Free tickets to shows, masterclasses & lessons: a private grant allowed 50+ NCCU students free access to all Sharp 9 concerts as well as access to masterclasses and private lessons with several guest artists. (Peter Bernstein, George Garzone, Stephen Gordon). Our youth ensemble students also received free tickets to attend concerts this summer.
- Sharp 9 Gallery Concert Series: We've presented 61 concerts featuring a mix of internationally known artists, and amazing regional performers. We thank the audience and the volunteers who’ve made live jazz a regular part of their lives. 4,300 people have attended shows in 2023. 16 of the shows were sellouts and a number of others were close to capacity.
- Economic Impact: As of June, the DJW has paid out $108,011 to performers and music teachers affiliated with our programs. Fun fact:from January 2013 - June, 2023, the DJW has now paid out over a million dollars to performers and teachers affiliated with the DJW concert series and educational programs. We are proud.
- New Chairs: You can now leave the “tush cush” at home thanks to a donor who provided half the funding for 100 new padded chairs purchased last week.
- Advertising: We are attracting new folks to every performance and to classes. The word is getting out about the concert series and our educational programs. We are increasing the DJW social media presence on all platforms. We estimate spending around $30k in 2023 on all advertising. Here is a summary of this month's engagements.
- Facebook: 2.7k followers, 38.2k reached, 956 viewed videos, 18 new followers added.
- Instagram: 1147 followers, 30k accounts reached, 54 followers added
- Youtube Jazz Now Channel: 2.7k views, 247 hrs viewed, 18 new followers, 619 total subscribers.
- Paid Advertising:
- Facebook/Instagram: concerts and educational programs are advertised for $25 per post. $2400 so far in 2023
- Public Radio, WUNC 91.5: 40 spots on average per month. $12,341 so far in 2023.
We contribute to the development of young jazz musicians, middle school to college students and recent graduates, and to young educators as well as adult learners. We help to provide a lifetime of learning and playing and fellowship through music and we contribute to musicians’ financial existence. We are often reminded by students and concertgoers about how many friendships have been made via the Durham Jazz Workshop/Sharp 9 Gallery and what an impact it has had on the overall quality of life of the Triangle Community that share a common passion for jazz.
The initial grant for the Public School Outreach Program is exhausted, so we hope to raise funds to maintain a yearly jazz presence in the Durham Public Schools. And to expand our program to other public schools in the Triangle area. We also want to raise money for the Mike Freeman Scholarship Fund that helps youth and adult student financial needs participate in our onsite, private lessons, ensembles and Summer Youth Camp. Mike Freeman was an enthusiastic adult student at the workshop for a number of years. After his passing, co-members of his combos created a scholarship in his honor. Thanks to the amazing generosity of donors, the DJW has been able to spend $22k in 2023 on the Public School Outreach Program, Mike Freeman Scholarship awardees and NCCU Students (masterclasses, concerts and lessons). The past 10 years we have contributed $45,000 towards the outreach and scholarship programs.
The DJW also needs funding for overhead & operational expenses to keep the organization moving forward.
Contribute today. Your funds will propel us into our next 10 years of existence and promote jazz programming, jazz education and share the gift of jazz with our community. Many thanks to the 24 monthly subscribers, 30 individual/family donors and 115 Instantseats donors who’ve collectively raised $50k for the DJW so far in 2023. Your support is remarkable and makes everything possible.
Thank you all very much.
Dave & Valerie