Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars are in full swing this fall with the 2023 Jazz Mentor Program. Rebecca Egwuenu and Alexander Juarez are two of the 38 Chicago high schoolers selected for this year’s program—they’ve just had their first rehearsal at UIC’s Performing Arts Building, and both musicians are eager to dive in and become immersed completely in jazz.
“It’s so special getting private lessons from elite musicians—Bobby Broom and Pat Mallinger are amazing!” guitarist Egwuenu said. A returning Jazz Scholar, Egwuenu’s love for music began at a young age in a Nigerian church where her family performed at services. She took up piano and then guitar at church, which she liked a lot because “it sounded cool.”
Today, she rehearses with accomplished jazz guitarist Bobby Broom and continues to be inspired by her mentors and fellow peers. Her favorite part of rehearsal is the jam session at the end of the day, where ideas are shared and people get to showcase their skills. “I love seeing my peers play and jam out—I always end up learning something new,” Egwuenu said.
Founded in 1995, the Jazz Mentor Program inspires, encourages, and trains 1,000 high school students in Chicago Public Schools each year. A central component of the program is the competitive selection of the Ravinia Jazz Scholars, a cohort of Chicago’s most talented student musicians. The Jazz Scholars receive intensive year-round training with the Jazz Mentors, who serve as role models and give the growing artists insight into the life of a professional musician. The ensemble members also receive scholarships to attend the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp in Louisville, KY.
Juarez, a first-year Jazz Scholar who has been playing guitar for 11 years, will be honing his Latin percussion skills in the program alongside two other students, and he is thrilled to learn more about music from his roots. Latin percussion may be a new area of study and performance for him, but he’s already feeling its importance. He is learning everything there is about Latin history, culture, and percussion from Jazz Mentor Eric Hines.
Connection is what has led to Juarez’s enthusiasm for Latin percussion, jazz, and other genres: “I really like connecting with people. You can connect with people through all genres of music in different ways. I can connect with a metal head, or a jazz nerd, or a Latino through music in a very personal way, and I really like that.”
The Jazz Mentors, a teaching and performing ensemble consisting of Chicago’s finest jazz musicians, give performances and master classes in Chicago’s public high schools as part of the Ravinia program. This group of experienced artists shares their enthusiasm for jazz with music students and builds on musical concepts taught by school band directors. Jazz Mentors include drummer Ernie Adams, guitarist Bobby Broom, bassist Dennis Carroll, percussionist Eric Hines, pianist Richard Johnson, saxophonist Pat Mallinger, trombonist Audrey Morrison, and trumpeter Pharez Whitted.
Throughout the year, students deepen their skills for performance, future professional studies, and music careers. Egwuenu recalls her first year as a Ravinia Jazz Scholar and the opportunity of a lifetime she received when she was told she was going to perform on the festival’s Carousel Stage before Marquis Hill took the Pavilion stage. “I remember being nervous, but it was really cool because a bunch of people went up to us after and said we were so good—I felt like a star,” Egwuenu reminisced.
The November gathering at UIC was not just the first rehearsal of the year but the beginning of a unique musical experience for Egwuenu, Juarez, and the other Jazz Scholars. For many of them, this will lead them to deeper education as well as a variety of opportunities and experiences that will teach them new things about themselves, their instrument, and their future careers and goals.
Many Jazz Mentor Program alumni have gone on to flourishing careers in music. These include Calvin Rogers, a drummer who was sought out early in his career by Ramsey Lewis for a recording session; Nico Segal, a trumpet player who performs with Chance the Rapper; and Shemeka Nash, a high school music teacher in CPS and the Sistema Ravinia Austin orchestra conductor. Alumni Kyle Swan and Alexis Lombre have attended the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, which offers a highly selective development program for young professional artists that is focused on composition and small-ensemble playing. Trumpeter and bandleader Marquis Hill, an alumnus of both programs, won the 2014 Thelonious Monk Competition and is a rising star in the jazz world.
“Jazz will always be a part of my life,” said Juarez, who is a high school senior looking to double major in jazz studies and business in college. Egwuenu, too, will incorporate jazz in her life moving forward: “I will keep music in there always.”