The Venue in Aurora will be host to students from several schools on the weekend of March 8 and 9 for a Student Master Class Jazz Workshop and Festival with Pete Ellman Big Band and Friends.
The weekend workshop will culminate in an evening performance March 9 at The Venue, featuring the Pete Ellman Big Band with guest artists, including Dave Weckl, Louis Dowdeswell, and Bob Reynolds.
The Venue, 21 S. Broadway in Aurora, is a live music performance room in downtown Aurora that is run by the nonprofit Fox Valley Music Foundation.
The jazz workshop and festival will include clinics and masterclasses for more than 240 local students from two middle schools, six high schools, and one college. Fox Valley Music Foundation received a Quality of Life grant from the city government of Aurora along with a sponsorship from John and Maryellen Riley to be host to the event.
“In collaboration with Pete Ellman Big Band, the Fox Valley Music Foundation is providing education for young musicians by supplying access to international artists through masterclasses and group instruction, as well as a place for students to perform and showcase the skills they learn,” said Karen Fouts, executive director of the Foundation.
“This is an opportunity for students in participating school districts to learn from professional musicians and perform for their community,” she said.
For more information, visit themusicvenue.org or pebb.org.
—The Venue