Fundacion Danilo Perez Educational Programs

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OF THE DANILO PEREZ FOUNDATION

PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL;

Organized by the Danilo Perez Foundation, the Panama Jazz Festival is a music education convention that meets every January in Panama City. During the week of the festival, master clases are offered in jazz history, composition, improvisation, performance, private and group instruction, dance, business, among many other subjects related to arts and music. The teachers are the international artists that perform at the festival and the best teachers and students from established institutions such as New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, Conservatorio De Puerto Rico, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, among others. These master classes (or clinics) are open to students and professionals all levels and ages. Educational institutions are invited to join us in this event that has become the most important jazz convention in Latin America.

CHILDREN PROGRAM:

The Panama Jazz Festival created a program that exposes children of limited resources to music. An intensive summer music camp for children 4-10 takes place during the Panama Jazz Festival that ends with a concert prepared by the students. The program benefits many children including the children from Fundacion Pro-Niño.

EDUCACION PRIMERO!
The Educación Primero! program brings the world’s best music professors to Panama City to promote the highest quality of music education, create cultural exchanges with foreign educators, expand Panamanian cultural development, and help people of limited economic resources obtain a level of education that they would not have access to otherwise.

This is the only program in Panama that provides private and group lessons with professors that create individual curricula based on the unique needs of students and their musical background (classical, folk, pop, or jazz). Depending on the class, the professors teach different aspects of improvisation as a universal musical and cultural phenomenon. At the same time, this program brings students together in group classes to share the universal language of music and learn positive social behaviors, such as tolerance for socio-economic and cultural differences. Within this program, there is a strong focus on teaching classes that are rare to find in Panama, such as composition, improvisation, history of jazz, music-therapy, ethnomusicology, film scoring, among other subjects.

POR LA MUSICA:

Por La Música is a one day educational program that explores the philosophical aspects of music through discussions. Some past programs have focused on music and ethics, the relationship between classical music and jazz, among other topics. Our past guests have included Professor Jorge Carrizo and Maestro Jaime Ingram.

BERN FOUNDATION:

The Danilo Perez Foundation and the Bern Foundation joint forces to establish a music summer program for the children of Tocumen. This program brings the Danilo Perez Music Educational Method to children of limited resources for free in a 4-8 week summer camp setting.

SEMINARS:
The Danilo Perez Foundation offers seminars to different types of educational institutions, organizations, schools, and conservatories in various areas of music, including jazz, music therapy, ethnomusicology, improvisation, history of music, and music education. Seminars vary in length depending on the goals and structure of the seminars. Usually, seminars last one to five full days of theory and practical work. One scholarship per seminar will be given to a Panamanian or Latin American student that cannot afford the tuition. Scholarships include ONLY the tuition cost of the seminars.

MASTER CLASSES:
Master classes are provided throughout the year in different subjects such as composition, improvisation, history of music, and many others. All Master classes take place in Panama City, at different dates and places throughout the year. These classes are open to all Latin American students who wish to learn more about the subject taught. One scholarship per master class will be given to a Panamanian or Latin American student that cannot afford the tuition. Scholarships include ONLY the tuition cost of the classes.

PRIVATE LESSONS:

Private lessons in performance, improvisation, composition, theory and other subjects are offered to students all ages and levels during the year.