Join us for a special Free Midday Music for Kids & Family event designed for school-aged children and families! Jazz Sessions is an interactive experience that brings the magic of jazz to life through engaging performances, educational conversations, and hands-on music-making.

Led by jazz musicians Paul Matthews and Anthony Basini, this session will introduce young audiences to the essential elements of jazz—rhythm, improvisation, and collaboration—while encouraging participation through clapping, singing, and even a chance to make music together! 

We’re also excited to welcome Shanan Colvin, founder of Music Library Box, who will showcase her collection of children’s books about jazz and give a special demo of herJazz for Lunch music library box.

The concert is free and open to the public when you RSVP in advance online.

 

Armstrong Community Music School is a nonprofit educational organization who’s founding purpose is to support all people in the desire to create music.  At Armstrong Community Music School we teach, explore, perform, and celebrate music. We support and engage our entire community with nurturing and transformational musical experiences.  

ACMS programming offers opportunities to learn music at all ages and stages:

• Early Childhood Music Programs - provide music and movement classes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and their caregivers.
• Group Piano, Voice, Flute, and Guitar Classes - build foundational music skills and offer a peer learning environment for school-aged students.
• Individual Music Instruction - is available to all ages and skills levels in virtually every music style including classical, jazz, blues, and folk.
• Community Outreach Programs - offered at free or reduced cost, we partner with several organizations offering high-quality programs in the community that have been tailor-made to meet the needs of special populations.
• Open Door Policy - we provide free or low-cost access to our facility to many organizations in the performing arts community.

Paul Matthews is an accomplished pianist, composer, producer, and performer.  Born and raised in the New York area, Paul received an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and completed graduate work in Composition with a Jazz Emphasis at the University of Texas at Austin.  He studied Latin jazz with Bruce Barth and Delfin Perez, and classical piano with Martin Soderberg. He has performed with multiple nationally touring acts and played with every major Latin jazz and salsa ensemble in Texas. Paul formed the original Paul Matthews Trio, a rock/jazz/funk hybrid and received Winner of Univision’s Premios de Texas 2006 award for Best New Artist and 2007 award for Best Salsa/Merengue.  Paul was the Director of the jazz program for the 2021-2022 school year at the Community School for Music and Arts in Mountain View, California. In 2024,  he founded a music licensing company, assembling a team of award-winning composers, producers and recording artists to provide audio content across different media. Paul enjoys teaching all ages and skill levels and has two sons of whom he is very proud.

Anthony Basini is a guitarist, singer, composer, and educator. He has been professionally performing since 2009 and began teaching in 2015 with specialization in special education music instruction. Anthony attended the Berklee College of Music. He has performed all over the United States and is well versed in many styles including jazz, funk, metal, pop, soul/R&B and rock. Anthony is an enthusiastic and dedicated instructor whose fun and personal approach to teaching the guitar keeps his students engaged, excited and encouraged. Anthony serves as the lead instructor at ACMS for the Veterans Guitar Group and We are the Chorus Too! and teaches guitar and ukulele. 

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