The University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival brings thousands of students, educators and community members to campus every year. Yet, as a result of funding cuts and artistic decisions, it may cease to exist in 10 years.
In 2005, main stage concert attendance was at 14,405, but that number dropped nearly in half with only 7,257 attendees in 2013. Student participation has experienced an even larger decrease — from 11,290 to 3,800 in the same time period. Considering most of these people come from out of town and contribute heavily to Moscow’s economy, that drop is astronomical.
The reasons for cutting back on funding were reasonable enough. Jazz Fest was a proverbial money pit, offering very little revenue in return for a large expense. The event is primarily educational, offering UI and high school and middle school students the opportunity to attend workshops from professional musicians and UI’s music professors.
On the same note, schools — which make up a large portion of Jazz Fest attendees — have seen state funding cuts and have started to weigh the worthwhileness of attending Jazz Fest and spending large portions of their budgets to do so.
Additionally, the focus shifted to featuring less well-known performers as opposed to big name artists.While this gives those artists a great opportunity, it also makes the decision for regional high schools much easier — spending the money to make the trip to Moscow isn’t worth it without the opportunity to see well-known performers.
At a land-grant university that values research and STEM education over liberal arts, there is immense value in keeping Jazz Fest alive. It is the largest campus event focused on music and the arts that happens all year — not to mention one that once claimed itself the largest jazz event west of the Mississippi River.
We are an educational institution. It is our duty to the public and future generations to continue to promote art and culture. We need to start working toward continuing to attract regional high schools and giving those students a chance to further their own musical education — as they continue on into college and beyond.
UI had made its decision to have a smaller, regional festival that it can afford. And that just isn’t going to have the same kind of draw that it used to. We have to live with that reality and unless drastic changes are made, it will be the reality for the foreseeable future.
That being said, we as a campus community need to continue to show support for this longstanding celebration of culture and art that our university has, thus far, preserved.