Don Braden

Saxophonist, Flutist, Composer, Arranger, Educator and Music Director of Litchfield Jazz Camp

Leading Litchfield Jazz Camp has been one of the most meaningful and fulfilling things I have ever done. The camp has been a central part of my life for nearly three decades, and I am very grateful for that. I firmly believe that young people must be our most important priority (other than the planet itself), and I believe that the camp is a great place to guide them. Here, we share creative and practical musical skills and useful life lessons through my favorite music and one of America’s major contributions to the world: Jazz! My own experiences as a teenager at jazz camp changed my life and provided so much to the amazing journey I have experienced. So, I strive to “pay it forward.”

My work at Litchfield has helped me refine my teaching philosophy. Jazz is one of the most challenging styles of Western music to play and demands development of a strong sound, solid rhythm, excellent musical technique and great ears. It requires the player to form an individual voice with the help of creativity, imagination, and top-notch music theory skills. In the bargain, jazz prepares you for performance in many other styles of music.

Jazz reflects other important aspects of life, among them, freedom, resilience, creativity, leadership, empathy, discipline, teamwork, self-awareness, and imagination. It is the most democratic of music styles marrying individual expression with responsibility to the group. Jazz musicians learn to balance ego with humility and to really listen to one another. Jazz requires that you develop a strong work ethic, which, for most professional players, is driven by love.

Finally, jazz represents an amazing tradition and culture. Created by enslaved African-Americans after they were freed, it represents the qualities of a remarkable people who withstood the challenges of slavery. Those people had to be smart, strong, creative, imaginative, and much more, and they had to have a sense of fun as well. Jazz reflects all of that.

As leader of the camp, I strive to make it a fantastic place to learn as much as possible of this rich history in a supportive environment. In the process of doing this, I have learned a ton myself. My teaching and administrative experiences here have informed my other educational situations, including my work at Harvard where I now run the Jazz Combo Initiative.

Another great thing I’ve experienced at Litchfield Jazz Camp is all the inspiring interactions I have had with the faculty. Our faculty bring their expertise, heart, soul, and humility to the task and are excellent role models for the students and for me. I am inspired by all of them. I am particularly proud of faculty members and staff who came to camp as teenagers and remain part of the family. That they return each summer from halfway across the country and around the world is a beautiful manifestation of the good work we have done.

One of the special aspects of working at camp for me is the connection I have built with Vita Muir, our founder. She has synchronized her compassion and generosity towards young people with her love for jazz and a creative approach to business, with spectacular results. On a personal level, she has been a mentor and a dear friend. She has given me many challenging musical projects and encouraged me to develop new skills, among them the art of grant writing. I am a better person for having known Vita all these years.

There is no question in my mind that my work with Litchfield Jazz Camp and Litchfield Performing Arts, of which I have been a past president and long-time board member, will stand as principal accomplishments of my lifetime. I plan for us to continue to share everything we can with our students— music, of course, and life skills, but also the fun of musicmaking, and to do our part to make the world a better, happier, stronger, more empathetic, and joyous place.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Litchfield Jazz Camp!

— Don Braden, Saxophonist, Flutist, Composer, Arranger, Educator and Music Director of Litchfield Jazz Camp

Albert Rivera

Director of Operations, Litchfield Jazz Camp

For as long as I can remember, my summers have involved lots of laughs, deep friendships, incredible music, and for the past 27 years, the Litchfield Jazz Camp. I didn’t know when I was 15 and took a chance on a new experience offered by strangers—a week at Litchfield Jazz Camp— that it would be the pivotal musical opportunity of my life.

I was a sophomore at LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts when I saw a poster for Litchfield Jazz Camp. It offered a chance to leave the steamy Bronx pavement and enjoy a summer in the countryside. More important, it promised to surround me with young musicians and artists who lived and breathed the music. When I arrived that July, I was excited and nervous, but I already felt I belonged here. Even then, I knew music would be my life. But what I learned at Litchfield was that it is community that sustains you, nurtures you, and maintains the fire to give it your all.

