Jazz Power Initiative To Honor The Miranda Family At Jazz Power Celebration20 Event

Jazz Power Initiative (JPI), announces Jazz Power Celebration20, to be held on May 15, 2024, at New York's premier address - One Vanderbilt Avenue (TD Conference Center). The event honors the organization's first 20 years of Jazz and Arts education programs and performances - enriching young people's lives, improving, and strengthening community bonds, and inspiring a new generation of young artists.

Jazz Power Celebration20 offers the Jazz Power Initiative an opportunity to honor important partners, sponsors, and supporters without whose help, much of what has been accomplished would not have been possible. Among those being honored - The Miranda Family, including Luis A. Miranda Jr. and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda; Luz Miranda-Crespo and Luis Crespo; Lin Manuel-Miranda and Vanessa A. Nadal; and Miguel Towns.

For over 40 years, The Miranda Family has championed community activism. They have created and supported institutions that have uplifted underserved populations in Upper Manhattan, throughout New York City, across the country, and in Puerto Rico. Today, The Miranda Family's philanthropic work continues to focus on their longstanding commitment to advocacy for education, the arts, and social justice - along with a sustained focus on Puerto Rico.

"The Miranda Family's passionate, consistent, and precise approach to community service combined with the arts is an ongoing source of inspiration to us at Jazz Power Initiative. We are thrilled to be able to honor the entire family and thank them for their leadership support of Jazz Power Initiative in our shared home uptown," said Internationally recognized pianist, composer, and producer Eli Yamin, Jazz Power Initiate's co-founder, and Managing and Artistic Director.

Summarizing the importance and remarkable achievements of the organization, Yamin said, "These past two decades have been a whirlwind of sound, a circle of friendship, mentorship, learning, eyes, and ears widening. Twenty years of jazz community performance and education uptown and across the world. Transformational education experiences for over 4000 students; 800 teachers performing more than 120 concerts reaching an audience of over 30,000. Our Jazz Power community continues to grow and renew with each generation. The tools of our trade - making a soulful sound, telling stories with swing, syncopation, call and response, reharmonization, and improvisation - keep making new openings, possibilities, and opportunities for our youth to grow, our community to heal and be strong for one another."

Jazz Power Initiative is rooted in the idea that "Creativity and imagination are inherent in everyone...," and therefore, everyone is entitled to discover the immersive and transformative influence of the arts. The organization offers music education programs that are modeled around the jazz tradition and are holistic, cross-cultural, and multidisciplinary in their approach. The experience is meant to foster teamwork, inclusivity, self-discipline, and creative expression. The richness of the African American and Latino American jazz foundation in combination with dance, theater, and vocal training makes for a culturally relevant pedagogy that increases artistic and social emotional skills and is aligned with New York City, State, and National arts learning standards.

The organization has a multi-tiered recruitment strategy that ensures that a majority of Black and Brown youth from underserved communities in the local New York City area, can access these programs through their tuition-free, year-round training.

Jazz Power Initiative opens doors and provides opportunities that showcase their students' wealth of talent. Zah! Ensemble, the organization's advanced ensemble group, has the distinction of being invited to perform at high-profile events including the Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam at National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, and Jazz Power Uptown! Festival in Inwood Hill Park.

The organization provides preparatory support for students who attend the JPI program, and who wish to apply to specialized high schools such as LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, and many others. Additionally, JPI has helped numerous students pursuing higher academic learning, receive scholarships to prestigious colleges and universities.

Funds raised during Jazz Power Celebration20 will help expand the organization's arts education and performance programs. For information about JPI and to purchase tickets and sponsorships to Jazz Power Celebration20 as well as tickets to the Rhythm Revue Dance Party, a continuation of the evening's celebration - visit www.jazzpower.org.