The Harmonic Foundation is a brand new arts organization (formed to initiate this festival) with a mission of re-energizing the Avant-garde Jazz scene in Baltimore. The word Jazz means different things to different people, of course. In our case, the focus is cutting-edge Jazz that emphasizes the contribution of African-Americans in creating a tradition of innovation and creativity in music. We support Jazz that extends the definition of music and is newly composed by the artists or improvised in the performance right in front of the audience. The Harmonic Foundation is dedicated to serving a diverse population and to promoting local artists who are under-supported, but who bring a great deal to the city.

The purpose of the festival is to raise community awareness to this great music and to Baltimore as a vital place and to inspire original creative thought and empowerment throughout our region. It has been noted that musical development improves a child’s self-discipline, dexterity, coordination, self-esteem, thinking skills, aural skills, creative abilities and personal expression. By example the Harmonic Foundation will be a witness to the power of music, providing inspiration, and create a venue for vital local music. The group currently does not have nonprofit status, but we will be forming a 501(c)3 corporation in the coming year. In the meantime, if necessary, we are sure we will pass funds raised through another nonprofit group. Please contact us directly if you want to support the festival and find out more (and we need your support!).

New jazz in Baltimore has already begun to re-emerge in recent years. Live improvised avant-garde music in Baltimore has undergone something of a renaissence in recent years (with the International High Zero Festival in September, the ongoing Red Room performance space, and an ever increasing number of performances in small venues and clubs around the city that have showcased African American artists), but there is much more work to be done to realize the full promise of this music. To that end, Harmonic Baltimore hopes to bring another vital side of the music to life, build consciousness of the African-American tradition, and to reach a broader audience.

We also want to assert that the music is a living, breathing, spiritual thing--with ties to the past certainly, but very much focused on hope and the future.

"Life itself is continuum of experiences-happiness, sadness, mystification, and other things. If a person is in tune with these life experiences, they will be reflected in their art and music. But if they just toss them off as trivial, the music won't have the content in it."
--yusef lateef