I arrived in a verdant, gorgeous place in the Berkshire foothills. How could I not be inspired? I walked around campus to the strains of exuberant jam sessions, hearing banter between faculty and campers I had yet to meet. A friendly face approached and asked, “Want to play a song?”

Twenty-seven years later—27 birthdays (I was a July baby) have been celebrated at LJC. Here, I went from being the new kid from the Bronx to growing in responsibility for the mission under the wing of Don Braden, who I had met on day 1. I worked hard and climbed the Litchfield ladder: from RA at 18, to TA to faculty member once I was an established performing artist. Now, I am Director of Operations.

I brought friends with me on these summer adventures. Many have become my musical collaborators. Some, like Zaccai Curtis, Andrew Hadro, Joe Beaty, Sean Pentland, and Jean Caze (there are way too many to name), have become family. Our backgrounds were different but we all shared one thing: we were deeply in love with the music. Now, so many who attended Litchfield as students are not only surviving in the world of music, they are absolutely thriving.

The Litchfield Jazz Camp helped me become the person I am today. I arrived a hard-headed, rough-around-the-edges, naive teenager with plenty of growing up to do. Vita Muir saw past all of that. She saw potential. She helped, nurtured, and believed in me. Don Braden became a mentor and a lifelong friend. Master musicians like Jimmy Greene, Matt Wilson, Paul Bollenback, and the late Onaje Allen Gumbs and Claudio Roditi, had a profound impact on my life and music. I connected with every one of them through this very special music camp.

As I matured, I took on the responsibility of hiring our teaching artists, and this gave me the opportunity to invite true jazz legends to teach with us. Among them were drummer Charli Persip and the great pianist Junior Mance. Andrew Hadro and I actually got to play in Junior’s band. These artists are the history of the music and our students experienced them firsthand.

Litchfield is a place of growth. It’s a place where we pass on what we know to the next generation, doing our part to keep this music alive and well. When I think back on my years here, I am filled with joy. For almost three decades, I’ve gotten to spend my summers making music with my closest friends. Would I have pursued music as a career without Litchfield? I’d like to think so, but has it been one of the most defining parts of my development? Absolutely. Music was never Plan B for me. It was my dream. And I have been living my dream, growing alongside the best of the best. That’s what Litchfield did for me. It gave me a chance. It gave a lot of us a chance, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

How lucky am I?

— Albert Rivera, Director of Operations, Litchfield Jazz Camp

Alejandra Williams

Pianist

I was a shy 12-year-old trying new things when I first came to a jazz camp in 2011. A sleep-away camp, no less— out of my comfort zone! My father found it online after a diligent search. Excited and intrigued, he encouraged me to give Litchfield a try. Fourteen years later and a current LJC faculty member, I cannot imagine my life without Litchfield Jazz.

I had my first experience creating music in a band at Litchfield, immersed in the magic and wonder of improvising with others. I learned how to open my ears, how to listen to each instrument while hearing the group as a whole, how to respond and interact with the sounds. I learned how to trust my bandmates and myself. It was a joyful experience, facilitated by some of the best teachers and musicians in the world and a wonderful group of curious, kind, and creative students. I distinctly remember coming back from camp that first summer and telling my dad, “There’s something here in this music, in this community, I want to keep exploring. There’s something special here!”

Now a professional musician in NYC, the lessons, opportunities, and community that blossomed for me at Litchfield continue to profoundly impact my life. Many campers and teachers I met that first year remain my closest friends and mentors. The LJC family has seen me through college applications, decisions on where to move after school, and given me invaluable support and guidance as my career develops. The beautiful thing about LJC is knowing this community will stay with you for life if you let it.

