ABOUT US

BMF DIVERSITY STATEMENT Burnett Music Foundation is committed to equity and inclusion by providing program access to students of all racial classes, ethnicities, and gender identification throughout rural, suburban, and urban communities in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area. Jazz musicians and individuals of all religious, ethnic, income, and cultural backgrounds are welcome. Moreover, our commitment extends to BMF staff, directors, advisory council board, and leadership opportunities, along with our commitment to building strong partnerships with other organizations including entities of color.

We believe that perpetuating Jazz inherently unifies us!

The motivation behind starting the Burnett Music Foundation – and its subsequent programs, is founded on an infrastructure that aligns with practicing racial equity, and inclusion. Our programming is committed to equity and inclusion by providing access to students of all ethnicities, and gender identification throughout rural, suburban, and urban communities within the Kansas City region. Engaging Jazz music serves as our catalyst for constructive interactions among people from all walks of life and all elements of community.

The Alchemy Sound Project = ARC Label Artists + Chamber Music America Grant Recipients

Jazz musicians and people of all religious, ethnic, income, and cultural backgrounds are welcome. Moreover, our commitment extends to our staff, directors, advisory council board, and leadership opportunities, along with our commitment to building strong partnerships with other organizations and entities of color.

We believe that perpetuating jazz unifies us and bonds our multi-cultural society.

Our teaching staff, Board of Directors, and leadership are a fitting reflection of the Kansas City area population and its ethnic diversity. Our diverse community partners also represent organizations rooted in the urban core and/ or those led by individuals of color who exemplify a diverse Kansas City. Furthermore, BMF ensures program access to all students by removing financial barriers and offering its programming to students at no cost.

A great illustration is our next generation artists program, Kansas City Area Youth Jazz. Its singular focus is on perpetuating Jazz music and also on its important connection to the inherent nature of the African American experience. The relationship jazz has with the African American experience is of paramount importance in how we develop and deliver content. Through educational discussions and music study, students are made aware of the importance of knowing the music through the lens of the African American culture and experience. Understanding the historic contributions and social evolution of a music that is now practiced around the world – this truly American art form makes all of us better humans.

It is also our belief that while Jazz now has a significant history, it is not a museum piece, but a continually evolving musical bellwether of our contemporary society. Jazz music is now known, recognized, practiced and respected around the entire world today. Thus, it’s now a global 21st Century art form. Therefore, our organizational culture of program development is naturally committed to ensuring that our student make-up is diverse and reflective of the community we serve here in our own Kansas City metropolitan area too.

2022 YOUTH JAZZ MID SEASON REEL + BMF GALLERY

2021 PROGRAMMING SUCCESS AT A GLANCE

2021 YOUTH JAZZ FELLOWS rehearsing at The Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (KCPS)

ONE: ARC JAM SESSION AT 424 LOUNGE

2021 season sponsored by Frontier Community Credit Union
ARC Recording Artist, B.J. Jansen (NYC, Philly, KC) curated the sessions
ARC Recording Artist, Dr. Mike Pagan; Osmond and CC Fisher (Kansas City Jazz Academy); Jason Goudeau (B.A.C. Horn Doctor Artist); and Christopher Burnett (Conn-Selmer Inc Artist and Clinician); Tate Berry (UMKC Conservatory Student) were featured clinicians
Student musician turn out was good and resulted in them networking among themselves resulting in performing together outside of the jam sessions and actually forming jazz groups throughout the community.
Look for some exciting new initiatives as part of the 2022 season.
Dedicated URL: JazzJam.us / Program Period: June – November 2021

