Savannah Music Festival | March 22-April 7, 2012

Music Education is at the heart of the Savannah Music Festival's mission.  Study after study has proven that music education dramatically increases early brain development and improves students' overall academic performance.  In addition, students who participate in the arts learn the value of creativity, teamwork and self-expression.

Savannah Music Festival is firmly committed to advancing the public's understanding and appreciation of music through a variety of educational initiatives. These include family-friendly performances, music education concerts, master classes, workshops, dance programs, films, and lectures. In 2010, the festival reached more than 20,000 children, parents and teachers through these programs.

IN-THEATER EDUCATION CONCERT SERIES

GULFSTREAM EDUCATION MUSIC SERIES

Since 2004, SMF has produced a wealth of in-theater education programs for children from the surrounding counties. In 2011, our in-theater series featured artists such as Synergy Brass Quintet, The McIntosh County Shouters, Kinobe and Soul Beat Africa, Roger Day, Los Munequitos de Matanzas, Tracy Silverman, and others.

In September 2011 and March 2012, SMF will produce a total of five in-theater education concerts in Savannah's historic downtown Trustees Theater for youth ages 5 to 13. Nearly 5,000 students from Chatham County and surrounding areas will be bussed downtown free of charge to experience these multi-genre, age-appropriate youth concerts. For many of these underprivileged students, this will be their first experience visiting a historic theater and attending a musical arts event.

To maximize learning opportunities and prepare these students for their musical experience, each teacher receives study guides with educational activities designed to enhance learning before and after the performance. The individual study guides meet Georgia's Performance Standards (GPS) and are carefully crafted by a team of local educators. The guides enable the teachers to connect the program to core subjects such as history, math, and language arts.

SEPTEMBER 26th & 27th 2011 ROGER DAY Marsh Madness

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Sponsored in part by Georgia Sea Grant

Additional support by Mr. & Mrs. Howard J. Morrison, Jr.

Nashville-based musician Roger Day (Parent's choice award winner) will perform his latest show, Marsh Madness, co-commissioned by the Georgia Sea Grant and the Savannah Music Festival. Songs such as Fiddler Groove, Jesse the Turtle Girl, Alligator in My Refrigerator and Mosquito Burrito will be featured in this 50-minute educational performance. After enrolling, you will receive a study guide (based on the Georgia Performance Standards) to prepare your students for the concert.

MARCH 20th & 21st 2012 LUNCH MONEY Places to Go, Things to See!

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Sponsored in part by International Paper

Additional support by AT&T Advertising Solutions

Lunch Money brings the indie-rock experience to young audiences with an energetic salute to the stuff of childhood: roller coasters, giant cookies and getting dizzy. This trio "artfully treads the line between alt-kids and just plain alternative" [Nick Jr. Family Magazine] and this year their song "It Only Takes One Night to Make a Balloon Your Friend" topped the charts on XM/Sirius children's radio. The band delivers a high-energy show that aims to get children dancing, thinking and laughing. THESE PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT

MARCH 27th, 2012 HELLO POPS! Wycliffe Gordon's tribute to Louis Armstrong

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Additional support by The Albert Tenebaum Family Fund

Additional support shared by Macy's

Hello Pops is a project that extends a musical homage and Hello to Wycliffe Gordon's favorite artist and biggest musical influence: Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential artists in the history of American music. Wycliffe and his band will perform original compositions as well as some of Louis Armstrong's most beloved tunes. Even though Wycliffe Gordon is well known as a trombonist, he will also sing and play trumpet. THIS PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT

MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS SERIES

In the past, the Savannah Music Festival has brought artists into ten Chatham County public schools each year.  Because arts and field trip budgets are shrinking within all education systems, the Festival decided to increase both its focus and reach by bringing more quality musical arts directly into regional schools.  In 2011-2012, we will program three separate "Music in Our Schools" series in September, October and February.  This initiative will provide SMF the opportunity to produce first-rate programs in 30 schools throughout greater Savannah in Chatham, Effingham, Bryan, Beaufort and Jasper counties, reaching a total of 15,000 youth.