— Alejandra Williams, pianist

Anton Kot

Drummer

I was 10 years old, already playing drums but too young for Jazz Camp. My mother said I’d have to wait. I could hardly bear it. A year feels like forever when you’ve found your thing. After attending the next summer, I made absolutely certain my family knew I was coming back, and to please schedule everything else around it. I recall one particular lesson with Matt Wilson. He had me hitting the same beat on a ride cymbal over and over — just that one beat for an entire lesson. The repetition slowly became hypnotic. He showed me that rhythm becomes meditation, becomes breath. Another summer, Matt called my name from the stage. He had to call twice because I couldn’t believe he wanted me to take his place in a masterclass. My hands were shaking, and my heart was pounding in the same rhythm we’d practiced.

Vita Muir, our passionate leader, keeps her office everywhere across the campus —tucked into conversations near practice rooms, on a bench between sessions, anywhere, everywhere. That goes for all the faculty. They mingle— master musicians with students— no walls between them. You’re surrounded by people of every age at Litchfield, held together by a common thread, by the same love. At breakfast, late-night jams, and between workshops, you’re connected as one family.

My first Festival mainstage appearance happened when I was in high school. In 2022, just out of college, I found myself the leader of the Festival’s opening act. Standing on that stage, I could see where I’d sat in the audience as a kid, watching, dreaming. I’m now faculty myself, but still a student, watching my students have their own “Matt Moments,” their own shaky-hands experiences. I carry the Litchfield approach everywhere: stay open to what any musician at any level might bring into the room. That’s the Litchfield way — and that’s what I’m still learning every summer.

— Anton Kot, drummer

Ian Carroll

Drummer

I did not grow up a Litchfield student, but I remember hearing about the camp as home to the most formidable young jazz talents of my generation. Some spoke of transformative experiences, like seeing the legendary Wayne Shorter Quartet at the Litchfield Jazz Festival.

After I graduated from Purchase and began my career, I crossed paths with LJC’s Director of Operations, Albert Rivera, at a rehearsal. Albert took a liking to my playing and began to hire me for his projects. By 2014 I had gained enough experience to teach at LJC and was hired. This took my playing to a far higher level. My faculty fellows brought new depth to my swing, and I learned an unfathomable amount accompanying Don Braden, Avery Sharpe, Paul Bollenback, and so many others.

My music improved at LJC with help from several beautiful souls who are no longer with us, notably Claudio Roditi, Mario Pavone, and Claire Daly. My groove, reading, dynamic control, and rhythmic concept have all improved with being thrown into the fire of nightly faculty concerts. I have learned so much about the history of the music from being around incredible LJC drummers, people like Winard Harper, Matt Wilson, and Jerome Jennings.

The Jazz Festival has had a big impact on me. I’ll never forget seeing the life force of Ralph Peterson and Jimmy Cobb behind the drums for the first time. I have now spent a whole decade here and seen young drummers I taught germinate the seeds I planted into towering trees. A few have even joined us to teach. Young players like Anton Kot are at the cutting edge of the instrument, and now I get to learn new things from them! It has been great to be part of Litchfield Jazz Camp. I would not be the player I am without it!

— Ian Carroll, drummer

Dave Ballou

Trumpeter

I remember receiving the phone call from Mario Pavone in 2007 asking me to fill in for a couple of days at Litchfield Jazz Camp. After those few days, I was asked to do a full week, and I am fortunate to have been invited back each year since. That’s 18 years!!!

One thing that keeps me coming back is the joyous respect everyone at LJC has for the music and each other. LJC reflects one of the superpowers of jazz: building bonds between people. Making music with others creates connections that become long-lasting friendships. Learning jazz occurs through the passing of tradition from generation to generation. Each adds their mark as they pass this tradition onto the next. Over the years, I have witnessed campers advance to become resident assistants, camp administrators, fellow teachers, and even world-renowned artists. Now, they inspire us old timers as much as we inspired them.

As the camp has evolved, the love for one another remains constant. Seeing veteran virtuoso musicians invest in the progress of even the rawest beginner, seeing the spark in a student’s eyes as they reach a new understanding affirms that through teaching and performing, we become better people. I have made many wonderful friendships at Litchfield. These relationships continue to produce evocative and exciting music. Connections with faculty and campers fuel my passion to continue to grow as an artist and to pass it on.

