Time flies when you’re making great music, educating students, and bringing joy!

The 2023 summer season is history now, and it was indeed a very good year. A reviewer called this summer’s Litchfield Jazz Festival “a jazz fan’s jazzfest.” Bingo. Just what we aim for. One respondent to our audience survey said of the festival: “(It is) Always an incredible experience. Thank you for making it happen.” Most respondents were pleased as punch with everything. A few asked for things we could not deliver. Someone wanted us to book Dr. John. Sadly, he died in 2019. Can’t please all the people all the time.

We distributed $70K in need-based scholarships this year to Litchfield Jazz Campers and got dozens of thank you notes. Many were addressed to me in my role as top banana. All the kids praised to the skies the experiences they’d had and the staggering amount they’d learned. My personal favorite note writer addressed all the above and then closed with this: “I can’t wait to see what you do next.” I laughed my head off. A 13-year-old has my number already!

This past year your donations topped every prior year, for a grand total of $135,130 in individual annual gifts and thanks our generous donors, we were able to cover all scholarship and program costs. That makes me happy. Our proactive staff, however, would like to see a little safety buffer. We are most grateful for your past support of our work in the past, So I am asking you generous friends once again to help us meet our expenses and build that buffer for the coming year. One of the most important of these is to maintain our record of never turning down a camper with financial need. This record has stood unbroken since Litchfield Jazz Camp’s founding in 1997.

For those who may not know, Litchfield Jazz Camp admits students of all ages, all abilities and all backgrounds. They simply have to play an instrument, know their notes and want to come! That’s it. And with that open door policy we have introduced thousands of young people to jazz, seen most of them go to college—often on scholarships— and become creative, successful, and happy adults in all walks of life. Many are now professional musicians, some even stars, but that’s just the cherry on top.

Please consider making an annual appeal gift this year and help us continue to do this fine work and bring the best in jazz to the public affordably (and sometimes free— again thanks to your gifts— via live streams and open faculty concerts). Most important of all, I am asking for your continued support to bring top quality jazz education to young people and help shape their lives!

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Vita West Muir – Founder/Executive Director

Sincerely,

Vita West Muir

Founder/Executive Director