Young Middle School student grooves at the Juilliard Summer Jazz Residency

 

UPDATE: Watch bassist/instructor Ben Wolfe teach his Big Band class.

This is the third year around for Young Middle School student James Robertson at the Juilliard Summer Jazz Residency, which means he’s been involved with it as long as anyone. The rising seventh-grader has gotten a lot out of the program, which keeps growing despite the disappointing trend in cuts to arts education across the nation. But it’s talented and promising players like Robertson who show that the program is money well spent, as this video shows. Here he discusses the program with jazz bassist and Juilliard instructor Ben Wolfe (Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis). Wait to the end, where the saxophonist Robertson performs a piece from “Parker’s Mood” by his idol, Charlie Parker. Big thanks to North Atlanta High‘s Reginald Colbert and Sutton’s Natalie Colbert for their work on this camp. (We’ll have more coverage tomorrow!)

Washington High’s Deonte Bridges delivers inspiring valedictorian speech

Deonte Bridges is just one of several Atlanta Public Schools graduates who had a story behind his years of hard work. Bridges, valedictorian for Booker T. Washington High’s Senior Academy, truly captured the essence of his challenges his speech graduation at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. And APS’ Department of Learning Technologies was there to capture the moment in dramatic fashion. (Also thanks to APS Media Production Manager Scott King for providing this video to us.)

Bridges was one of Washington High’s “Freedom Writers.” (Check out the Talk Up APS story here.) We also profiled Bridges and the other APS valedictorians in the latest issue of The Atlanta Educator, which should have arrived in your mailbox by now. Bridges plans to attend the University of Georgia.

For more graduation memories, check out the Atlanta Public Schools’ Media Gallery at www.AtlantaPublicSchools.us, and click on Media Gallery. The gallery features videos and countless photos that detail our transformation into a top-performing  urban school district.