Author: Ellen Muse

From Cincinnati to Carnegie Hall (and beyond)

A few weeks ago, I watched a new group of kids file into the Cincinnati Jazz Academy for the first rehearsal of the 2026–2027 school year — some clutching instrument cases nearly as big as they are, others walking in like they already own the place because they’ve been with us for years. Either way, I love that first rehearsal. It’s full of possibility.

It felt like the right moment to look back at the year we just had, because honestly, it still doesn’t feel real when I say it out loud: last year, our students performed at an international music festival in Portugal. They shared a stage with Robin Eubanks at the Aronoff. One of our own, Cadence Okuwobi, was selected as the only student from Ohio to play at Carnegie Hall with the NYO Jazz program, then toured Asia with them this summer.

I keep coming back to something one of our students said after performing: “I didn’t want to improvise on stage at the Aronoff, but after doing that, reading a passage in class is a piece of cake.”

That’s the whole thing, right there. This isn’t just about jazz. It’s about what happens to a kid’s confidence when we hand them an instrument, a mentor, and a reason to believe they belong on a big stage.

Here’s some of what last year looked like:

• 107 students in grades 4–12, from 24 Cincinnati Public Schools, received a completely free, high-quality jazz education — transportation, meals, instruments, ensemble instruction, and weekly private lessons, all at no cost to their families.
• 32 of our students traveled to Portugal, becoming the first high school jazz group from Ohio to perform at the Lisbon International Youth Music Festival, playing alongside 11 youth ensembles from around the world.
• 82% of students demonstrated increased musical proficiency, and 93% reported stronger collaboration and teamwork. Just as important to me: 91% of families told us they saw real growth in their child’s confidence and goal-setting.
• We welcomed two new leaders to the Academy this year: Artistic Director Ralph DiSylvestro and Program Manager Brandon Graves.

You can see the full year in numbers and stories in our Cincinnati Jazz Academy Annual Impact Report 2025-2026.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because a kid who might never have touched an instrument gets handed a bass, a trombone, a flute — and then gets the instruction, the ride to rehearsal, and the stage time to actually become a musician. That’s what our funders and donors make possible, and I’m grateful every single day for it.

Now the Academy has kicked off a brand-new school year, and a new group of kids is walking in the door, wondering if they’re any good. I know how that story ends when someone believes in them.

$1,500 sponsors one student for a full year — the instrument, the instruction, the transportation, the shot at a stage like Carnegie Hall or the Aronoff. Will you help a student take the stage this year?

GIVE TODAY

Here, jazz changes everything.

Announcing this year’s Founders Day Honorees

Each year at Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s Founders Day celebration, we reflect on the people who have helped shape our journey—those who have given their time, talent, and treasure to ensure that our mission continues to thrive. This year, we are proud to honor two extraordinary individuals whose leadership, creativity, and commitment have made a lasting impact on our organization and the community.

Guiding Through Challenge, Building for the Future:
Robert Ramsay

Robert Ramsay has championed the Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC) since its founding in 2004—first as a board member of the Pleasant Ridge Community Council, and then as KHAC’s board treasurer from 2019 to 2024. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership and generosity, Robert was selected for the 2025 Kennedy Award.

His expertise as a CPA helped guide our organization through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he led financial strategy and helped secure vital resources including PPP loans and federal relief funding.

Robert says it was amazing to be part of the Arts Center during COVID: “During a time of so much stress, the Arts Center was able to bring joy and entertainment throughout the neighborhood including our work with Play in the Park, the traveling Blink exhibit, and the arts kits that were delivered especially to youth and seniors at home.” Another stand-out memory during the pandemic was the Center’s Black Lives Matter outdoor exhibit. “It was one more example of the Arts Center responding by, of and for the community, especially during tough times.”

Furthermore, he helped lay the foundation for our future. Robert played a key role in establishing the Arts Center’s endowment, creating a pathway for long-term sustainability. In addition to being a trusted advisor, his enthusiasm for the Center’s programs is unmatched. He’s especially excited about the continued growth and success of the youth jazz academy. He says, “I’ve learned so much from the Kennedy Heights Arts Center that helps me be a better neighbor and helps me grow as a volunteer to serve other organizations. A lot of things give life meaning, but serving neighbors through KHAC’s mission is top of the list!”

Framing Community, Capturing Connection:
William Jones

William Jones tells us, “Photography has always been how I see the world. Kennedy Heights Arts Center has become the place where that vision found its community.” In recognition of his outstanding dedication and impact, Will will receive the 2025 Volunteer Award.

A Kennedy Heights resident since 2012, Will’s involvement with the Arts Center grew naturally out of his connection to the neighborhood. He officially joined the board in 2019, serving until 2024 and offering both his leadership and his creative talents as a professional photographer.

Will says the Arts Center has been “a place for creativity, a place to see the world a little differently, and a front-row seat to the talents of artists from all walks of life.” Like Robert, Will was deeply moved by the Center’s Black Lives Matter exhibit. “I was there documenting the event, and I photographed a mother and her son. She had her arms wrapped around him, and on the back of her t-shirt it read: ‘I’ll fight… so he can breathe.’ Capturing that image made me realize that Kennedy Heights Arts Center is a truly magical place. It’s where I found my own creative voice, and where I’ve been surrounded by the voices of so many other artists. From that moment on, I didn’t just volunteer there—I embraced it.”

Will truly has embraced the Arts Center and its mission, stepping up time and again to capture striking moments that tell the story of the community. He says he looks forward to watching the Center continue to grow and seeing the difference it continues to make.

