educator connect
Congratulations to our 2024 Educator Connect Finalists
Mairead Leahy and Nic Adams
2024 Finalist Nic Adams
2024 Graduate Berklee College of Music
2024 Finalist Mairead Leahy
2024 Graduate Boston University
Meet the two jazz educators were selected to participate in the 2024 Jazzhers Connect Leadership Program, designed to increase visibility and create connections for women and non-binary jazz educators. They travelled to the 16th Annual Charles Mingus HS Jazz Festival with the Newton South Jazz Ensemble and spend a weekend focused on jazz history, education, and performance.
Jazzhers’ mission is to bring young women and nonbinary musicians together and provide them with mentors and resources that allow them to see themselves represented by instrument as well as genre. Our reach includes not only students but music educators.
Each year we select 2 finalists to work to be mentored by jazz educator Lisa Linde. Each participant will have the opportunity be coached on rehearsal techniques and to shadow their mentor at state and national jazz festivals where they meet music educators from some of the top jazz ensembles in the nation as well as artist-teacher-performers from ensembles such as the Mingus Institute or Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. This is an opportunity participants to make professional connections, to hear some of the top student jazz groups in the nation, and to refine their teaching practice.
Past Educator Connect Finalists
2023 Finalist Leighanne Rudsit
Franklin HS
2023 Finalist Amanda Howland
Bridgewater-Raynham HS