Support Hannah's Jazz Education Aspirations at NEC

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Hannah Marks and Jeff Kane are organizing this fundraiser.

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My Jazz Journey, from the Midwest to the Big Apple:

I graduated from Indiana University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies, moving to New York City shortly thereafter in the hopes of pursuing my dream of becoming a jazz musician. In the past five years, I have had incredible opportunities to play with jazz legends like Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Matt Wilson, and Ted Nash. I have performed across the country as a bassist and bandleader, receiving grants from organizations like South Arts, Chamber Music America, and Boulder County Arts in support of my work as a bandleader and composer. I released my debut album Outsider, Outlier last fall, and am currently workshopping the music for my next album under the guidance of pianist Jason Moran.

Much of my early efforts in the city were focused on performance, but when the pandemic caused jazz clubs to shut down, my focus shifted to teaching. I began teaching private bass lessons on Zoom and joined the faculty at the all-girls Spence School in New York. I was selected for the Stanford Jazz Workshop Mentor Fellow program, which runs on Stanford’s campus for three weeks every summer while they're jazz camp. In Fall 2023 I started teaching several days a week for Jazz House Kids at their after school program in partnership with Trinity Church. The students are low-income and high-risk, and I’ve learned how to be a more empathetic educator while teaching here, focusing on meeting my students where they are and challenging them to expand their musicianship.

Support my Jazz Education Aspirations at NEC:

In the fall of 2024, I will enroll at New England Conservatory (NEC) to earn a Master's degree. At NEC, I will be taught by Anna Webber, Jason Moran, and Frank Carlberg, among others. I will major in Jazz Performance with a Teaching Artistry and Music Education Concentration. After I finish this degree, I will apply for jobs at universities to continue my career as a performer and educator.

I am calculating my annual costs to be $26,000 for tuition and commuting to Boston two days a week. I will still maintain a residence in New York City to keep my current teaching and performance schedule. Any financial support you can offer will further my goal to become a better educator and performer while studying at NEC. I am grateful for my colleague Jeff Kane (founder of Des Moines' NOLA Jazz Band and Tajali Presents) for aiding me in raising these funds.

How the funds will be used:

$16,000 will go to tuition at New England Conservatory. Extra funds will cover the cost of commuting to Boston 8 nights/month for two years, including transportation ($4,000) and lodging ($6,000), for an estimated total of $26,000 needed to complete the degree - with an initial goal of fundraising $10,000.