The Utah Valley University Music Department proudly presents the March Jazz Jam Series with Jay Lawrence. The Jazz Jam will be held on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Centre Stage on UVU’s campus.
The Jazz Jam Series aims to bring UVU students together in appreciation of a great musical genre. Dr. Alex Heitlinger, assistant professor and director of jazz and contemporary performance, states, “We want to create an all-ages jazz jam session in Utah County to help connect UVU student musicians with the local jazz scene.”
As part of the effort to engage students with jazz, Jay Lawrence, a distinguished drummer, ethnic and orchestral percussionist, composer and arranger, educator, clinician, adjudicator, band leader, contractor and author, will be playing with students for the first 45 minutes of the performance. As the show closes, audience members may be invited up to join in the “jam” with their own instruments. Audience members should prepare to “sit in” by bringing their own instruments and remembering jazz etiquette and rules.
Jay Lawrence has served as president of the Salt Lake City Jazz Society and as chief executive officer of Jazz Arts of the Mountain West. Jay is also a founding member of the GAM Foundations’ Jazz at the Sheraton concert series. Lawrence’s vast professional experience began when he joined The Musicians Union (A. F. of M.) at the age of fifteen, and was immediately in demand working as a drummer and percussionist for a myriad of celebrity shows in Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas. Since 1988, he has been an assistant professor of music at the University of Utah. His skills and know-how will be a welcomed treat for UVU students and Utah Valley in general.
Students and community members will love this series for its great jazz music, world class guest performer, and interactive components. The performance will happen on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. on UVU’s Centre Stage. Tickets for the event are available at uvu.edu/thearts and are $5 for community members and students alike.
To purchase tickets, visit: uvu.universitytickets.com or Campus Connection.
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About Utah Valley University
At 37,282 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college.
UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.