Saxophonist and vocalist Warren Hill brings his smooth jazz artistry to John Ascuaga's Nugget on Friday, February 19 in a special concert to benefit the music and fine arts programs in the Washoe County School District. The show starts at 8:00 pm in the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are $32 and can be purchased online at www.janugget.com or by calling 775-356-3300.
David Branson, music and fine arts coordinator for the school district, explained the importance of the event this way. "This benefit concert is vitally important to the students in these programs. Over the past two years, our teachers have seen a large increase in the financial need of many of our students. Many families simply cannot afford to rent or purchase instruments, and pay the lab fees for our arts and theater programs. It is the belief of the WCSD Fine Arts department and the district that no child will be denied an education due to their financial status. Every dollar raised in this event will go toward the arts education of children in our schools."
Earlier on Friday, the Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) members will offer clinics to WCSD music students from 4-6pm at the Nugget. On Saturday (2/20), "Jazz in the Schools" moves to the UNR campus in Nightingale Concert Hall for a full day of regional middle and high school jazz ensemble performances and clinics. Bands kick off at 8:50 am and continue until 4pm. Come show your support for local arts education while enjoying the next generation of home-grown talent, all for free! And don't miss the RJO - the region's elite jazz orchestra - as they perform on stage from 12:30-1:30, also free of charge.
Hill is a Canadian smooth jazz and adult contemporary musician. A graduate of Berklee College in Boston, Massachusetts, he performed on his own graduation day in 1988, where he caught the attention of record producer Russ Titelman, who helped him sign a record deal with RCA Records. He also backed Chaka Khan and Natalie Cole in the early 1990s.
About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