We hope you will join us at Founders Day on Tuesday, May 19th as we celebrate Robert, Will, and the many individuals who make our work possible.

The event is free to attend. RSVP

Table Sponsors:
Susan and Randy Wade-Murphy

Founders Circle Sponsors:
Jeff Dey
Mike and Fran Harmon
Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri
Mary and Chris Ray

Send a Kid to Camp!

Every child deserves the chance to create. No exceptions.

This summer, hundreds of young people will walk through the doors of Kennedy Heights Arts Center. Some will arrive having never picked up a paintbrush, stepped onto a stage, or been told they are creative.

And then, in just one week, something shifts.

They create something they’re proud of.
They try something new.
They begin to see themselves differently.

They are seen, encouraged, and celebrated—not just for what they make, but for who they are becoming.

For many of these kids, Kennedy Heights Arts Center is more than a summer camp. It’s a place where confidence takes root, creativity is unlocked, and connections are formed. It’s where curiosity turns into passion.

But access to experiences like this isn’t guaranteed.

Too many young people miss out on opportunities to explore their creativity simply because of financial barriers. And when those opportunities are out of reach, so too is the chance to discover new talents, build confidence, and imagine new futures.

That’s why this work matters—and why community support is essential.

With the help of donors, Kennedy Heights Arts Center is able to ensure that every child can participate, regardless of their family’s financial situation. When those barriers are removed, something powerful happens: a young artist begins to envision a future they hadn’t considered before.

This summer, you can help make that possible.

Our goal is to raise $15,000 by June 1 to support access to summer programming for all families. Every gift—at any level—opens the door for a child to step into their creativity, their confidence, and their future.

Make a gift today.

Because every child deserves the chance to create.

21st Annual Founders Day Honors Volunteer Leaders

Each year, Kennedy Heights Arts Centers recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Arts Center’s mission through their leadership and volunteer service through awards presented at our annual Founders Day event. The 21st Annual Founders Day will be held on Sunday, April 27 from 2-4 pm.

We are pleased to announce this year’s honorees.

Donita Parrish, Kennedy Award

Donita Parrish discovered Kennedy Heights Arts Center through family friends (and KHAC founders) Jim and Susan Zarnowicki. She recalls attending her first Winterfest in 2007, shortly after she and her husband Paul moved to Pleasant Ridge.

Upon joining the board, Donita took on the role of vice president and then president from 2018 to 2024. Her outstanding leadership during a pivotal time in KHAC’s history earned her this year’s Kennedy Award, honoring exceptional contributors to the mission.

Some of the work Donita is proudest of may not be obvious to KHAC visitors but has a significant impact on those who work for the Center. “I’m very proud that we improved some personnel policies and made it possible for the Arts Center to start offering health insurance,” she says. She’s also proud of the work KHAC has done in conjunction with the OF/BY/FOR ALL Change Network, a program for cultural organizations that provides an intentional framework to help make them more inclusive, equitable, and relevant.

Asked what experiences at the Arts Center stand out most to her, Donita points to the Center’s artist-in-residence programs. In fact, one such program reunited her with college friends from Cleveland’s Inlet Dance Theatre a few years ago.

Donita’s experience with KHAC will resonate with many people for whom the Center is part of the fabric of family life. “The Arts Center has impacted my life by helping me stay connected—and reconnect—with art,” she says. “With the demands of parenting and working full-time, having the Arts Center in the neighborhood has made participating in creative endeavors possible for me at different times when my kids were growing up. Also, it’s been a third place for my kids—one who’s in college and one who’s graduating high school—through summer camps, classes, and Teen Artists for Change.”

Thank you, Donita, for making Kennedy Heights Arts Center a more inclusive and welcoming place for all families!

David Gruber, Volunteer Award

David Gruber has been involved with Kennedy Heights Arts Center almost since its founding. A Kennedy Heights resident at the time, he attended many events and exhibits at the fledgling organization. Later, he helped plan the Jazz in the Heights concert series, which led to his joining the Board about a year later.

David’s impact on the Arts Center has literally blossomed through the years: As a board member and chair of the Facilities Committee from 2018 to 2024, he led efforts to revamp the Center’s campus. Inspired by the lush landscape created by Lee DeRhodes, he worked to preserve and enhance this legacy. His dedication went beyond leadership—he could often be found in the garden himself, pulling weeds and tending to plants. The garden project remains one of David’s proudest contributions to KHAC.

David’s leadership and hands-on dedication have ensured that the Arts Center remains a beautiful, welcoming space for all. We are honored to recognize him with this year’s Volunteer Achievement Award.

Some of David’s fondest memories of KHAC include working with staff and board members to create collage art with artist June Daley, and experiencing Wing Yung Huie’s photography exhibit. Speaking to the latter about his motivations, David says, challenged him to consider questions like, “What is my identity? How do I fit into the world? How might my life be different if…?”

David has always enjoyed exploring visual and performing arts across a wide range of styles and periods. In college, he was exposed to the artistic forms of African cultures, which broadened his perspective on the role of art and artistic expression in societies. It also gave him a way to understand more of the world outside of the US and Europe that had made up the majority of his academic experiences to that point. “I continue to explore diverse art in my travels and through exhibitions that come to Cincinnati,” says David. “When you look at the range of programs KHAC offers, it is a remarkable diversity of art forms, ideas and expression that you can experience here.”

Thank you, David, for all you’ve done! Because of you, the Arts Center will continue to bloom for many years to come.

All are invited to join us for the 21st Annual Founders Day celebration on Sunday, April 27 from 2 to 4 pm. The program starts at 2:30 pm. Free.

RSVP appreciated by April 22.