When you are young and studying jazz, it’s sometimes hard to avoid the idea that you are studying a dead language. Everything from TV to the radio seems to suggest that jazz is so eccentric that it is impossible for people to appreciate and support the music. VCU’s Jazz Piano Competition showed me something that radio and television did not. As the winner, I was afforded the opportunity to perform with musicians of the highest caliber in front of an audience that was attentive and encouraging. The scholarship, various prizes, and most importantly the chance to perform for an enthusiastic crowd confirmed my suspicion that jazz is not a dead language, that the music is still very much alive, and that even now, as I continue to grow in it, I am carrying on the jazz tradition.

—Calvin Brown