September 15, 2015; Monterey, CA; Monterey Jazz Festival extends its deepest condolences to the friends, family and students of Carmel Middle School music teacher Nancy Fowler, who died in an automobile accident in Castroville on September 10. Monterey Jazz Festival had the great pleasure of working with Nancy and her jazz band students since 2004, and prior to that when she was instrumental music teacher at Walter Colton Middle School. Her passing is a huge loss to the entire community, and to the music community in particular.
In honor of Ms. Fowler, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will close their free 45-minute set performance on Thursday, September 17 at the Monterey Fairgrounds with a traditional New Orleans jazz funeral procession and second line. The concert will start at 11am at the Garden Stage Presented by HepcHope.com. This is a free unticketed event, and is open to community members who wish to pay tribute to Nancy.
Music teacher Janice Perl of Trinity Christian School will join the band to sing “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” which will be followed by a celebratory parade of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” in which everyone in attendance will be invited to play and sing.
Nancy was a great fan of the Monterey Jazz Festival, and each year she brought a huge contingent of students to Monterey Jazz Festival’s Concert for Kids featuring the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. This year, she and her colleague Tom Lehmkuhl planned to bring 180 students and teachers to the event. The students attending Thursday’s concert will be coming with Carmel Middle’s principal, Ken Griest.
A tradition at the Monterey Jazz Festival for 25 years, the free “Concert for Kids” has played to an estimated 500 students annually. The concert is part of an outreach effort by Monterey Jazz Festival to bring jazz music, for free, to the students of Monterey County.
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For more information, high-resolution pictures and interview opportunities please contact:
Timothy Orr
Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
MJF Phone: 831.373.3366
[email protected]
www.montereyjazzfestival.org