Pacific Crest Sinfonietta

Programs: Consistent with our objectives of music education, music education advocacy and music performance, the pacific crest sinfonietta has continued to focus on providing opportunities for portland, oregon's metropolitan area youth. In an environment where only a part of portland's public schools offer music coursework, the sinfonietta seeks to help fill the gap by providing and supporting educational access to this important art form. The sinfonietta offers high school students the opportunity to participate in it's american music program, a conduit for advanced jazz education and performance of our country's original art music. The amp is a nationally recognized music education program which trains youth in music history, technical proficiency and the real world of music performance. It provides classes three times per week to about 20 students per year. Many of these students go on to attend top music colleges and become music industry professionals. During 2014 amp students performed jazz and blues at a variety of music events, including the clark college jazz festival, the mingus competition, the next generation festival, and numerous small and large community events in the portland area. The number of persons in attendance varied from approximately one hundred fifty to ten thousand at the largest event, the portland waterfront blues festival. In addition, to further it's jazz education efforts, the amp students began a small music mentoring program with king elementary school students. And the sinfonietta's artistic director continued to offer area middle and high school jazz band instructors access to the amp's clinics with national music educators. The sinfonietta plans to continue it's successful student jazz orchestra program and to develop additional school and community relationships and education projects during the coming year.