Listening venue is conducive to nurturing the art of improvisation, presenting the artists' work to an appreciative audience, who become part of the experience of the creative process. Established in 2006 and incorporated in 2017 as a 501(c)3, Merrimans’ Playhouse is both an arts and educational performing and presenting organization. Now in its 16th season, this Listening Room presents weekly Jaz
z Performance Series concerts, as well as a weekly Jazz Open Session. The venue is conducive to nurturing the art of improvisation, where the artist has the freedom to present their work to an appreciative audience, in a room designed to augment the dynamics of the music. In addition, its outreach to the community through collaborative experiences remains a hallmark of its work to promote jazz music in the northern Indiana region. OVERVIEW: Merrimans' Playhouse presents a variety of jazz performance and educational events, over 200 a year. CURRENT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION -
Weekly Jazz Open Session for local jazz musicians and students are held every TUESDAY. Sessions include discussion of songs, feel, forms and chords, and emphasizes how to listen and work democratically as a musical collective. Discuss. Based on Jazz Standards. It's a Learning Environment. Bring your Instrument, your Ears, your Friends. Egos stay at the door.
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
(doors open at 7:00)
$5 suggested donation
Hosted by the Merrimans
Featuring The Merrimans' Play-House Players
Jazz Performance Series: Featuring touring regional, national, and international jazz musicians, which occasionally includes a jazz clinic for area jazz artists and students. Home Grown Jazz Performance Series: These concerts highlight our area jazz musicians. Chamber Arts Series: Chamber ensembles which may include chamber jazz, classical, or other traditional music. We wish to create a sonic arts experience for music in a more intimate and educational way. These concerts include an educational element where the artists can explain the history of the music, the intent of the music and performance, how they may work together as a collective, etc. They offer a more in-depth experience of the chamber ensemble, or solo artist, to create an opportunity for the audience to learn more about the art and the artists. Student Jazz Performance Series: Feature area, regional or touring college and high school students. Highlights groups either affiliated with their school or have independent projects and recordings. Weekly jazz radio program - This is the Gig on WETF 105.7 FM. This program, hosted by Stephen and Mary Merriman, provides the jazz community and listeners with educational information on the art of jazz, the various jazz genres, highlighting ensembles who perform at Merrimans’ Playhouse, as well as live interviews with the performing artists. (currently on hiatus). Summer Jazz Series - Merrimans’ Playhouse @ the Snite: Four concerts are curated and presented at the University of Notre Dame (UND) Snite Museum of Art. (We have been partnering with the museum since 2015. Regular collaboration with other area collegiate and high school jazz programs and area jazz festivals to promote jazz. The venue provides a Recital Hall for teachers and students, with a 9 foot grand piano available. FUTURE PLANS, PROJECTS, and IDEAS
Culture Café: Working with local coffee brewers and food businesses, we are creating our own coffee house - Culture Café - "Bohemia After Dark". WVPE Radio Program – Merrimans’ Playhouse Radio Hour: We have been invited by WVPE 88.1 FM (our local NPR station) to produce a monthly radio show on their radio station. The show would be an hour long program where we record an interview the artists before the concert, and record their concert. This is a great opportunity to really learn and understand the music presented, and the artists’ intent with their music. The interview portion of the program will offer educational insight to the background of the artists’, their intentions with their music and compositions, as well as their process of creating. Student Jazz Open Session: As an extension of our Jazz Open Session, we want to offer a Student Jazz Open Session. This would be an hour long session with the core rhythm section of Merrimans’ Play-House Players, at a separate time than our regular open session. This will allow the opportunity to have the budding jazz musicians/students practice and perform with seasoned players in a non-intimidating environment. It’s important for musicians to learn how to play with other musicians in real time to really get the feel of performing jazz. Practicing at home is only part of the learning process. Playing with other musicians builds on this, not only for learning feel, timing, forms, soloing over changes, and dynamics, but also how to listen, and work with other people in a democratic way. This separate time will help build the confidence of the student, so that if the student feels comfortable, they can start sitting in with the regular Jazz Open Sessions. Jazz Clinics from Touring Artists: Increase the frequency of jazz masterclasses and clinics. Network more with the area colleges, universities, high schools, and middle schools. Ongoing discussions with musicians. Jazz Lunch Hour – Whitewater Lunch Series: Have carry-in dining with informal concerts of area jazz musicians, student ensembles, and open sessions. Big Band Series: Featuring our local musicians, rotate the diverse group projects in our region weekly (planning Wednesdays). East Bank Village Jazz Festival. Chamber Recitals: Increase frequency of student recitals, and invite other chamber ensembles to perform concerts and recitals. We would like to host senior recitals. Recording Studio: Rent out the grand piano and space for recording sessions. In process. Jazz Library and Retail: We would like to have a corner in our venue to have a jazz and arts library of music and books that may be checked out. We also have ideas for selling recordings of sonic art not well represented in our culture, such as jazz, modern classical, and avant-garde. We also want to include music books such as jazz “fake books” or instructional books. Art Gallery: Allow artists to hang their “Art Shows” in our venue. The artists can rotate their “shows”. Documentary Film Series: Recognizing Genius: jazz, arts, science.
