Sunday, November 6, 2016

USA: Harpur Jazz Ensemble Launches Fundraising Initiative to Enhance the Music Program Experience

The Binghamton University Jazz Ensemble Alumni Are Rallying to Help Support the Program During Difficult Budgetary Times.

The Alumni of Binghamton University has launched a crowdfunding initiative to keep the Harpur Jazz Ensemble thriving for generations to come.
The Harpur Jazz Ensemble is a group of talented and passionate students who study and perform big-band repertoire for the community and student body. Over the years they have frequently appeared on and off campus with special guest musicians; including: Clark Terry—one of the most recorded musicians in the history of jazz; "Slam" Stewart--jazz bass player; Rufus Reid, a virtuoso of the upright bass;" and Sherrie Maricle and Tia Fuller, both high profile contemporary creative jazz artists.
The Jazz Ensemble has an enormous impact on civic programs in the local community as well as on undergraduates of all different academic programs.
"Our ensemble doesn't just give these kids an education in music theory, technique, and history. It's an education in community," explains Alumni and crowdfunding organizer Ben Wood. “The friendships and connections we create are for life.”
The intent of the campaign is to raise funds for new instruments, upgraded technology, and better rooms and furniture so they can continue to spark the love for music and its many intellectual benefits in others.
Music has been shown to promote brain activity, increase focus, help with understanding and analyzing visual information, and even builds self-confidence—all traits necessary to succeed in both academics and life.
"It [music] influences our emotions, makes us think in different ways, and teaches us how to work together,” says Wood. “I would hate to see something so all-encompassing and vital be unavailable to all the students who share this passion for music."
Make a gift now http://www.binghamton.edu/promo/crowd-funding/harpur-jazz-ensemble.html and help the next generation discover a creative outlet they might never have considered.
About
Binghamton University is a premier public university whose music program and diverse catalog of music classes are designed to enrich the lives of all students regardless of their major. The music program focuses on training professionally-oriented students for careers in music, whether it's performance, composition, music history, or music theory. Each year the department holds over 100 academic faculty members, guests, and student concerts as well as other outreach programs within the community.