Who we are and what we do
The Charlotte County Jazz Society, a 501©3 non-profit organization, was founded in 1990 to promote and enhance the appreciation and availability of live jazz in Charlotte County and surroundings for people of all ages. Our mission includes producing a series of concerts from October through April, awarding scholarships following auditions to high school graduates who will continue the study or performance of music in college, and nurturing musical talent and appreciation of jazz through workshops, clinics, and other outreach programs for students in our county schools. All events are open to our CCJS members for free and to the general public for a nominal fee.
For over 35 seasons, the Society has presented more than 300 concerts featuring top-flight professional jazz musicians from across Florida and beyond. During the last five years we have awarded over $50,000 to high school seniors for furthering their education past high school. We maintain a website at cc-jazz.org; a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ccjazzsociety; a hotline, 941-766-9422; and multiple issues of our newsletter In Tune.
Making a difference in the community
Since many school systems have dramatically cut or even eliminated budget support for visual and performing arts, CCJS’s additional involvement with students has become essential. We help fill the gap by bringing live jazz into the public schools with performances and master classes. All school students are admitted free to any of our events simply by showing a school ID.
Southwest Florida has a vibrant arts and culture scene, particularly to the north in Sarasota and to the south in Naples. Looking at Florida’s demographic, many residents in our region tend not to travel long distances to seek out the arts. Consequently, CCJS brings an important arts experience to residents and visitors right here in Charlotte County.
Why do we need to strengthen our community support?
Why do we need to strengthen our community support?
We have many expenses each season that membership dues do not come close to covering.
They may include overnight hotel rooms for visiting musicians, maintaining a CCJS hotline and website, publishing issues of our newsletter In Tune, purchasing local newspaper advertising and sponsoring school music activities with local musicians. Membership dues alone cover approximately half of all our expenses. We intentionally keep dues as low as possible to allow for developing our membership.
That is why we seek—and need—the financial support and participation from our community partners.
How can we grow with your help?
Your financial support help us reach our goals of promoting even more jazz and assisting more music students. Our short-term and long-term goals are achievable with increased support from community partners as you collaborate with CCJS in a mutually rewarding and satisfying relationship. Those goals include:
- Extending our musical outreach to more elementary, middle and high schools throughout Charlotte County, and in the process increasing work opportunities for local musicians.
- Increasing the number of scholarships we are able to award to deserving music students as they graduate from high school.
- Expanding those scholarships from a one-time-only award to possibly as much as four years of undergraduate study when merited.
- Bringing more top-echelon bands to perform here from the country’s jazz epicenters to expose our audiences to an even-richer musical diversity.
Community Partnership Form
Community Partners
