Jazz Appreciation Month
“When Seymour saw me seated at the piano at that first rehearsal, he shouted: What’s that kid doing here?” - Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Mondays…
Monday April 6th - Monday May 4th
Jazz Appreciation Month The National Museum of American History started Jazz Appreciation Month (known as JAM) back in 2001 for the purpose of recognizing and celebrating the heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.
Mary Lou Williams Institute of Excellence in the Arts MLWI isa Pittsburgh‑based, family‑founded nonprofit arts organization that celebrates the life and legacy of jazz legend Mary Lou Williams—amplifying her contribution to jazz, her passion for music education, and her lifelong commitment to mentoring emerging artists and nurturing underserved communities.
Did you know? Aunt Mary started playing the piano when she was about 3-4 years old. By the time she attended Lincoln Elementary she was playing piano professionally and was known in Pittsburgh as the Little Piano Girl of East Liberty. And as a teenager who studied music at Westinghouse, at the age of 15 she was travelling on the road with professional bands.
The Invitation The Mary Lou Williams Institute of Excellence in the Arts and Humanities (MLWI) would like to invite you to join us in celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and Aunt Mary’s heavenly birthday month of May.
Take a Moment and Listen…
How Your School Can Participate
You and your team can participate in a couple of different ways by selecting a series of songs to play during the school day. Below are 3 structured samples for inspiration, though we encourage a freestyle approach, based on what is suitable for your school.
“What’s Your Story Morning Glory”: Select a couple of your favorite songs by Mary Lou Williams and play them in the morning before class begins.
“Aries” to “Taurus”: Select a couple of works from the Zodiac Suite Composition to play in the hallway while students are in-between classes.
“Chunka Lunka”: Jazz with lunchtime music that can be played in the cafeteria throughout the lunch periods.
Note: Encouraging students to discuss the selected works, what they think and how they feel is encouraged and we hope will be documented to share with MLWI.Dates to Participate: Monday April 6th - Monday May 4th | Note: You can participate one Monday or more!
Digital Participation: Tag @mlwi on Instagram what works you played. Example:Today is Mary Lou Mondays and we are listening to, “What’s Your Story Morning Glory” this morning. What are you listening to @mlwi?
Sharing Your Participation: If your school participates, please take photos/videos (that only show the back of students, or their hands, or silhouettes - to maintain anonymity) so we can share your school's participation for archival program and marketing purposes. All content can be emailed to: mlwinstitute@gmail.com