 The Fender Center and Blues Kids of America proudly present Fernando Jones’ inaugural Blues Camp. This fun-filled experience will give student musicians ages 10 - 18 an opportunity to learn and play America’s root music in Southern California. This week-long camp is free, but transportation and lodging are not provided. Students will receive professional instruction in the hands-on, user-friendly environment at the Fender Center’s Kids Rock Free® school and venue. Ensemble placement is competitive and students (intermediate-to-advanced skill levels) must audition for positions. Camp information and audition forms can be received via www.BluesKids.com. Openings for beginner-level students may also be available. Participants are expected to register for an audition online by May 13 to audition in person on May 21 as the Fender Center. Out-of-town and international students may audition by submitting online video links to BluesNewz@aol.com by May 21, 2011. Out-of-town blues campers must be accompanied by a legal parent or guardian, and are responsible for their own lodging and accommodations.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
American bluesman, educator, songwriter and scholar Fernando Jones was born to loving Mississippi parents on the South Side of Chicago. Inspired by his older brothers, Foree and Gregory, Jones taught himself how to play guitar when he was four years old. Currently, he’s a bandleader; Blues Ensemble director at Columbia College Chicago (the nation’s premier performing arts and media school); and a highly sought-after lecturer focusing on music pedagogy and literacy improvement whose clientele includes the Smithsonian Institute and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On July 9, 2010 Jones received a Proclamation from Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, for founding Blues Camp.
Buddy Guy said that Fernando Jones is “one in a million trying to get to the bottom of the barrel of the blues.” Jones was the last Chicago Bluesman that Willie Dixon mentored; Dixon asked him to “keep the blues going.” The incomparable Fernando Jones is a 21st Century Renaissance man and the 2008 Keeping the Blues Alive Award recipient (education). Jones is one of the most complete Bluesmen and scholars of his generation.
Auditions: Placement in ensembles is competitive, and students must audition for positions. Auditions are open to student musicians ranging from ages 10 - 18 of intermediate-to-advanced skill levels. Out-of-town and international students may audition by submitting online videos before May 21, 2011 to BluesNewz@aol.com. Song titles to audition with are provided at www.BluesKids.com. To make an audition appointment contact Bluesnewz@aol.com.
ABOUT THE FENDER CENTER/MUSEUM:
The Fender Center for Music Education is a non-profit center dedicated to the music education of children. The 33,000-square-foot building is located at 365 N. Main Street, in Corona, Calif. Run by the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 corporation, the board is made up of civic leaders, elected officials, and business leaders from the Riverside County and Orange Country regions. The main focus of the Center is to provide music education to children at a no or low cost. Music education has been drastically reduced due to money constraints in the public education system. The Fender Center endeavors to bridge that gap by providing an innovative and caring environment for children to explore the world of music performance. Numerous studies have shown that children, who incorporate music into their education, perform better in math and science by a staggering 30 percent. Additionally, children attain a higher degree of personal confidence and a greater sense of accomplish compared to non-music students.
The Fender Center conducts events throughout the year to bring musical experiences to the general public and raise funds to continue the important work of music education. Contained within the Center, the FM Studio, professionally equipped and staffed, records the kids’ performances. FM Studio is available for commercial use and audio recording. Additional information can be obtained at www.fendermuseum.com
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