— Dave Ballou, trumpeter

Joe Beaty

Trombonist

I first came to Litchfield Jazz Camp as a TA in the summer of 2002. I was invited by Albert Rivera, now our Operations Director—we were students together at New School. I worked as a TA for three consecutive summers. I still remember seeing Wayne Shorter with his quartet at the 2003 Litchfield Jazz Festival. After that, life took me away for a while. I had three heart surgeries and spent several years unable to play. When I recovered, I was eager to return.

Being part of the Litchfield Jazz family has meant everything to me. From Vita to Don to Albert, and all the incredible faculty and students, this community has been a constant in my life. Through some of my highest moments and some of my darkest, Litchfield has remained a place where I could teach, play, share, and heal. Every summer, I learn just as much—if not more—from my students and colleagues as they learn from me.

I look forward to returning each year; it feels like a family reunion every time. These are people I’ve known for decades now—we’ve laughed together, mourned together, and grown together. I’m truly grateful and honored to be a member of the Litchfield faculty and family. This experience has given more to my life than I could ever give back, and I am forever thankful.

— Joe Beaty, trombonist

Jen Allen

Pianist

I first came to Litchfield Jazz Camp working in the office, and once they discovered I was also a musician and teacher, they invited me to join the faculty. Since then, I’ve had the joy of teaching incredible young musicians alongside deeply skilled and generous artists. Both experiences have shaped my own musicianship in meaningful ways. The students at camp have a genuine care for the music, and the teaching artists’ willingness to share their wisdom makes every summer inspiring.

Litchfield has always designed its programs with students’ needs at the center, while also creating space for instructors to share their experience in authentic, impactful ways. They’ve consistently made me feel that what I bring is both valuable and valued, and not many organizations can do that.

— Jen Allen, pianist

Emmett Goods

Trombonist

I began working with Litchfield Jazz Camp in 2022 and was immediately struck by the warmth of the community. Both staff and students welcomed me as if I had been there for years. The camp’s non-competitive environment stands out in a world that often prizes comparison. My group of trombonists ranged from middle schoolers to adults, and, instead of rivalry, there was genuine support and encouragement among them.

What makes Litchfield special is its purity of purpose. The students’ love for the music is unfiltered, and the teaching approach is as comprehensive as it is inspiring. Students receive a full picture of jazz—improvisation, theory, history, and direct engagement with working artists. Being part of this camp has deepened my own artistry and expanded how I approach teaching. It’s a rare and beautiful space where learning, growth, and community all thrive together.

— Emmett Goods, trombonist

Anson Jones

Vocalist / Pianist

I started at Litchfield as a camper when I was 13 years old and continued on as an RA, TA, and now faculty member. It’s been over a decade, and it’s hard to overstate how much Litchfield has been a connecting thread in my musical life. This place has played a major role in many important moments, from expanding my musical world as a teenager, to encouraging me to pursue jazz music at university, to connecting me to the amazing and legendary musicians who continue to show me the path forward as a professional musician. Litchfield has been a community and a resource for me at so many important times, and these mentors and friends are often my first calls for making music or seeking advice. I still write and play with many of the friends I made that first year when I was 13, and every year I meet new members of the Litchfield family who amaze and inspire me!

— Anson Jones, vocalist/pianist

Andrew Hadro

Baritone Saxophonist

I’ve been a part of Litchfield Jazz Camp for so many years most people assume I was a student here. The real story is that I met Albert Rivera in college, and he invited me to join the camp that very summer. Twenty years later and a pro for an international music company, I’ve taught and worked nearly every job there is at LJC and continue to help Albert get everything done.

