A 2025 Madison Jazz Festival Event
Madison Jazz Society presents iGnitE jAzz!, a dynamic summer camp and educational intensive designed for jazz enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels on Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8, 2025 at MyArts and Olin Park. This immersive experience offers flexible programming tailored to three distinct groups, ensuring an engaging and enriching journey into the world of jazz.
The three program tracks are Jazz Explorers (discover the legends, stories, and sounds of jazz); Jump In & Jam (hands-on jazz for All Ages); and Workshop Sessions (level up your jazz skills). See afternoon programming details at the Madison Jazz Society website.
The programs are also part of the 2025 Madison Jazz Festival.
Thursday, June 5th - 5:00-8:30pm at MYArts
5:00-5:15PM: Welcome Meeting
5:15-6:45 PM: Breakout Sessions
7:00-8:30 PM: Performance: Teaching Artist Showcase: iGnitE! Camp teaching artists will be featured in this performance. As a part of their performance, they will have the creative challenge to include the audience in some aspect of their performance.
Friday, June 6 - 5:00-9:00pm at MYArts
5:00-5:15 pm: Welcome Meeting
5:15-6:45 pm: Breakout Sessions
7:00-9:00 pm: Breakout Session Performances & Open Jazz Jam: This performance is for instructors and campers and anyone else who wants to enjoy listening. It will begin with demonstrations/shared highlights from the Thursday and Friday night sessions and will then merge into a jam session.
Saturday, June 7 - 9:00am-6:00pm at MYArts
9:00-9:30am: Welcome meeting & Warm-up activity
9:30-11:00am: Saturday Morning Breakout Sessions
11:15am-12:15pm: Morning iGnitE! Sessions (with Katherine Kramer and Pawan Benjamin)
12:15-1:15pm: Lunch Break
1:30-3:00pm: Saturday Afternoon Breakout Session
3:15-4:15pm: Afternoon iGnitE! Sessions (with Leah Reinardy and Noah Brooks)
4:30–6:00pm: Final Performance: Participants will perform some of what they have learned in this showcase performance!
Sunday, June 8 – 5:00pm–9:00pm at Olin Park
5:00-6:00pm Panel Discussion on Women in NOLA music with The Original Pinettes Brass Band
7:00 pm The Original Pinettes Brass Band in Concert
Arts + Literature Laboratory, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and Summer of the Arts have partnered to showcase The Original Pinettes Brass Band, the world’s leading all-Black, all-female brass band. This collaboration brings to the forefront a historically underrepresented group of musicians while highlighting New Orleans’ rich brass band tradition. The Pinettes will perform at the Madison Jazz Festival, the Congo Square Rhythm Festival in New Orleans, and the Iowa Arts Festival with support from Chamber Music America’s Presenter Consortium program. Prior to their performance at Olin Park, the band members will participate in a presentation and Q&A as part of iGnitE jAzz!.
The Original Pinettes Brass Band, the ONLY female Brass Band in the Universe, was formed in 1991. Each member was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, attended St. Mary's Academy High School the historically black all-girl catholic school (HBHS). Beginning with 16 or more members, the Original Pinettes ended up with not only St. Mary's females but other female musicians around the city.
The Original Pinettes Brass Band have performed at Preservation Hall, The Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Satchmo Festival, The Essence Music Festival, and The French Quarter Festival, just to name a few. They've also travled overseas in Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara Turkey and Ascona Jazz Fest in Ascona, Switzerland.
The ladies gained more respect when they were crowned the winners of the 2013 Red Bull "Street Kings" brass band blowout competition when they beat three other male brass bands changing the name to Red Bull "Street QUEENS!" The ladies have also performed with Arcade Fire and Katy Perry.
