From hundreds of applications nationwide, 40 finalists from 16 states have been selected to participate in this year’s Songbook Academy summer intensive, an acclaimed preprofessional music program for young singers focusing on the timeless standards of jazz, pop, Broadway, and Hollywood.
Locally, two students from Carmel High School are among the finalists. They are Seth Jacobsen and Jordan Pecar.
Now in its 14th year, the Songbook Academy is the flagship education initiative of the Great American Songbook Foundation, providing an opportunity for talented high school performers to experience a life-changing week of classes, workshops and performances under the guidance of arts and entertainment professionals and leading university educators.
This year’s Songbook Academy will take place July 15-22 at the Foundation’s headquarters, the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The week includes three public performance events at the Center’s Palladium concert hall, which will take place before a live audience and also will be livestreamed for viewers worldwide:
- Public Masterclass – 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 19
Ten randomly selected participants will perform and receive real-time critiques from Songbook Foundation Founder Michael Feinstein and a special guest mentor to be announced. - Songbook Showcase – 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, July 20
Each of the 40 national finalists will have a turn in the spotlight to perform a selected song. - Songbook Academy in Concert – 7 p.m. Saturday, July 22
Michael Feinstein will emcee as all 40 singers perform in choral numbers, small group ensembles and featured solos to celebrate their growth over the course of the week. The dynamic musical revue also includes tributes to legendary songwriters, interview clips gathered during the week and guest performances by Songbook Academy alumni.
For the July 19 and 20 events, on-site tickets and livestream registration are pay-what-you-can with no minimum price. For the final concert, on-site tickets start at just $25, and the livestream option is pay-what-you-can with a $10 minimum. Tickets are on sale now at TheSongbook.org, by phone at (317) 843-3800 or toll-free at (877) 909-2787.
The Songbook Academy is an opportunity to see tomorrow’s stars just as their careers begin to blossom. Alumni from previous years include Nina White (2016), now starring in the original cast of the Tony-nominated Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway; Isabel Robin (2016) and Yardén Barr (2017), currently on the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof: Morgan Taylor (2019), who appeared on the last season of NBC’s The Voice; and Eleri Ward (2012), who is soon to release her third album of Stephen Sondheim songs and is currently on a solo tour after touring as a support act for Josh Groban.
The Songbook Academy receives generous support from the City of Carmel, Salon 01 and the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Mentor Champions, individual donors who support the Songbook Academy with a specific focus on expanding program awareness and providing support to students who financial assistance. The Songbook Academy in Concert performance is part of the Hoosier Village & The Barrington of Carmel Songbook Series and the 2023-2024 Center Presents Season sponsored by Allied Solutions.