A MESSAGE FROM THE LJYE DIRECTORS:

Please help!

The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco (LJYE) needs your help to continue! The LJYE is at a turning point in its 24-year history. The founding directors of the organization have reached retirement and are looking to enjoy well-deserved time off.

Music Director John Calloway, Managing Director Arturo Riera, and Communications Director Sylvia Ramirez are stepping away from the leadership of LJYE and are nurturing the next generation of LJYE leaders.

For over a year, LJYE alumni Daniel Riera and Alex Farrell have been training to take over the direction of the group. As John’s former students, they are steeped in the LJYE traditions of teaching and performing Latin jazz music. Daniel, the son of founding directors Arturo and Sylvia; and Alex, are well-versed in the role that LJYE has played in the community. They are both supporters of free youth music education and are performing artists in their own right. We could not be prouder and more satisfied that the LJYE mission will continue successfully with these two young leaders.

Seeking a community partner to enable this transition, Arturo was able to secure support from the non-profit organization that produces Carnaval San Francisco, CANA (Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Americas). The LJYE will merge with CANA and become a program of the organization. There are tremendous benefits for both organizations in this new partnership. LJYE will gain a permanent rehearsal space and increased exposure to performances in the community. CANA gains a free youth program and music performances at their events. In the end, culture, community and young musicians win!

The LJYE has always been free to students and their families. At this point, we need to raise funds to facilitate our transition to CANA. The monies raised will help pay for Daniel and Alex’s time as they continue to teach, direct and coordinate LJYE rehearsals and performances.

We’re hoping that your connection with the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble will inspire you to make a financial contribution to ensure that the program continues for generations to come. Your contribution will go a long way to make that happen!

A parent from our first group of students, Margaret Corrigan, has written a heartfelt reminiscence of her son Henry’s LJYE experience. Margaret and her husband Larry have contributed $5,000 to our fundraising efforts. We hope to raise $15,000 to fulfill our agreement with CANA.

As always, thank you for your support!

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Greetings, Musicians, Families and Friends of the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble.

I'm Margaret Corrigan, mother of LJYE former bass player Henry Corrigan-Gibbs. I am contacting you because LJYE, now in its 24th year, is in the midst of an exciting and critical transition. The founding directors, John Calloway, Arturo Riera and Sylvia Ramirez, are passing on the leadership to the next generation of directors, Daniel Riera and Alex Farrell. Both are LJYE alumni and have been training with John, Arturo and Sylvia for the last year.

LJYE has also found a new home as a program of Carnaval San Francisco's parent organization, Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Americas (CANA) in its new space in the Mission District. A necessary part of this transition is that LJYE raises funds to pay the new directors for their time, website fees, charts and music for the band, insurance and other costs. I hope that you will contribute to the LJYE Transition Fund to enable this Bay Area musical treasure to continue.

When I first learned about this transition and the need to raise some funds, I offered to help for reasons that most of you will recognize. LJYE played a huge role in our son Henry’s life for the two years he was in the band, almost 20 years ago. He learned about the history, musicians and vibrant music of Latin Jazz. He met and played with talented student musicians from all over the Bay Area from different backgrounds and experiences. In two short years, he played at dozens of Bay area venues, including SF Carnaval, the Yerba Buena Gardens and the San Jose Jazz Festival each year, shared the stage with the legendary Cuban bassist Cachao Lopez and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and recorded a live CD at Yoshi’s, astounding honors for a high school musician. He learned the discipline and the joy of being in a 12-musician band.

John, Arturo and Sylvia unfailingly supported him and the other band members with respect, professionalism, personal attention, and tireless time and energy. The three of them succeeded in giving the band members a deep reverence for the past and a great excitement about the future of Latin Jazz music. Both Henry and the rest of our family are indebted to LJYE and its founders for how deeply they have enriched our lives.

Will you join the effort to raise the necessary funds for LJYE to continue? To date, we have raised $5,000 from alumni and their families of the $15,000 that the directors believe are needed. We hope that the continued contributions of alumni, their friends and families, and the community at large, as well as a streaming fundraiser on Facebook can raise the necessary transitional funds. Please contribute what you can to enable the LJYE to continue to provide this remarkable, tuition-free opportunity for Bay Area student musicians.

Thank you for your contribution of any amount and your support of LJYE.

Sincerely,

Margaret Corrigan

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By Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco

Contribute NOW to the LJYE Transition Fund

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