Hello there!
My name is Daniel Seibert; I am entering my third year at
The Ohio State University studying music. This past summer, I had the
opportunity to be an intern with the Jazz Arts Group. Thanks to the STEP
Fellowship, I was able to live in Columbus while pursuing this internship. The
Jazz Arts Group (JAG) has been a staple of the Columbus jazz scene for over 40
years and is the oldest arts non-profit organization of its kind. Beginning as
a big band in 1973, JAG has since evolved into the legendary Columbus Jazz
Orchestra (CJO). Led by Byron Stripling,
the CJO seamlessly combines contemporary compositions and arrangements with a
classic sound rooted in the tradition of the Big Band and Swing era. In
addition managing the performances of the CJO, JAG also runs several
educational programs for students and adults including the Columbus Youth Jazz
Orchestra. This summer, JAG’s main focuses were establishing new offices in the
King-Lincoln District, executing the “JazZoo” concert series at the Columbus Zoo,
and planning for “One Night Only,” a fundraiser/gala event in November. During
my internship, I was able to aid in all of these areas in addition to helping
run day-to-day maintenance in the office and graphic design. Over the course of
this blog, I will detail some of the highlights of my experience as an intern
in addition to some history of the CJO and insight into the world of non-profit arts organizations. I’ll end this blog
post with a short clip of CJO Artistic Director, Byron Stripling, riffing
during his photo shoot for the cover of Columbus Monthly. This will give a
little idea of the immense talent that I had the pleasure of working with.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy!
