Building Community for Ipswich Music Students Through Jazz Jams
The drums pulse, the bass hums, and the saxophones soar, filling the room with energy and life. A group of Ipswich teachers and students play uplifting jazz music as community members from Ipswich and surrounding towns enjoy the lively sounds and camaraderie in the room.
Photo by E. Charles Quimby for the Ipswich Local News
This is a Jazz Jam, led by Rebecca Pagano, Director of Bands for the Ipswich Middle and High Schools. The Jazz Jam Series, funded by the Ipswich Education Foundation, is a one-of-a-kind destination on the North Shore for students looking to connect with other teens who share a love of music and jazz.
“With the help of the Ipswich Education Foundation, I believe we provided a positive growth experience for our Ipswich music students and established a supportive and creative community for them to come together and thrive.”
At each jam, a professional house band of local, musician-teachers opens the event by performing a set of jazz standards to demonstrate how a small jazz combo works and to introduce songs students may be studying in the Ipswich High School Jazz Band or Jazz Workshop. The house band musicians then support students during the jam, teaching and playing alongside them.
What began as a dream to connect students over their love of music has become something bigger: the Jazz Jam Series is a positive growth experience for Ipswich music students, creating a welcoming space for them to learn and connect, while reinforcing the reputation of strong music programming in Ipswich.
In its first year, over a dozen students attended each jam. Student musicians from Ipswich (including IHS alums), as well as students from surrounding towns such as Hamilton, Salem, Beverly, Peabody, and Gloucester, participated and built new connections.
And the Jazz Jam Series is continuing again in 2025! Come by to enjoy the music and support students at GATHR between 2 and 4 p.m. on:
November 9
December 14
January 11
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
With your continued support, we can keep bringing creative opportunities like this to the Ipswich music community. DONATE TODAY
Your support helps students find their voice, their confidence, and their community through music.
