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Reach*Teach*Play salutes jazz pianist Willie Pickens
Paramount to the success of Ravinia’s Reach*Teach*Play education
programs are the top-notch teaching artists—professional musicians
with thriving performance careers who take time from their busy
schedules to educate, train, and mentor the young people in our
programs. The late, great Willie Pickens (1931–2017), famed Chicago
jazz pianist and leader of Reach*Teach*Play’s flagship Ravinia Jazz
Mentors program, epitomized the ideal teaching artist—instilling a
passion for music and the values of dedication to artistic excellence,
self-discipline, optimism, and ambition in his students.
The Ravinia Jazz Mentors serve over 1,200 Chicago Public High School
students each year, performing as an ensemble in area schools and
conducting master classes for school jazz bands. Each year a group of
20 students, selected through audition, receive intensive training and
guidance from the Jazz Mentors. These Ravinia Jazz Scholars receive
four hours of instruction per week, scholarships to attend jazz camps,
and performance opportunities in local venues,
culminating with a Martin Theatre performance
during Ravinia’s summer concert season. Since its
inception in 1995, hundreds of young musicians
have benefitted from the Jazz Mentors initiative.
Many alumni have gone on to have professional
performance and teaching careers, and several
have credited Willie Pickens with providing the
foundation for their musical journeys.
In celebrating the life and legacy of Willie Pickens,
Ravinia salutes all of the Jazz Mentors as well as the
talented teaching artists in the Guest Artists in the
Classroom, Music Discovery, Ravinia Lawndale
Family Music School, and Sistema Ravinia
Orchestra programs.
Clockwise from left: Willie Pickens
performing for students in Bennett
Gordon Hall; Trumpeter Marquis Hill,
who was a member of the Ravinia Jazz
Scholars from 2002 to 2005 and is
now a featured artist on the Concord
label, having won the Thelonious
Monk Institute of Jazz Competition in
2014; The 2015 Ravinia Jazz Mentors,
gathered around lead mentor Willie
Pickens before the annual summer
Ravinia Jazz Mentors and Scholars
concert in the Martin Theatre
JUNE 1 – JUNE 17, 2018 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE
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