ROGER DAY - Marsh Madness
as part of the Savannah Ocean Exchange

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Sponsored in part by Georgia Sea Grant

Additional support by Mr. & Mrs. howard J. Morrison, Jr.

The first series is set for September 19th-23rd and features SMF-favorite Roger Day, a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner. Roger is primarily an educational musician and will visit ten schools in Effingham and Chatham counties.  This program, entitled Marsh Madness, includes compositions that were commissioned by SMF in 2010 to educate students on Georgia's coastal wetlands, modern ecology, and man's role in the environment. The Festival is currently collaborating with the Georgia Sea Grant to produce a DVD of this program that can be disseminated to classrooms throughout Georgia and beyond. For more information about Roger: http://www.rogerday.com/ 

School participating:
Blandford Elementary. Rincon, GA
Ebenezer Elementary. Rincon GA
Guyton Elementary. Guyton, GA
Marlow Elementary. Guyton, GA
Rincon Elementary. Rincon, GA
Sand Hill Elementary. Guyton, GA
South Effingham Elementary. Guyton, GA
Springfield Elementary. Springfield, GA
Isle of Hope Elementary. Savannah, GA

TERRANCE SIMIEN & THE ZYDECO EXPERIENCE

Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Additional support by Georgia Ports Authority

The second series, October 17th-21st, will feature Zydeco master Terrance Simien and an educational program entitled "Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco." This program will be presented in both middle schools and Boys & Girls Clubs located in Jasper and Beaufort counties. Centered on the indigenous Zydeco music of the French speaking Creoles of southwest Louisiana, it offers a rare glimpse a unique and complex rural culture.  Here is the link to Terrance's original and innovative program: http://www.terrancesimien.com/creoleforkidz.html   

Schools and organizations participating:

Ridgeland Middle School, S.C.
Hardeeville Middle School, S.C.
Garrison Performance & Visual Arts Academy, GA

The Boys and Girls Club of the Low Country
Hilton Head
Bluffton
Jasper
Sheldon
Beaufort

EVERYONE IN THE BAND! with Billy Jonas

February 27th - March 3rd, 2012

Sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Sponsored in part by Shelby Schavoir and Georgia Power

Additional support by The Albert Tenenbaum Family Fund

Billy Jonas, an Asheville, NC-based musician will perform Music From Anything!, an interdisciplinary program in making music and musical instruments from found, foraged and recyclable objects. Sing-a-longs, bang-a-longs, and homemade instruments are just a few of Jonas's ideas to get the audience involved. Students will create their own instruments out of recyclable objects, write their own songs, and make their own music. The materials in the activities address state science teaching standards for grades one through eight.

For more than two decades, Billy Jonas has made a career out of creative and interactive performances for all ages. Jonas is a founding member of "The Billys," and is well known for his unique use of random objects to make music. He strives to allow every audience member to participate by discovering music with common items.

His CD "What Kind of Cat are You?!" received a First Place/Gold from American Federation of Independent Musicians and a Parent's Choice Gold. He has also been listed in a New York Times "Best" listing. Jonas has shared the stage with Richard Thompson, Patti Larkin, Ani DiFranco, David Wilcox, and Pete Seeger.

SWING CENTRAL JAZZ

SPONSORED BY BOB & JEAN FAIRCLOTH

Swing Central Jazz has grown in the past six years from a two days workshop to a whole year web learning center and a three days high school Jazz band competition & workshop. 

SwingCentralJazz.org connects young jazz musicians with world-class peer-to-peer instruction.  Students can browse video lessons by our clinicians relating to practice habits, the rehearsal process, and performance tactics, and hear what recordings, collaborations and influences have given SCJ clinicians Inspiration. 

Swing Central High School Jazz Band Competition & Workshop is the annual summit of America's finest jazz educators and  high school big bands at the Savannah Music Festival.  From March 30 through April 1.  Swing Central Jazz provides more than 300 young jazz musicians from across the country with opportunities to receive instruction from, directly interact with, and publicly perform amongst jazz musicians such as Marcus Roberts, Slide Hampton, Wycliffe Gordon and the Clayton Brothers. Prizes are awarded to exceptional ensembles.

Click here for 2012 announcement

VISIT SWING CENTRAL JAZZ: http://www.swingcentraljazz.org