Donate Today to Honor Rodney Whitaker  image

Donate Today to Honor Rodney Whitaker

Your donation will support the Gathering Orchestra and One of Its Geri Allen Fellows

$100 raised

$20,000 goal

We are no longer accepting donations on this campaign, but there are other ways for you to support us today!
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A Campaign to Honor

RODNEY WHITAKER - THE MAN, THE MENTOR, THE MUSIC

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This month, Carr Center friend and artistic team member, the indomitable jazz bassist and educator Rodney Whitaker was named 2023 Detroit Jazz Hero. Kudos to Rodney and to the Jazz Journalist association for recognizing this giant in jazz, in jazz education, in life.

But Rodney is not just Detroit’s Jazz Hero, HE’S OUR HERO TOO!

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For more than twenty years, Rodney has been a partner to the Carr Center. He’s performed, he’s taught, he’s mentored, he’s nurtured.

  • When we first started jazz education for young creatives….Rodney led our Summer Jazz Camp
  • When we partnered with Jazz at Lincoln Center to take jazz to the schools….Rodney was there to lead the effort.
  • When we established The Gathering Orchestra in honor of Geri Allen’s legacy and vision….Rodney became the Orchestra’s inaugural artistic director and remains at the helm.
  • And so very much more....

A new cohort of the Gathering Orchestra will start this year. We want to honor Rodney – the man, the musician, the mentor – by naming the Orchestra’s bass chair for this cohort the Rodney Whitaker Chair. To do so, we need to raise $20,000. The dollars will support the program and the young professional musician who will sit in that chair for the next two years.

You can help us honor Rodney and support The Gathering by making a contribution to the Rodney Whitaker Gathering Orchestra Bass Chair campaign. The new cohort starts in mid-May, so this is a quick campaign.

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Honor Rodney and his passion for the music: its past, its present and its future.