Congratulations to our 2025 Educator Connect Finalist

Katie Westerlund

Fort Hamilton High School, NY

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 a finalist 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