The word “jazz” evokes opinions as varied as the genre itself. However, the lack of opportunities for the average person to experience it live keeps it from gaining the widespread reputation it merits. Now, amplified by a partnership with the William Paterson University jazz program, Philadelphia-based nonprofit The Heart of Jazz provides these opportunities to the public — for free — while putting the next generation of jazz musicians in the spotlight.
The program was first conceptualized in August 2022 by Joe Monaghan, a lifelong jazz enthusiast, and Enoch Smith Jr., a pianist and composer.
The foundation’s mission is “to bring jazz back to communities where it was once really important,” Monaghan said. Communicating the unique inclusivity of the jazz culture is also a top priority. “It’s really a very welcoming art form … you can go to a jazz club and you can see a 20-year-old pianist playing with a 70-year-old bass player and a 45-year-old drummer. You don’t see that in most other music.”
One of the ways The Heart of Jazz strives to accomplish outreach is by directly supporting jazz education. In addition to offering free clinics with professionals to public schools, the organization provides substantial four-year scholarships to two new William Paterson jazz students every year.
The university’s mission of maintaining a diverse student body, as well as the scholarship’s impact on tuition, caused “William Paterson (to) hit all the high notes” when it came to selecting a university to partner with, Monaghan explained.
For its most recent event on April 6, The Heart of Jazz sponsored the campus’s third Jazz Room Series concert of the semester, led by Camille Thurman, an accomplished singer, saxophonist and Heart of Jazz board member. Her set followed an opening performance by one of 24 small ensembles in the university’s jazz program, featuring Violet Mujica, a trumpeter and Thurman’s mentee.
“The Heart of Jazz scholarship has given me both the confidence as well as so many resources to pursue my dream of becoming a jazz musician,” Mujica said. “It’s also brought me an incredible mentor, Camille Thurman, who is someone who understands the jazz scene inside and out, but who I can relate to on another level as a woman in jazz.”
As one of 14 board members for the organization, Thurman gets just as much out of the experience as students do, saying in a pre-concert interview that her role has taught her “to not be afraid to be honest and really open” when it comes to mentoring young musicians.
Additionally, The Heart of Jazz is not only an educational resource to students, but to all members of the community, regardless of their familiarity with jazz.
“We want to put the music out there so that we can build an audience (and) so that more people can enjoy this incredible art form,” Monaghan stated.
In less than three years, the foundation has made efforts to build an audience by doing numerous free pop-up concerts in Philadelphia, Trenton, Paterson, Allentown and Asbury Park. Additionally, last October, they invited six William Paterson students to play at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May.
James Ambrose, a scholarship recipient and saxophonist, said, “The Heart of Jazz has not only given me the opportunity to play many festivals and events, but also to connect with many musicians and build a connection with the community.”
These opportunities are what differentiate a casual player from a rising professional. By putting on concerts in the public eye, where audiences of all ages and interests can enjoy them, The Heart of Jazz gives the young artists they feature “a little extra push, a little extra knowledge, a little extra confidence” to continue, Monaghan said.
Troy Bell, one of the latest Heart of Jazz scholarship recipients and guitarist, confirms that “(the organization is) driven by making sure their recipients succeed at what they do.”
To further promote jazz and its potential to bring people together, the foundation is excited to soon launch its own jazz calendar, which will be a one-stop place on their website for people to rely on accurate information about when and where they can find live jazz to enjoy in the Philadelphia area. On their site is an option to sign up for their newsletter and to donate to the organization.
Monaghan hopes that above all else, people “just come out (to events) and really, really enjoy the music and tell their friends” about the Heart of Jazz.
Concerning where the foundation is headed next, Monaghan ensures that what keeps all of the board members motivated is simple: “Witnessing the greatness (of performers) is just so inspiring … performance opportunities, educational opportunities, building (an) audience, bringing communities together — we want to do all that, but just inspiring people in some small way tops all of that.”
