By Peter Leggett, Walker West Music Academy

This August 5th -16th, Walker West Music Academy will conduct its 2013 Jazz Workshop Series in St. Paul.  At the Academy, we strive to support and develop young jazz musicians and the workshop series serves as an access point for new and emerging young artists.  The series includes two 2-week workshops for students of jazz,  a performance clinic and an open jam session hosted by Walker West faculty.  This year, the Academy will be hosting alto saxophonist Tia Fuller for a 2 day residency. Ms. Fuller, already an established jazz artist, gained international attention several years ago after joining pop star Beyonce’s all-female touring group. She continues to free lance and lead her own groups and recently has been performing in Grammy Award winning Esperanza Spalding’s group.  Ms. Fuller will work with students in both the intro level and advanced workshops and will conduct a free performance clinic that is open to the public during her stay in St. Paul.

The Academy has a history of hosting national and international jazz artists including trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, trumpeter Sean Jones, saxophonist Wess Anderson and bassist Christian McBride. Hosting Tia Fuller for the 2013 series continues this tradition of providing students in the Summit-University neighborhood and the greater Twin Cities with access to international jazz talent in the intimate setting of Walker West’s Selby Avenue location.

Overall, the series helps to foster the Academy’s commitment to continuing the legacy of jazz through apprenticeship style teaching and musical collaboration with peers. The series also helps to cultivate new students for the Academy’s youth jazz program and supports current students in furthering their improvisation skills.   To learn more about the Academy’s jazz program and the 2013 Summer Jazz Workshop Series, or to enroll, please contact us at 651-224-2929.

For more information about Walker West Music Academy and its history, please visit us at www.WalkerWestMusicAcademy.org.  Also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.