The Clarence Acox Jazz Endowment (CAJE) honors the enduring legacy of Clarence Acox, who founded the Garfield Jazz program and led it for 40 years. The CAJE is a professionally-managed and independent fund that supports Garfield Jazz students’ education and Garfield Jazz community outreach activities.

The income and investment returns from the fund are used for:

• Assisting Garfield students in participating in Garfield Jazz through private music instruction, sheet music, and other related student expenses. Assistance is based on demonstrated financial need.

• Enhancing the quality instruction in jazz music performance at Garfield High School. This includes supplementing instructor funding for Jazz Band 3, which in turn promotes the high level of students moving into Jazz Bands 2 and 1.

• Funding outreach programs to elementary and middle schools that feed into Garfield High School to increase the number and diversity of qualified students for the Garfield Jazz program. Such programs may include music instruction, sheet music, recordings, transportation, and other expenses to allow Garfield Jazz students to visit those schools.

Endowment Scholarships for private instrument lessons

The funds currently support individualized, private lessons for Garfield Jazz students who wish to make progress on their instrument outside of the instruction they receive at Garfield, but need financial support to make that possible. The amount of each scholarship will depend on the number of eligible applicants and available fund balance.

More information is available in the application below.

Application Deadlines: Fall Term (Sep 30), Spring Term (Jan 15), Summer Term (May 15)