Founded in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops is a non-profit, community based, cultural education organization dedicated to passing on the tradition of jazz music to young people through music instruction, educational presentations and live concerts in the community.

Mission

The mission of Oaktown Jazz Workshops is to provide youth – particularly underserved youth – with the support, opportunity, and agency to build their creativity and confidence within the uniquely American art-form of jazz music. 

Oaktown Jazz Workshops serves as a creative and safe space for nurturing, connecting, and elevating the next generation of professional musicians, music educators, and culture bearers. We are dedicated to the preservation of jazz music through our educational programs and performances that provide opportunities for our emerging students and alumni.  

Our intergenerational community of teachers and mentors challenge youth from all backgrounds to discover their own distinct talents and develop skills like self-discipline, the ability to collaborate, and the courage to perform—skills that will help them succeed in any field they pursue.

History

In 1994, trumpeter Khalil Shaheed founded Oaktown Jazz Workshops to preserve and celebrate jazz music as an American art form of profound artistic and cultural significance. The organization began as an after-school youth development program operating out of Oakland’s recreation centers, where underserved young musicians could be mentored by accomplished professional musicians from the local arts ecosystem. 

Since then, thousands of young people have gone through our programs. Now located in Jack London Square, we have stayed true to our founding commitment to give young musicians a safe, supportive space to grow into self-expression.

Oaktown Jazz Workshops

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