OCSA Jazz needs your help to travel to NYC...

On Wednesday, February 14th, 2024 (Valentine's Day no less!), we were notified again that OCSA's Jazz A band has been selected as one of the 15 finalists in this year’s Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC (May 7th-12th)!

Now we face the reality of raising the $55k needed to return to NYC. If you are unfamiliar with our program and/or our students, I can tell you that we are severely lacking in financial support. Our school district is usually only able to contribute about $7k-$10k to our trip, leaving the students with the burden of raising the remaining $40k+. Our school is open to students, by audition, from any county. However, most of our students hail from Osceola County and almost all of them are zoned to Title 1 schools. Most of our student body qualifies for reduced and/or free lunch as well.

Because of their lack of money, almost none of my jazz students are financially capable to afford private lessons either. Additionally, most of them take the bus to and from school. Many of them live in Poinciana and spend 4 hours each day on a school bus (2 hours each way). It truly is a testament to the talent, fortitude, and determination of our jazz students that they have been able to achieve such success against the lack of time and financial resources. Conversely, most of the students in the other EE finalist bands reside in upper-middle class to wealthy communities or attend private schools.

I do my best to try to organize paying gigs for the students to raise the money, but being kids, they easily tire from too many performances. It also makes staying on top of their academic studies even more difficult.

So, I am currently reaching out to supporters of the arts in Orlando and lovers of this great music we call Jazz. Please consider donating to the OCSA Jazz Program, or becoming a yearly sponsor of this, truly amazing, group of young jazz musicians and their quest to return to NYC.

Donate to the OCSA Jazz Program today