2024 – NEW YEAR - NEW AWARDS PROCESS!
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See Awards Page for Details
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Posted March 7, 2023
As a JSJA Artistic Development Awards recipient, Lisa Sung will travel with west Michigan based jazz musicians to Indonesia, Korea, and Vietnam, three countries that suffered colonial rule. She will select folk melodies and children’s songs composed during the colonial period, and arrange them together with local musicians, and perform and hold master classes. These songs are melodic, catchy, and simple. Yet, according to Lisa’s research, these melodies especially children’s songs from the colonial period have the hopes and dreams of the people deeply embedded in them. By arranging these songs in jazz compositions and performing them in the respective countries, Lisa would like to demonstrate jazz’s ability to embrace and express the hopes and dreams of local people, and foster appreciation for jazz in the countries. Upon returning, Lisa will perform these songs for west Michigan audiences at Hope College, Calvin University and Central Michigan University. Lisa seeks to demonstrate jazz’s ability to express the hopes and dreams of diverse cultures and people, and to encourage and arouse people’s interest in global jazz music.
This world needs more of him, not less.
Ray Kamalay
The John Stites Jazz Awards (JSJA) are funded by the John Stites Jazz Artist Organization.
The organization funds advanced studies for emerging and established professional jazz musicians, as well as personal development projects which enhance their career opportunities.