News
July 01, 2009
Mack Avenue Recording Artist Sean Jones At White House With Michelle Obama
Sean Jones, Michelle Obama, and Wynton Marsalis
Photo credit: Erika Floreska for Jazz at Lincoln Center
On June 15, Sean Jones participated in the Jazz Studio at the White House, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. Jones led workshops for 150 young students who came to the White House to celebrate this uniquely American art form and learn from and interact with some of the world's most renowned jazz musicians. Other musicians that participated: Sean's Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra employer and Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Stephen C. Massey, Todd Williams, Eli Yamin and others.
"It was amazing," Jones states, about his experience at the White House Jazz Studio. "Mrs. Obama spoke about her upbringing, and jazz was a big part of it. Her father had a certain standard of living that was influenced by listening to jazz, and it created a vibe in her household."
About meeting the First Lady, Sean says that Mrs. Obama was "very down to earth, sweet and inclusive not exclusive. She is a regular person who just happens to be the most powerful woman in the country. She knew me by name, knew who was around her. She had the girls there, sitting in the front row, and she explained everything that was going on to them. I was very surprised."
