The Twin Cities Youth Jazz Camp is the brainchild of Minneapolis based and Boston bred jazz musician Bernie Edstrom. A practicing musician for 30 years, Mr. Edstrom has a desire to promote jazz in the greater Twin Cities, but also to expose young people in the inner city to the expertise of teaching and working jazz musicians. Bernie has participated in a similar camp on the East Coast for many years. He wanted to share his musical knowledge, along with some of the top jazz musicians in the Twin Cities to the kids of this area. His goal will be accomplished this summer at the Twin Cities Youth Jazz Camp, held at the F.A.I.R. School in Crystal, Mn.

TCYJC is targeting young people between the ages of 12-18 who have some musical background and a minimum of two years of experience with their instrument. Nobody will be turned away for lack of ability to pay the suggested $160 dollar donation. "It is a comprehensive camp to teach kids about jazz, rhythm, playing in small groups and how to take rhythms and notes from music and ear training", said Edstrom. Students will learn how to play the music heard on the radio and jazz recordings, a technique that jazz masters have used for decades.

One of the most inspiring outcomes of the camps is greater than simply teaching students to play and love jazz music. It happens when kids from different backgrounds discover how alike they really are. Edstrom describes the transformation of students throughout the week, at first strangers, then youths who have something in common, and finally emerging as fast friends. They communicate with music. They start to realize that everybody is pretty much the same.

TCYJC is enhanced by the diversity of the teaching staff, which includes men, women, blacks and whites, young and old. Even though it is only a week, the diversity of the staff and students send a strong message; Equality

Twin Cities Youth Jazz Camp Instructors
(please contact Bernie or Mick if you have questions for instructors, we will pass them along to them)