About Jazz
Mentors Foundation
Keeping jazz alive in Utah through live performance, student education, and direct mentorship.
About Us
Jazz Mentors Foundation Salt Lake City, Utah based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2023 to:
Encourage junior high, high school and university student musicians to study and play jazz.
Encourage awareness and appreciation for jazz in our community.
Provide clinics for student musicians and concerts for our community featuring nationally recognized professional musicians.
We came together to host a jazz concert series, with top tier jazz musicians, including local talent. For each concert, the artist will provide a workshop for high school, university and junior high students, free of charge. Additionally, high school, university and junior high jazz students are invited to attend the concerts free of charge.
Jazz music, while being the foundation of most modern music and one of the great American art forms, is in decline. It currently represents less than 1% of streaming music volume in the U.S.. We believe that by exposing students to excellent jazz musicians and concerts, we can revitalize this incredibly important and fun art form in Utah.
Our Mission
Our mission is to support jazz education in Utah by connecting students, educators, audiences, and nationally recognized musicians through live performance and direct mentorship.
We believe students grow when they can experience jazz up close, ask questions, learn from working artists, and see what is possible through music.
The People Behind the Foundation
Our team works to bring accomplished jazz musicians to Utah and make meaningful music education experiences more accessible to students and educators.
Founder
Micheal T. Mackay
Mike Mackay was one of the original founders of JazzSLC and the GAM Foundation. He has been a jazz aficionado and casual artist for many years.
FOUNDER
Melanie Shore
Melanie Shore’s dynamic musical fluency on the piano and Hammond B3 has established her as an accomplished performer, sought-after studio musician, Broadway music director, and award-winning composer and arranger.
FOUNDER
John Wooley
John Woolley was introduced to the jazz world by his then 5-year-old son, who is now a budding jazz musician. In his day job, he works as a healthcare-focused entrepreneur. Almost as much as he loves jazz, he loves the mountains and skiing. He, his wife, and their three kids live in Holladay, UT.
FOUNDER
Chris Julian
Chris Julian is a lifelong jazz aficionado and late-night composer. Daylight hours find him at his business in the senior care industry, on the local pickleball court, or cheering on his amazing wife and five daughters in their many pursuits. Chris is a longtime resident of Holladay, Utah, though his heart firmly resides on a sailboat in the South Pacific.
TEAM
Director of Operations
Todd Sorensen
Todd Sorensen has over 30 years of experience in the music industry as a session drummer, percussionist, arranger, and composer. He has played on thousands of sessions, movies, and promos. As a composer, he is best known for his music work for ABC, CBS, NBC, and shows such as “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” and “Oprah Winfrey.” Sorensen helped create UVU’s Commercial Music Degree, which prepares students to work in the music industry.
Production Manager
Renée La Schiazza
Renée La Schiazza is a passionate arts administrator who excels at facilitating music education programming for all ages. Officially, she is the Director of Programs of Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook Foundation and the Songbook Academy. She’s also an active performer, mostly in musicals. Proof you can love jazz and The Sound of Music!
