Settlement Music School Jazz Show

Studio 34 presents middle, high school and adult ensembles from Settlement Music School's Wynnefield branch playing traditional jazz music. Founded as a settlement house in Philadelphia in 1908, Settlement Music School has a rich and long-standing history of evolving to meet the creative needs of the communities they serve. These three ensembles will play a variety of music, directed by their teacher, Alan Ens.

About Settlement Music School:

Settlement Music School is where Philly’s Jazz musicians get their start. Philadelphia plays a pivotal role in jazz history. From Billie Holiday to John Coltrane, many major jazz figures were born here and made Philly their home. A number of them got started right here at Settlement Music School.

Settlement’s jazz alums include Bassists Christian McBride and Stanley Clarke, Violinists John Blake, Jr. and Diane Monroe, the Eubanks brothers, and multi-instrumentalist Joey DeFrancesco, just to name a few. Internationally renowned vibraphonist Tony Miceli not only took lessons at Settlement as a kid, he now coaches Settlement’s Advanced Study Jazz Ensemble. Every day, jazz musicians of all ages and experience levels walk through our doors to practice, rehearse, perform, share ideas, and learn.  

Settlement is preparing the next generation of jazz musicians with classes and private instruction taught by the very best jazz teaching artists. Traditionally, students start with private lessons on an instrument, join a jazz ensemble in early middle school, enroll in music theory and improvisation classes, and eventually audition for higher level ensembles in late middle school and early high school. Settlement offers all of these courses of study, in combination or solo, and is prepared to meet students wherever they might be in their musical development journey.

About this show's director:

Alan Ens graduated from the University of the Arts in 2009 with a BM in Jazz guitar performance. His teachers were Mike Kennedy, Matt Davis, and Mike Quaile. He has also had lessons with Jimmy Bruno, Pat Martino, and Tony Miceli while there. Outside of college Alan has studied classical guitar with John Penn. He taught guitar, bass and ran ensembles at the Philadelphia and Cherry Hill schools of rock from 2009-2015. Alan has played rock, jazz, free jazz, folk, funk, and original music in venues and restaurants from NYC to Nashville and has been a pit musician at Society Hill Playhouse. Since 2013 he has also been the live sound mixer for the dueling piano band at the Philadelphia Howl at The Moon, and a production sound mixer for video with SQ Productions out of Cherry Hill, NJ. His most recent musical project is a classical guitar quartet that includes Brendan Evans.