“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life . . .” (Olympic Charter – Fundamental Principle 1) The recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, followed by the Paralympics, were,…
(the following article was excerpted with permission from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz) Through an inspired collaboration with 14-time GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning pianist and composer Herbie Hancock along with an award-winning team of animators from Atomic Kid Studios, the Young Academic Research Group (YAM) at the Touro Graduate School of Education in New…
For the second straight year, because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, International Jazz Day took on a form significantly modified from how it had been conducted during its first eight years. This year’s celebration—the 10th annual—was marked by a two-hour concert video that expressed the spirit of this unique musical art form with which…
The ancient Greek myth of Iphigenia is being given a fresh operatic reimagining by ICAP co-president and jazz saxophone titan Wayne Shorter, in collaboration with Grammy-winning bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding. The opera sprang from an idea Mr. Shorter had after reading Goethe’s interpretation of classical Greek playwright Euripides’s final play, Iphigenia in Aulis (written circa 408-06…
A group conversation can unfold like a jazz performance with each participant taking his or her moment to solo with verve before seamlessly rejoining the group effort. Such was the case on September 18, when a group of jazz luminaries gathered on Zoom to discuss the musical wisdom of the late, great Miles Davis. ICAP…
Perched atop the roof of a hospital in Cremona, Italy, the birthplace of the Stradivarius violin, virtuoso Lena Yokoyama elevates the spirits of local healthcare workers stretched to the limits in their ongoing efforts to aid citizens impacted by COVID-19. Ms. Yokoyama’s proud performance is but one prominent example of how people the world over…
As jazz is one of the most responsive-to-the-moment art forms there is, it makes sense that this year’s annual international Jazz Day (April 30) celebration would take on a different format than ever before. In a world taking on the COVID-19 pandemic through social distancing and other extraordinary measures that have temporarily halted art and…
As British novelist Margaret Drabble says, “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” In a clear demonstration of this hopeful spirit, student band members at Hamburg High School in suburban Buffalo, New York, put together a project to transcend their initial disappointment at missing out on an international performance opportunity. For the past four years,…
The Guam Municipality of Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon (“Ta-Tu-Ha”) continued its tradition of promoting peace, friendship, diversity, and cultural exchange – by hosting its Eighth Annual Latte Peace Festival at the Tamuning Mayor’s Office Park on January 20-21, 2020. “Latte” is the name that the Chomorro (persons indigenous to the Mariana Islands) use for the carved limestone pillar…
Seven hundred forty students from Guam’s Guahan Academy Charter School (GACS) from kindergarten to K12 together with their teachers and staff gathered in the Academy’s courtyard for the Peace Assembly on January 17, 2020. The program started with Bendison, Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem and Guam Hymn. Linda Hernandez–Avilla, dean of Secondary shared that the…