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(jazz music plays, no vocals)
(Mike Tracy) This is our 6th year for Open World. We're very excited for
for them to be here. The whole program is sponsored by the Open World
Leadership Program, and is housed in the Library of Congress.
The Open World sees the value of having music as a cultural exchange.
And, Jazz being an American art form. The people in Russia, especially the
jazz musicians, the young ones really want to come here and hang with jazz
musicians, plus hangout with students. You really get the experience of
being alongside of them. So they really think it's exciting.
(jazz music)
Jazz in Russia is pretty amazing. When you go there, they have schools
that are huge and music is a very important part of their life.
Not just in the life of the students, but in the culture.
It's always been there. Classical music is a long tradition, ballet, opera,
everything. Well, jazz has been taken just the same way, and it's been
viewed by many as their way of expressing their individual freedoms.
(jazz music)
This is a very desirable trip. No one on the trip has ever been to the States.
They may have traveled throughout Europe or somewhere else, but
one of the criteria is to have never traveled to the U.S.A.
That's one. Their hand-picked, selected from many people who applied.
In fact, these guys, before they were here now, have never played together.
So, they get on the plane, they meet each other first in Moscow.
Then, go through all the orientation they get over here, and put together
some music. The grant is a special award, not just for the students from
Russia, but for us. We're very honored. In fact, we're the only institution
that's had it for as long as it has been, for the jazz partners. And
we take that seriously.
(jazz music)