We are really looking forward to playing at The Waiting Room Lounge on Sunday, Aug. 5th for the 2018 Season Finale of BluesEd!

• Free show!
• All Ages!
• 7 bands!
• Music starts at 1:00.

Shout out to Montez of 961 Kiss Online at iHeartRadio for the wonderful podcast with several members of the BluesEd Leadership Team. We had a great day discussing what makes BluesEd so unique and how talented students can get involved in BluesEd. We would encourage any student who wants to expand their talents to check out the BluesEd program at our BluesEd Benefit Concert on Sunday at The Slowdown. 

In this first segment, Trudy discusses the beginnings of BluesEd and how it has evolved.

• BluesEd was started by the Blues Society of Omaha in 2001 
• Currently, BluesEd includes 50 students within 7 bands
• BluesEd is not school specific and students come from all over the region, including Lincoln and surrounding Iowa communities
• Performances occur multiple times a week during the BluesEd season - April to August

In this segment, Susie and Chris discuss Blues music and the accolades the BluesEd program has received.

• Blues genre is the foundation of all modern rock.
• Modern Blues artists many students may know:  Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, etc
• BluesEd was the winner of the "Keeping the Blues Alive" award from the International Blues Foundation
• BluesEd is unique within the country and other Blues Societies contact us to model their own youth education program after our successful program
• BluesEd bands have a chance to perform at the International Youth Showcase in Memphis, Tennessee 

Want to be in a BluesEd band?  In this segment we discuss the audition process and the professional musician mentors for BluesEd.

• Middle and high school students must be proficient in their instrument before they audition.
• Auditions held in January/February.  Performances start in April and continue through August.
• BluesEd Clinicians who mentor our bands are all well-known, working musicians in the Omaha/Lincoln area.
• Special clinics, included in the tuition fee, are held with many national touring artists during the BluesEd season.  

The following segment BluesEd Leaders discuss:

• song selections by bands
• how the bands take on their own personality with the type of music they choose to perform
• how BluesEd students learn how to write original music and perform at the end of the season

In this segment, we discuss the impact being in a BluesEd band has on the students lives:

• how BluesEd promotes leadership, confidence and teamwork
• how BluesEd teaches students how to be professionals 
• how being around other passionate student musicians fosters growth as a person

BluesEd has "graduated" over 200 students in the past 17 years.  Many students have gone on to major in music in college and perform with their own bands now. 

• ​BluesEd alum & current Iheartradio employee, Connor, to discuss how BluesEd impacted her life and continues to do so years after she graduated.​​
• BluesEd alum's performing nationally and locally 
• Even those BluesEd alums who are not currently performing music still take many great memories and experiences away that help them as adults
  

In this final segment,

• BluesEd discusses all the performance opportunities afforded to our bands
• Describes Playing with Fire & our 15 year partnership
• BluesEd Alum. Connor, shares her insights of performing at Playing with Fire as a BluesEd student
• All continue to "Keep the Blues Alive"

​Name: Jacob Clarys 

High School: Elkhorn High School

BluesEd Band/position: Trumpet Player for Far and Wide

College & Major: Double majoring in Jazz Performance and Business Administration at UNO

How Long in BluesEd: This is my second year 

How long have you been playing? A little over 8 years 

What is your favorite BluesEd workshop song: The Thrill is Gone

Favorite BluesEd moment: my first gig with the band 

Hobbies outside of BluesEd: running, lifting, going to movies and finding new restaurants.