2011-2012 Individual Donor Campaign

Do you appreciate the Jazz Series? Help us reach our goal.

Your support for the “We Always Swing” ™ Jazz Series allows us to do what we do best — for you, and for the community — present a world-class all-jazz subscription series, featuring concerts with internationally recognized and respected musicians. The 2011/2012 season again offers a full slate of educational activities augmenting our concert schedule. Overall, ticket revenue off sets approximately one-third of our annual budget. This means the remaining two-thirds — at the moment something like $200,000 annually — must come from other sources such as grants and foundations, area business sponsorships, contracts, Jazz Series Concert Review/Website sponsorships, Jazz Series merchandise including CD sales — and from you, our individual donors.

It stands to reason that in order to provide workshops, master classes, open rehearsals, community forums, children's concerts, “Jazz in the Schools” Initiative, “Artists-in-Residence” and other special events — most at NO COST — we need to secure additional funds beyond tickets sales, grants, sponsorships and the like. Simply, we need your help.

As we grow into our role as an affiliated program of MU's College of Arts & Science we continue on as one of FEWER THAN 10 such all-jazz, community-based projects located in a market our size in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. Not to blow our own horn too loudly or play our piano too percussively, but it is probably relatively safe to say that if it weren't for the Jazz Series the opportunity to enjoy the best jazz in the world right here in our backyard would be far less likely. So we ask: If you relish and appreciate the Jazz Series and all it does, then please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Help make us better at what we do.

We're hoping to hear from everyone who appreciates having a vibrant jazz organization serve the entire Central Missouri region. This is “No. 17” for the Jazz Series. As someone close to me once said, “We're in it for the long haul.” We're tremendously upbeat. The 2011/2012 season's fi rst two concerts — Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and vocalist René Marie were both remarkable events. And, as we've been saying: we're all going to hear a lot of music — “thousands of notes” — between the concerts today and April 29, 2012, when saxophonist Tia Fuller and her band make their first Jazz Series appearance to close out the current season.

Those of you who are here today obviously enjoy the Jazz Series and see the benefits it brings. To those of you who have made a contribution recently we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.