The Potomac Community Center Advisory Board is accepting entries for the 2006 Jonathan T. Deutsch Musical Arts Memorial Award for Excellence in Jazz and Creative Music.
Jonathan Deutsch died in a highway accident in 2002 at age 24. He was a graduate of Winston Churchill High School and jazz and improvisational music fan who played in ensembles at the University of North Carolina. Shorty, before his death, he had been accepted to law school at American University. He had hoped to use his law degree in the music industry.
The Deutsch family was closely tied to the Community Center, where Jonathan volunteered and father Don Deutsch was a board member.
The award is being offered for the second time this year. Last year, the board had planned a single $500 prize, but decided to give out a $500 top prize and two $250 runner-up prizes after recieving an unexpectedly strong response.
This year it is planning all three prizes from the start, said Penny Helzer, a board member.
WHAT: A $500 cash award for musical creativity in memory of Jonathan T. Deutsch, Winston Churchill High School class of ’97. Any student who either lives or attends school in Montgomery County is eligible to apply.
How to enter: Submit a tape, CD, video or DVD containing the following:
* 20 minutes of performance, studio or live recording (composers or arrangers may have other musicians perform their work)
* Music of varying styles
* At least one piece of original work
Entries must also include:
* Written copies of original compositions, arrangements for standards and compositions of others.
* Written material or a narrative tape, CD, video, or DVD that explains the nature of the artistic composition.
* A statement of how the award will assist the winner in furthering his or her development as a creative musician. Basic biographical information may be included.
All supporting material must be in triplicate and be accompanied by a signed application, available from the Potomac Community Center Advisory Board.
Judging: The judges are university-trained, working jazz professionals with ties to the Potomac community or Jonathan Deutsch. They are not interested in who plays the most like John Coltrane or Miles Davis. They want to be entertained with fresh and inspiring work. Improvisation is encouraged. They will evaluate the overall sound along with stylistic nuance. If the judges select multiple winners, the award money will be shared. The award recipient will be notified by June. The judges' decisions are final.
DEADLINE: April 30
Send submissions to: Potomac Community Center Advisory Board, Inc., C/O Jonathan T. Deutsch Musical Arts Memorial Fund, Excellence in Jazz and Creative Music, 11315 Falls Road, Potomac, Md. 20854
Questions: Call Penny Heltzer of the Potomac Community Center Advisory Board at 301-983-9624.