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Montavilla Schools Music Fund

MJF supports music education in our community

The Montavilla Jazz Festival (MJF) would not be possible without the amazing array of talented jazz artists that call Portland home — and they, in turn, would not have blossomed into such skillful musicians without the support of teachers. For the continued vitality and vibrancy of the Portland jazz scene, it’s important to support the next generation of great Portland jazz players.

 

MJF is dedicated to enriching the lives of Montavilla residents

The MJF team is dedicated to enriching the lives of Montavilla children and youth by supporting education in our neighborhood public schools. As one of Portland’s largest neighborhoods, Montavilla relies on four public schools to serve neighborhood families. These schools are the lifeblood of our community. Due in part to declining funding, these schools are often able to offer only limited opportunities for music education. It is a perpetual struggle to find resources to dedicate to music education even in the best of times.

To bolster music education in our schools, MJF created the Montavilla Schools Fund (MSMF). From 2015 through 2018 MJF earmarked a portion of each ticket sold to the MSMF. Our four neighborhood public schools had the opportunity to apply for grants funded by these proceeds. The grants helped teachers develop unique, robust music programs. We envisioned children and youth in these programs performing music supported with MSMF funds in varied settings throughout the community for years to come.

A portion of MJF ticket sales funds jazz education in our schools

After Montavilla Jazz Festival 2017, MJF granted $2,500 to Bridger, Creative Science, Harrison Park, and Vestal schools. These grants funded general music classes, purchased instruments needed to start a pop music ensemble, paid for guitar lessons, and subsidized the cost of summer music camp for those in need. “The joy of music is something that every student should have the opportunity to experience,” said Vestal Elementary Principal Emily Glasgow.

In 2017, MJF formed an independent grants selection committee charged with selecting a single award winner from four proposals, one from each of Montavilla’s neighborhood schools. The winner of 2018’s top grant, Vestal School, was awarded $750, made possible with proceeds from 2017 festival ticket sales. The grant partially funded our pilot program Montavilla Jazz Artist-in-Residence recently piloted at Vestal School in the first months of 2019.

Community business sponsors make MJF possible

We are able to support projects like these because all the money required to present MJF is raised through individual donors and business sponsorships before the first note of jazz is played. This allows us to use ticket revenue to fund our jazz education initiatives in our schools. Your support of the festival, whether you’re a sponsor, volunteer, or attendee, has a direct impact on kids in Montavilla public schools. You can further show your support by making a contribution to Montavilla Jazz Festival online or at the box office. Just as in a jazz band, everyone has a part to play.

Grantees

2016

Bridger School – $500

Creative Science School – $500

Vestal School – $1,000

2017

Creative Science School – $1,000

2018

Harrison Park School – $750

Vestal School – $750

Bridger School – $500

Creative Science School – $500

2019

Awards to be determined…

Awards in Dollars

Montavilla Jazz Festival has been a gift to our community, supporting musicians, providing entertainment, and supporting music in the local schools.

Alissa Keny-Guyer

State Representative, Oregon

Vestal is thrilled to have Montavilla Jazz Artist-in-Residency at Vestal! Jazz will be an amazing tool for our students to learn about music as social justice!

Sabrina Flamoe

Principal, Vestal School

The MSMF grant will allow Creative Science School to continue our current music program into the next school year. Without the grant it was unlikely the we would raise enough money to cover the entire year.

Meisha Plotzke

Principal, Creative Science School