A Journey Through Uniquely American Music for Students Ages 12-17

Swinging Saturdays is an exciting, Free, 18-week program held at New Haven’s Educational Center for the Artsfrom late January through late June.

No instrument? No problem! Just bring your curiosity and get ready to dive into the world of jazz music in all its forms, from Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis, and from delta blues to pop. You’ll meet the instruments and the incredible players who make the sounds.

Meet the Stars!

Our teachers and performers include many GRAMMY Winners and Nominees, such as:

Vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, Pianists Zaccai Curtis, Alejandra Williams, Jen Allen, Bassist Luques Curtis, Conway Campbell, Saxophonists Don Braden, Andrew Hadro, Wayne Escoffery, Guitarist Paul Bollenback, Charlie Sigler, Mike Godette, Drummers Matt Wilson, Richie Barshay, Joe Dyson…and many more top artists!

What You’ll Experience:

Music History: Learn about the fascinating people and history behind this music.

Recording Tech: Get hands-on experience learning about recording today’s top artists and even yourselves!

Dancing: Want to learn to dance to swing or Latin beats? The award-winning Matthew Westerby Dance Company has you covered. Our dance workshop series will be an opportunity for students to move, create, and collaborate while exploring new styles of movement and strengthening technique and partnering skills. Through improvisation, creative challenges, and choreography-building exercises they will also experiment with making their own dances!

Unique Field Trips & Concerts:

Talent Search: Be an audience member and see how winners are picked at the Litchfield Jazz Camp Talent Search, featuring kids your age soloing with a professional backup band.

Yale School of Music: Visit the famous campus, get a tour from resident artists, and enjoy a concert played especially for you.

Weekly Concerts: Celebrity artists join our house band for a performance every single Saturday afternoon! Your family, friends, and neighbors are all invited.

Best of all, this entire program is FREE OF CHARGE! This includes all classes, meals, snacks, and bus transportation. You can’t beat the price, and you can’t beat the quality of the artists!

Swinging Saturdays is run by Litchfield Performing Arts and its Litchfield Jazz Fest & Camp, with support from the CT State Department of Education’s Office of Strategic Planning and Partnerships.

For information, contact: Tegan@litchfieldjazzfest.com and/or call 860-361-6285.