Stories of Impact: JazzArts Charlotte

By JazzArts Charlotte

JazzArts Charlotte, founded in 2009 by Lonnie Davis, is the premier jazz organization in the Carolinas. JazzArts’ mission is to connect the cultural community and develop an audience for jazz through quality education, performance excellence, and musician support. Celebrating its 15^th anniversary, JazzArts has flourished into one of the city’s most celebrated nonprofit arts and education institutions. The organization engages thousands of students and audience members annually with its diverse range of educational and performance-based programs. JazzArts also supports over 100 local and regional musicians each year.

Since 2011, JazzArts Charlotte has provided jazz education to over 50,000 students across the Charlotte region through programs like Youth Ensembles + Workshops, Nuestro Tiempo Latin Jazz Youth Orchestra, Summer Music Camp, Jazz in Schools, and early childhood classes like WeBop. Serving students from K-12, these programs introduce students to jazz history, performance techniques, and improvisation, while fostering a love for the art form among diverse age groups. Inspired by a need to enhance access to quality arts education, particularly for underserved and Latinx communities, JazzArts has applied for a grant to expand its offerings.

The generous grant from WIF allows JazzArts to increase accessibility by providing free workshops, unique experiences for students, new scholarship opportunities, and making high-quality jazz education and performance available to students and audiences across socio-economic backgrounds. This support strengthens partnerships with the community, extends JazzArts’ reach, and deepens its impact as a bridge between jazz and new audiences.

The grant award is enabling JazzArts Charlotte to reach its goals of expanding access to jazz education and performance across the Charlotte region, particularly in underserved communities. A few educational program highlights include: 

• • Youth Ensembles + Workshops:
    
    • • Achieved the highest enrollment in a Fall session to date.
    • • Ensemble performances at The Cypress of Charlotte, bringing jazz to a retirement community.
    • • Upcoming appearances at the December JAZZ ROOM Holiday Edition, showcasing A Charlie Brown Christmas.

• • Nuestro Tiempo Latin Jazz Youth Orchestra:
    
    • • Over 50% of enrolled students now identify as Hispanic or Latino.
    • • Selected to perform at the NC Music Educators Association Conference in Winston-Salem.
    • • Public performance at the Día de Muertos Festival hosted by the Latin American Coalition.

Additional achievements included launching JazzArts’ first Merit-Based Scholarship award and transporting an ensemble of students to the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in January. JEN is an international jazz organization, and the conference provides a unique experience for students to learn from world-renowned jazz musicians and meet like-minded peers. 

As we look ahead, JazzArts envisions building a robust endowment to make more educational programs free for students, ensuring universal access to quality music education. Our priority is operational sustainability, long-term resilience, and deepening our community impact. We are committed to expanding our partnerships and continuing to broaden our reach through collaborations with local institutions.

Those interested in supporting JazzArts can volunteer at events, serve on committees, or provide financial support to help us sustain and grow our offerings. Donations of any size help provide free and affordable programs, ensuring continued access for all. In honor of JazzArts Charlotte’s 15th anniversary, we’ve launched the 15 for 15 giving campaign, running from October 2024 to October 2025. We invite supporters to celebrate this milestone by contributing an additional gift in multiples of 15—whether it’s $15, $150, $1,500, or even $15,000. Every contribution helps us continue enriching lives through jazz for the next 15 years and beyond. 

Together, let’s continue enriching lives through jazz. For more information or to donate, visit JazzArts Charlotte’s website