Since 1982, the Projazz Education Institute of Santiago de Chile has been a constant contributor and a reference for the national artistic environment. In 2007, it became the Instituto Profesional Projazz, becoming the first institution in the country to create a professional level jazz program approved by the Ministry of Education. The curriculum includes teaching the careers of Jazz and Popular Music Performance, as well as Music Composition. In 2015, the program was granted Institutional Autonomy.
Undoubtedly, between 1982 and 2021 many more things have happened and that initial project that began nearly 40 years ago has evolved. “Today, Projazz is very different from what it was. However, its’ essential commitment to artistic expression, vocation, and talent remains intact”, highlights its founder, George Abufhele.
Digital platforms have been added to collaborate in the delivery of a quality educational experience. These programs ensure a constant and direct dialogue with the community as a tool of knowledge that facilitates daily improvement. These programs continue the relationship with valuable international experience, thanks to alliances with the Latin American Association of Music Schools, Alaemus, of which it is a founding member, and as a Global Partner of Berklee College of Music of Boston, MA, the prestigious institution of jazz and contemporary music, which has allowed the development of various initiatives in the regional community.
Projazz recently inaugurated a 4-story building for all its academic operations (https://projazz.cl/web/nuevo-espacio-para-la-educacion-musical-en-projazz/), and within the Projazz facilities, the music production laboratory is located, which has 16 digital workstations—each equipped with a TASCAM US-1X2 interface.
The courses taught in this laboratory include:
- MIDI music production
- Music production workshop
- Digital music notation
- Keyboard Harmony Auditory Training
Diego Gonzalez, the head of the technical area tells us, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the return of face-to-face classes, we had to create a system where classes could be done in a hybrid manner. This means that classes take place both online and face-to-face. For this new modality, TASCAM US-1X2 and TASCAM US-1X2 HR interfaces were incorporated into each of our 19 rooms, giving us the stability of transmission and sound quality of our distance classes.”
Why does Projazz prefer TASCAM? “TASCAM is a brand of great trajectory, security and, of course, excellent sound quality,” Gonzalez reports. “This provides our students the tranquility to start in the world of production without problems, using intuitive digital interfaces that are easy to configure, that feature crystal clear transmission and excellent sound quality. For online classes, we use TASCAM in all our rooms from the smallest to the largest, as in musical ensembles where the interfaces create the bridge with the sound console—generating experience according to current requirements. We are very pleased with the work that can be achieved with this product, and we recommend it 100% for all kinds of features that our world can offer us. We also have the invaluable technical support and backing of Croma Ltda, the brand’s representative in Chile, with whom we have worked for many years.”