The faculty I’ve met has had a profound impact on my musical output. Pianist Julian Shore produced my first album and played duo with me for my second. Percussionist Rogerio Boccato played on my second album and several of my projects since. I met both at camp. Albert has been integral to my musical life from the start, either performing with him or for him throughout the region. The next step on this wild ride: I sit down to play in a big band, and the very young-looking musician seated next to me will inevitably lean over and whisper he remembers me from camp years ago. I tell him of course I remember him (I don’t), and that I’m glad to be able to share the bandstand with one of the many, many students who have made their way through this organization.

— Andrew Hadro, baritone saxophonist

Kris Allen

Saxophonist

I first came into the LPA family in 2001. I often relay this story to students because it’s a classic example of right place at the right time. That summer life intruded on two friends of mine, and I ended up getting the call for two consecutive little stints substitute teaching at the camp. That all went well enough that Vita asked me to return as a teaching artist in full the next year, and I’ve been involved with the camp ever since— 25 years now!*

It has grown way past a few weeks of summer camp for me. I’ve had the opportunity to perform at the festival and at other LPA-sponsored concert series throughout the year. I’ve been a part of several other LPA educational initiatives, from Project Poetry Live!, to the LJC Talent Search, and LPA’s most recent project, Swinging Saturdays, a 6-month long project for New Haven area students, sponsored by the CT State Department of Education!

This LPA family has brought me such a wealth of relationships. Some of my closest friends in the world are folks I first met there, and the worldwide network of former students keeps expanding and surprising. I’m getting to a point where it’s not uncommon to forget where I first met someone. So many artistic colleagues who are important to my work have a Litchfield connection, too many to list! There are folks who became important mentors musically and pedagogically. Don Braden, Mario Pavone, Avery Sharpe and David Berkman come to mind. And, of course, Vita Muir has been a crucial support to my career all along the way. One last anecdote sums it up. A Litchfield Jazz Camper helped choose my son’s name when he was still in-utero. Avery—who was a camper—is now coming up on his 21st birthday! I love being part of this family-of-an-organization and its history and traditions.

Editor’s note: Well enough indeed! Student surveys indicated Kris, at just 26 and in lofty company, was the campers’ favorite teacher that summer.

— Kris Allen, saxophonist

Julian Shore

Pianist

It’s fair to say I wouldn’t be a jazz musician without Litchfield Jazz Camp. My mother signed me up, probably to get me out of the house, when I was 12, and it changed my life. Meeting other young musicians so passionate about this music, hearing older masters perform it live, and experiencing the intriguing teamwork required to execute it firsthand all drew me in like a moth to the light.

I was excited not only to come back, but to work throughout the year and return a better musician. During my time as a camper, I was exposed to some of the most important jazz artists alive via the festival, and I hold those concerts and workshops among the formative musical experiences of my young life.

After a few years at Camp, I began to understand that I might have a future in improvised music and was encouraged and supported by everyone at the program to pursue that. Many of my first gigs were with LJC faculty members, some of whom I continue to play with to this day. Now, some decades later, here I am, trying to honor that role and inspire the next generation of young artists. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to do so.

— Julian Shore, pianist

Peter McEachern

Trombonist (and long-time Board member)

In 1996, Vita Muir contacted me about a new jazz festival she was launching. She asked if I would play and I was thrilled by the invite. I reached out to my dear friend and collaborator Mario Pavone, and we put together a remarkable group with the late Thomas Chapin, Marty Erlich, Steve Johns, and Peter Madsen. The Peter McEachern/Mario Pavone Sextet was the first group to take the stage at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, and it was a seminal experience. Since then, performing at the festival—and having the privilege of serving as a teaching artist since 1998—has been one of the true highlights of my career. Working with the extraordinary faculty and mentoring young musicians, many of whom have gone on to become powerful voices in the music, has been profoundly meaningful.

Vita, who continues to guide the festival with vision and unwavering commitment, has been an inspiration to me, to the faculty, and to generations of students. Albert and Don have helped create an atmosphere of respect, encouragement, and genuine community, a spirit that defines the Litchfield Jazz Festival experience.

