Learning Together at the 2025 Jazz Education Conference

In January 2025, the Erb Family Foundation supported the Foundation’s six jazz education grant partners in attending the 2025 Jazz Education Network Conference in Atlanta to learn more about the organization and to further connect and build relationships. Our Arts and Culture Program Officer Adam DesJardins chatted with Jainelle Robinson, Director of Community Engagement and Public Relations at ArtOps, and Scott Gwinnell, Director of Education at Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, to recap their experiences and reflections from the conference. 

Adam: What was your experience and your overall impressions with the Jazz Education Network Conference? 
 
Scott Gwinnell: Attending the conference at the beginning of January really infused me with some energy before the semester started. I went to many vocal performances and educational clinics to learn and observe. I had a blast spending my time this way and it was particularly helpful professional development for me as a vocal teacher, especially as one that is not a vocalist. I got knowledge and enthusiasm from the experience that helped give me what I needed to start the school year. Being a teacher and getting this type of professional development is great, and I don’t get afforded that opportunity very often.

Adam: What did you learn through your experience at the conference? 

Jainelle Robinson: That the South can’t take any snow! We survived Atlanta Snowmageddon! (Context: we all experienced a snowstorm in Atlanta and were stuck in the conference hotel and experienced significant delays at the world’s busiest airport.) But actually, I really benefitted most from the sessions that included both artistic demonstration and lecture-like presentation. I found those sessions to be particularly captivating because not only were the presenters talking about the educational process, but they were demonstrating it, through Brazilian music and even tap dance. Learning more about the Jazz Education Network as a resource was additionally helpful, and through the conference, I learned more about organizations working in other places that have a specific focus on inclusive efforts supporting women in jazz, which has been helpful for thinking about future JazzEd programming.

Adam: Well, thank you both for being open to attending the conference and for sharing your experiences. I’m excited to continue the conversation around this professional development offering and exploring future opportunities like this. Your participation in this really helped me better understand the conference as a resource for our partners. Jainelle, thanks again for your work and the team at ArtOps for helping to coordinate travel, attendance, and logistics, even during Atlanta Snowmageddon. 
 
Learn more about the Foundation’s support of JazzEd Detroit and our Foundation jazz education partners, and the Jazz Education Network.