Mr. Matt Pivec – a Professor of Jazz Studies at Butler University is a visionary.

This weekend, I had the privilege of watching some talented High School musicians perform in small combo groups performing great tunes from Miles Davis to John Coltrane. Most High School programs provide students opportunities to play in large ensembles. However, the opportunity to play in combos is generally limited.

Mr. Pivec has implemented an outreach program at Butler University to attract talented musicians from local high schools to explore jazz on a different level than what their high schools can offer. If you watch most high school music programs, players are pretty restricted to the music that is in front of them. Mr. Pivec’s program gives players some freedom to explore the improvisational opportunities in jazz.

Most of these high school kids would not get this type of musical education, until they actually go to college. Jazz Ensemble groups are generally large and a handful of kids get the limelight. Mr Pivec’s program gives every kid in the group a chance to explore improvisational moments. As he said in the program, “It teaches them to feel the music.”

So, if you have a high school kid that plays a jazz instrument and wants to explore jazz at a different level, Mr Pivec is running programs throughout the school year at Butler University. Combo education in the fall and a Jazz Ensemble in the spring. Tryouts for the Butler Youth Jazz Ensemble will be in January of this year.

If you want to learn more or talk to Mr. Pivec directly, check him out here.

He is a visionary and Butler should be proud of the work he is doing. I know the kids are enjoying it. I have 2 of them in the program and am thankful they have the opportunity to experience it.