The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a nonprofit organization devoted to jazz education, will move from Loyola to the University of California at Los Angeles this month.
The Institute was set up in 1986 by the Monk family and opera singer Mariah Fisher.
The Institute moved its full-scholarship college program, the Institute of Jazz Performance, from Los Angeles to Loyola in 2007, and it will conclude with the graduating class of 2011. Within its four years at Loyola, the Institute will have had two graduating classes and thirteen graduates.
“The Institute has always enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Loyola University New Orleans, and we are pleased that our office will remain on the Loyola campus,” Carter said. “We will continue to collaborate with Loyola’s faculty and staff to offer our programs.”
According to Holly Wallace, the Institute’s administrative director, the organization still plans to keep its connections to the city.
However, institute officials said they will still maintain an office on campus. According to Thomas Carter, the Institute’s president, the organization will continue outreach efforts in New Orleans through its visiting master’s program, master classes, in-school and after-school instrument instruction and performances led by New Orleans-based musicians.
“I’m thrilled that we’ll continue to offer jazz education programs from our New Orleans home, Loyola University. We are grateful to the faculty and staff for their tremendous support and we look forward to collaborating with them and our partners throughout the city,” she said.
A letter sent to partners of the Institute said that it was given a proposal to offer students music from a global perspective.
Donald Boomgaarden, dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts, said he agrees that moving the student portion of the Institute to Los Angeles is an understandable business move.
“It makes sense to move to LA,” Boomgaarden said. “Although the relationship is changing, they will continue to have a presence here in New Orleans, and at Loyola. The Monk Institute will be a part of Loyola’s larger mission to bring wonderful events and educational opportunities to our students, students in the Gulf Coast region, and to further the cause of jazz, and indeed, all the arts, in the city of New Orleans and beyond.”
The Institute is an international organization and the move to L.A. would be a feasible decision when it comes to flying between countries, Boomgaarden said. An example of such a flight is the trip to Italy the Institute will be taking this week. Some students, like Brittany Voelker, business senior, said they would miss the program.
“When I first heard about it (the move), I was sad because I always really enjoyed their concerts, but I’m glad that they did what they came to do and I’m sure Loyola’s school of music is better because of it,” Voelker said.
In 2007, the Institute synced up with the College of Music and Fine Arts to provide jazz education programming to youth as part of its Commitment to New Orleans, so as to rejuvenate arts in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the Institute brought musicians and educators into public schools and other parts of the community to supply instrument training, led free outreach programs and held public performances for students and adults.
“When I first came to Loyola, I was interested in the Monk program. I could never have been a part of it, but it was always very impressive to me and I hope that the future programs are as strong,” said Chelsea Rose, performance fershman.
Boomgaarden said that even though the Institute will be moving, opportunities to train in the jazz education programs will still be available.
“Undergraduates and graduates can work on jazz. The Monk Institute brought guest artists and outreach to public schools in New Orleans,” Boomgaarden said.
The college program will not open at UCLA until September 2012 because they are planning on spending the next year preparing for the new program. When they do open, it will be at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.
Jasmine Barnes can be reached at
Haley Summers can be reached at
