Our Mission
Jazz Outreach Initiative (JOI) promotes the cultivation of jazz music through performance, education and advocacy. Founded by Las Vegas native Kenny Rampton, it honors the Las Vegans and Nevadans who have contributed to Jazz music through celebration of their legacies and performance of their works. We believe fully in the mission statement of Jazz at Lincoln Center: "Jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism."
Our Educational Vision
JOI's vision is to nurture jazz appreciation and performance by supporting and inspiring students at all grade levels from K-12 through college. It will offer training workshops and help to shape public school programs that give students a chance to learn from world-class, professional musicians. Drawing on support from both the community of working musicians in the Vegas entertainment industry, as well as leading performers from throughout the world, JOI demonstrates the richness and variety of jazz from all of its eras, and is dedicated to growing the audience for jazz, while celebrating and preserving its rich history. To showcase the diverse musical and cultural heritage of Las Vegas, our organization strives to collaborate with artists from other music genres including Blues, Latin, Classical, Gospel, Pop and R&B. We also aspire to create experiences that mesh jazz with other performing arts disciplines such as theater, visual arts and dance.