Roosevelt Jazz Boosters

Mission

The mission of the Roosevelt Jazz Boosters is to provide financial, logistical and creative support to ensure that every music student has access to the best possible learning environments and activities regardless of their financial circumstances.

Description

What does it take to sustain a vibrant jazz music program in the public schools? Instruments! Clinics! Transportation! Festivals! And for hungry teenagers -- food! Students and their directors bring the inspiration, talent, and hard work. The Roosevelt Jazz Boosters are an all-volunteer organization that supports over 90 student musicians and four jazz ensembles at Roosevelt High School, a diverse public high school of over 1700 students in Seattle, Washington. 

The organization makes the difference in procuring and funding instruments, clinics, festivals, travel and truly memorable musical adventures for these students. Our primary purpose is to provide scholarship and logistical support to any student with a passion for and commitment to jazz music so that every kid can participate in the variety of activities offered, period.

The Roosevelt Jazz Bands, under the direction of Hannah Mowry, Michael Van Bebber, Deb Schaaf, and Vocal Jazz director Rebecca Woodbury, connect with the local community through a variety of public performances each year & engagement with local musicians. The band is well known in Seattle for its annual performance run of the Jazz Nutcracker and as a participant in the Earshot Jazz Festival & Hot Java Cool Jazz. 
Roosevelt Jazz has been an Essentially Ellington finalist at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York in 22 of the last 24 years, winning the top prize 4 times, most recently in 2019.

Our mission is more important than ever. This organization is committed to supporting the gifts of our student musicians, their inspiring teachers, and the entire Seattle jazz community. Our ensembles were able to perform together at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, at the DiMiero vocal jazz festival in Edmonds, at Hot Java Cool Jazz at the Paramount Theater, and were once again invited to Essentially Ellington in NYC. Your contribution makes these endeavors possible!