Fifty kids from the Fresno area have been learning to play jazz under the Milestones Youth Jazz Workshop, a music project that provides music education opportunities for the youth in the Central Valley. 

“Our goal in Milestones is to teach you how to play jazz, but also to teach you how to play together. So playing in a jazz band, you’re going to come across a lot of things that maybe aren’t going to be on paper, or maybe you’re not going to be comfortable or used to,” says musician Eva Scow, who works with an intermediate group of middle school musicians.

The project runs under the nonprofit Jazz Fresno, writes The California Report's Alice Daniel. Milestones, which doesn't turn away kids who really want to participate, runs on grants and donations; students also help with fundraisers to bring in extra money. 

Read the full story:  Channeling Youthful Energy Into an American Art Form