My years with Litchfield Jazz—its faculty, students, and staff—have been transformative. I feel deeply grateful, humbled, and forever indebted to this vibrant and generous musical family.

— Peter McEachern, trombonist (and long-time Board member)

Mike DiRubbo

Saxophonist

I am honored to be one of the first original Litchfield Jazz Camp faculty members (1996), teaching here still today. Vita had reached out to my good friend, trombonist Steve Davis, about her idea for a Jazz Camp and he assembled the first faculty. That year, the camp was a one-week day camp at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield with just 35 students, all ages, and those who could not pay, received scholarships. We’ve built it up over the years to 4 weeks, and I recall one summer of 5 weeks!

I’ve always kept July as free as possible for the past 30 (yikes) years so I could teach at least one or two weeks. It’s a reunion each year, with returning faculty and students, and it is a wonderful “green” escape from the heat and concrete of NYC. Like-minded people come together here, and we deepen our understanding of the music we love so much. We learn as we teach and share with the students, many now in their 30’s and playing all over the world. Other than the sleep-over age requirement (you have to be at least 13 to board), we don’t turn away any student who wants to come. It is truly rewarding to see these students come “out of their shells” and make a real connection, both musically and socially, in such a short time. Thank you Vita and the Litchfield Jazz Camp for having me along for the ride! Here’s to another 30 years!

— Mike DiRubbo, saxophonist

Troy Roberts

Saxophonist

When I consider a reputable jazz educational and practical experience, Litchfield Jazz Camp most definitely takes the cake. My teaching experience spans years as an adjunct and later as a full-time faculty member at The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, NYC’s The New School, The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and countless Artist-in-Residence engagements at many prestigious universities across the US. But as a performing, touring, and recording artist foremost, I have to be highly selective when it comes time dedicated to educational commitments. Over the years, colleagues shared so many great reviews about the Litchfield Jazz Camp and its success, but what truly got my attention was the realization that a more-than-substantial number of the world-class professional jazz musicians I work with happen to be the fruits of this camp’s labor. Although my schedule did not permit me to join the first few years I was invited, I continued dreaming of joining the faculty someday. I am now part of this stylistically diverse and elite family of educators at the country’s most prestigious Jazz Camp – a true honor. My teaching life has been wonderfully enhanced through observation, brainstorming, and deep discussions with my fellow instructors on how best to nurture the talents of the generations to come. All of this is to say just how wonderful it is to share the stage with past campers who’ve flourished and become professional creators of art.

— Troy Roberts, saxophonist

Steve Kortyka

Saxophonist

Becoming part of the Litchfield Jazz Camp faculty in 2023 was both an honor and a highlight in my ongoing journey as a performer and educator. I was brought on board by Albert Rivera, whose leadership and dedication to the camp’s mission immediately inspired me. From the moment I arrived, I could sense that Litchfield was a special place—one built on a genuine love of music, education, and community.

I’ve been a longtime admirer of Don Braden, so joining a faculty that he’s been such an integral part of holds special meaning for me. I actually met Don many years ago when I was a first-year student at the University of Cincinnati, and I remember being struck not only by his command of the instrument, but by his generosity and clarity as an educator. To now teach alongside him and contribute to the same program that he’s helped shape feels like things have come full circle.

Working with the Litchfield staff has been incredibly rewarding. The faculty represents a wide spectrum of artistry—each person brings a unique musical voice and a deep level of experience as both a performer and a teacher. There’s a shared commitment to excellence here, not only in how everyone plays, but in how they teach and connect with the students. The atmosphere encourages creative risk-taking, thoughtful listening, and collaboration—values that align perfectly with how I approach music myself.

What I’ve come to appreciate most about Litchfield is its sense of musical family. Watching students grow from their first hesitant solos into confident improvisers over just a few days is deeply gratifying. Litchfield reminds me why I fell in love with jazz in the first place—the dialogue, the energy, and the constant joy of discovery that happens every time we play together.

— Steve Kortyka, saxophonist