DelawareScene: Wilmington Youth Jazz Band, Wilmington, DE

Wilmington Youth Jazz Band

Jazz music is America's one true original art form, and Delaware musicians have a very prominent place in the annals of jazz history. ï¿½Our mission is to expose, educate and culturally enrich students through learning jazz music in an effort to maintain and expand jazz throughout our communities. This effort reaches youth from economically and culturally diverse backgrounds.

Our exciting jazz education program is open to young musicians aged ten and up, and offers students the opportunity to improve their instrumental and improvisational skills while developing the fundamentals of jazz musicianship in a fun group ensemble setting.ï¿½ We currently offer a ten week instructional program in both the Fall and Spring, and a summer concert schedule which serves to transform our young students into confident jazz performers. ï¿½

The Wilmington Youth Jazz Band (WYJB) is a non-profit organization which was founded in 2004 by Wilmington's own Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe, in partnership with the Berklee College of Music's City Music Network. Over the past 13 years, the Wilmington Youth Jazz Band has developed and trained over 100 of the Wilmington area's finest young musicians ranging in age from 10 to 25. We are very proud of our band's 100% high school graduation rate, and our program graduates have made the successful transition to university and professional careers in music, engineering, education, business, military, and many other fields of study. With the dedication of our students and instructors, we are committed to promoting a greater appreciation of jazz music - and helping to cultivate its next generation of talented performers.ï¿½

Music Northern Delaware