New Nash jazz education center opening in Phoenix

Through a $2.5 million dollar donation given by the Piper Trust and the Dawson Foundation, the Nash Jazz Club will soon be opening a brand new education center in the heart of Roosevelt Row, not too far from the Nash in downtown Phoenix.

The construction projects will include a new 3,200-square-foot education center, as well as extensive renovations for the Nash. The center will include 1,800 square feet of rehearsal space including a 900-square-foot hall to accommodate large music groups such as big band ensembles, and two 450-square-foot spaces for combo and ensemble instruction and rehearsals.

The Nash renovations will consist of a new bar, stage, and seating.

Director of Development and Communications at the Nash, Naquana Borrero, joined us to talk about the additional “rhythm” of the Nash Jazz Club.

The new education center is expected to expand the organization’s educational programming capacity by 50%.

“The core principle in jazz education is improvisation, by using improvisation that helps us to create leaders, that helps our kids to be able to collaborate. We work in a democracy; we always say jazz is a democracy,” said Borrero.