“Oaktown Jazz Workshops is a multifaceted presentation, and preservation organization dedicated to celebrating the artistic and cultural significance of America’s Classical Music – Jazz. This music is intricately bound to the history of this country and inextricably linked with the lives of large groups of Americans, and particularly African Americans. To preserve this music we need a community of teachers, mentors, and storytellers who know the importance of the next generation to receive this art form. Students are challenged to improve on their skills in a collaborative, creative safe environment. We attempt to eliminate some of the hardships young musicians had to endure in the past to learn this music.  The skills and discipline learned here can be used in whatever area the student chooses to pursue. They won’t all be professional musicians but they all will know how to work well with other people.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the many parents, friends, foundations, and government organizations that make the continuation of our programs possible.”

Khalil Shaheed (1949-2012)
Rest in peace

“My time with Oaktown Jazz was beneficial beyond measure. Outside of learning to be the best musician I can be, I was taught valuable life lessons that I continue to implement today. One is the importance of using creativity and being able to improvise to problem solve in certain professional settings. Another is the value of continually practicing to hone and perfect my skills in order to deliver high quality results. Lastly, Oaktown Jazz taught me to find the joy in activities that challenge me.”

”The impact of Oaktown Jazz Workshops on me has gone far beyond jazz music. While my time with Oaktown made me a lifelong lover of jazz and an even more avid listener of all kinds of music, I also learned how to work well on teams, and what good collaboration feels like. I learned how to fully immerse myself in learning a new skill, and fully embrace the mistakes made on the way. At Oaktown Jazz I learned to be more confident in myself and my talents.”

“Oaktown Jazz taught me so much. It gave me an appreciation of jazz music that will be with me for the rest of my life. It also gave me a lot of leadership and teamwork skills. At Oaktown, you’re taught the importance of listening to others as you pick up cues and gauge when to jump in for a solo or with a background line. You’re also taught to step up to the plate and lead the group when you need to (and when it’s appropriate). These skills have been really relevant to my life even outside of music–whether it’s knowing when, as Chief Justice of UC Berkeley’s Supreme Court, I’m missing a voice and need to make sure all my fellow Justices have shared their interpretations and opinions, or in an internship, being able to see an opportunity to step up and take on a new project or assignment. It gave me lifelong friends that I still talk to even though we live across the country from each other.“