Whether it be the lively sounds emanating from the lavish resorts of the early days of Caruso and John Phillip Sousa performing at the Castle Inn or Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians… or the more than 50 years of jazz jammin’ at the Deer Head Inn…phenomenal regional music has been birthed, nurtured, blossomed, and, now, absolutely sizzles within the society of Delaware Water Gap, PA.

How does this happen?  For one great reason!  For the past 30 years, one superb organization—The Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts (COTA) Jazz& Arts Festival— awakened the cultural yearnings and volunteer spirit of this sleepy little town, which now supports, with hundreds of local volunteers, one of the premier jazz festivals in the nation.  Many of COTA’s volunteers may not like or even understand the idiom called jazz—but they do know that COTA’s principals are persons they admire:  first-rate teachers of music, culture, responsible citizenship, and artistry—artists who continually give back to their communities.

What everyone in the Gap, and throughout the NEPA region, recognize most about COTA is its commitment to encouraging and supporting the teaching of jazz through the COTA Cats—a big band comprised of talented local high-school students— and COTA’s commitment to further support their efforts through the COTA Fund for Young Musicians.

But in 2007, celebrating its 30th year of launching full-fledged jazz festivals, COTA took a major step forward to invest young talent in the performance of this unique American art form called jazz:  COTA boldly launched its first COTA CampJazz —mentored by a “dream team” of its inspirers (Phil Woods and Rick Chamberlain)—opening its doors on July 30, 2007, to its very first class: 39 young musicians, ages 12-18, who professed a burning desire to learn to play jazz. They worked (and were worked) for seven days; were encouraged to work even harder; and were inspired to do so in classes conducted by an amazing array of COTAlums and Senior Faculty, world-class musicians who taught technique with passion and unstintingly shared their advice on negotiating the path of “growing up jazz”.  CampJazz is, without a doubt, the place where students will excel, and parents will revel in the values their aspiring young musicians will assimilate.

Click For CampJazz 2008:  don't delay, space is limited.