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MSU Summer Program Preps Tomorrow's Jazz Masters

Local middle and high school students are completing a week-long jazz camp at Michigan State University. They'll cap their studies Friday evening with a live performance at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing.
Kevin Lavery
/
WKAR
Local middle and high school students are completing a week-long jazz camp at Michigan State University. They'll cap their studies Friday evening with a live performance at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing.

This week, dozens of aspiring young musicians are wrapping up their time in the woodshed.  That’s how jazz artists describe the countless hours of practice to hone their skills and develop their craft. More than 70 students aged 11 through 18 have been taking part in the annual Community Music School Summer Jazz Camp at Michigan State University. 

This year, acclaimed trombone player Wycliffe Gordon taught a jazz master class to get the students ready for their final exam: a live performance tonight at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing.

WKAR's Kevin Lavery produced this audio postcard.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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