TWO: BIRD BOOT CAMP + MUSICAL SALUTE AT THE FOLLY THEATER

Another resounding success in 2021 held at another Kansas City icon, The Folly Theater.
We had 58 registrations of the 75 total available ticket reservations. Ultimately 22 of those 58 registrants attended as the result of several subsequent academic conflicts with high school and college band rehearsals and performance activities that were also on August 21st. In all it was a nice turnout.
Our necessary COVID-19 safety protocols were 100% effective. The Folly Theater is a spacious venue with ample room for social distancing as prescribed by the CDC. However, we believe that the general upward regional trend in coronavirus cases also naturally effected total 2021 participation numbers. In all it was still a great event.
The 2021 event was support totally by business sponsorships, community support and private donations. We hope to be able to secure grant funding but the fact that we could raise our entire budget without the time-consumption or matching grant requirements involved with the typical grant process was refreshing.
Major sponsors included Frontier Community Credit Union; Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City; Jamey Aebersold (Jazz Books); Laven Electric; Kansas City Jazz A.L.I.V.E.; Meyer Music; Conn-Selmer, Inc.
Major in-kind sponsors included Make Music, Inc. (Finale Music Notation Software); Key Leaves; Boston Sax Shop; Burnett Music Foundation; Midnight Blue Jazz LLC; JBT Studio LLC
2021 Celebrity Artists and Clinicians included Ronald McFadden (McFadden Brothers); Will Matthews (Count Basie Orchestra); Gerald Spaits (Jay McShann); Doug Auwarter (Sons of Brasil); Dr. Justin Binek; Dr. Mike Parkinson; Dr. Todd Wilkinson; Professor Clarence Smith; Chuck Haddix; Gregory A. Carroll
Dedicated URL: BirdBootCamp.org / Program Period: August 2021

THREE: JAZZ ARTISTRY NOW DIGITAL ARTS MAGAZINE

FOUR: KANSAS CITY AREA YOUTH JAZZ

2021 marked the third successful season
2019 FELLOWS and 2020 FELLOWS albums distributed worldwide on ARC label
2021 FELLOWS album to be released worldwide December 15 on ARC label
New name dedicated ensembles: Leon Brady Ensemble and Bill Crain Ensemble
2021 season included both high school and college age youth jazz artists
2021 Successful “Community Partnerships” with BRC Audio Productions (Kansas City, Kansas) and KCPS Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (Kansas City, Missouri)
Youth Jazz has recorded the music of established and noted jazz composers: Bobby Watson; David Berkman; Bill Crain; Christopher Burnett; Patrick Cornelius; WM Thornton; William Crain; Dr. Arthur White; Sammy Fain
Youth Jazz clinicians have included: Houston Smith (Berklee); Morgan Faw (Berklee); Gary Kerkezou (Berklee, Manhattan School of Music); Clarence Smith (MCC, Kansas City Jazz Academy)
Established new discography page and alumni listing at official website
Dedicated URL: YouthJazz.us / Program Period: Auditions (Feb-Mar); Season (Apr-Jul); Recording (1st week in Aug)

2021 BIRD BOOT CAMP REEL + BMF GALLERY

2020 YOUTH JAZZ SEASON FEATURED SUCCESSFUL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

2019 YOUTH JAZZ SEASON REEL + BMF GALLERY

ORGANIZATION
+ HISTORY

KC Photography shown in our projects is by Duane Hallock

Burnett Music Foundation purposely began in phases by creating four Jazz music centered businesses as its core programs over the last 15 years.

At the heart of all Burnett Music Foundation programming is the inherent synergy of building community, building educational opportunity, and building arts infrastructure in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

All programs are free of cost to preclude any potential barriers to youth participation.

While our 501(c)(3) designation was officially obtained in 2020, Burnett Music Foundation has been fully operational since 2007 with its phased in modular approach to its Youth Music programming into its existing programs: Youth inherently serve as peer mentors and staff for our Artist Recording Collective (2007) Record Label’s “ARC Next Generation Jazz Jam Sessions” program, interns for our Jazz Artistry Now (2007) digital arts magazine (focusing youth on participating in the processes involved with jazz journalism), interns and mentors at our summer intensive, Bird Boot Camp + Musical Salute to Charlie Parker (2014), and are awarded merit-based youth artist fellowships to participate in the Kansas City Area Youth Jazz (2018) initiative each season.

The name of the corporation:

Burnett Music Foundation

Registered in Kansas:

Leavenworth, Kansas 66048

The nature or purpose of the business entity:

The purpose of this business entity is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which the entity may be organized under the laws of Kansas.

Music education, instruction, and performance activities designed to promote the further development and awareness of jazz music as an art form and the individual musical performance skills development of program participants.

This corporation does not have the authority to issue stock. The conditions of the membership are set in the bylaws.

Director(s) information: SEE DIRECTORS

Expiration date of the corporate existence:

Perpetual