The Vision 2025 plan for the Jazz Hall of Fame

The Tulsa Vision package has dozens of projects, including money for the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. But it's not enough to do all that's been promised. News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the

Wednesday, July 23rd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The Tulsa Vision package has dozens of projects, including money for the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. But it's not enough to do all that's been promised. News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the story.

During the summer the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame turns into a music camp. Children ages 10 to 18 come here to play jazz. Grace Kim is here taking a 3-week class. â€œIn the mornings you learn about chords and improvising, then we have lunch and then we practice.â€ And there's plenty of that. The education component of the Jazz Hall is growing. And director Chuck Cissell would like to do much more. "The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is not just in the festival business, that's one thing we do, but it's really more for our childrenâ€™s arts programs and for concerts throughout the year."

One of the reasons the Jazz Hall wants to move into their own building is to just have more room. During classes, the students have to find room to practice wherever they can. And the Jazz Hall has big plans. An animated tour of what it could be shows a performance hall for 500 - and a large museum. But it's an expensive vision - far more than the $4 million included in the Vision package. â€œIf we had $10 million we would still have to raise several million more, so this just means we'll have to raise a little more.â€

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is now in the same building as the Greenwood Cultural Center. They would like to move across the street - into a larger space with plenty of room for classes and performances. Altogether, it's a $25 million plan that depends on $4 million worth of sales taxes to get it started.

The children from that camp will give a free concert Friday night at OSU Tulsa, where the public can see what they've learned.