Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project marks more than a decade of helping Saint Paul youth develop confidence, communication, and creativity through free music education workshops and mentorship.
— The Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project is marking more than a decade of using music, mentorship, and creative technology to help young people learn, communicate, and process their experiences. Founded in 2013, the Saint Paul nonprofit is also reaffirming its commitment to keeping arts-based programming accessible through partnerships with schools, recreation centers, and local government.
The organization was created by Executive Director Louis André Fischer, a Grammy-winning producer, musician, and educator whose career has extended from major recording projects to music-industry leadership and education. Fischer co-founded and co-produced Rufus featuring Chaka Khan and later produced Natalie Cole’s eight-time Grammy-winning album, Unforgettable with Love, and Tony Bennett’s Grammy-winning album Perfectly Frank, among numerous successful projects. He has also held executive roles in three major record companies and served as a music educator and former college dean, experiences that now inform the project’s emphasis on mentorship.
Fischer says the nonprofit grew from a belief that accomplished artists can offer young people more than technical instruction. Its workshops bring professional musicians, performers, engineers and educators as mentors into spaces where participants can explore all instruments, songwriting, singing, spoken word, youth social work, beat making, digital recording and multimedia production.
“Teaching should not be treated only as a delivery system for a standardized model,” Fischer says. “Education is changing, and young people need mentors who can recognize how they learn, respond to what they are experiencing, and help them develop their own creative voices. We must educate the whole being.”
That philosophy shapes an approach combining arts education with communication, youth social work, self-reflection and emotional expression. Rather than prescribing a single activity, mentors can help participants choose among writing, performance, instrumental music and production. Fischer believes that flexibility allows curiosity to become the starting point for broader learning.
An account published by youth-development organization Youthprise illustrated the model during a summer program at Harding High School. Students worked collaboratively on a multilingual song after the death of Philando Castile, using music to express grief and frustration. Youthprise reported that participants described the program as an affirming environment and said it helped them build confidence in their musical and emotional expression.
The project’s mobility remains central to its identity. Programming has included after-school and summer sessions, all-year-round recreation-center workshops, open mics and free concerts in public parks. A Saint Paul Parks and Recreation bulletin described free youth mentoring in instrumental music, songwriting, singing, beat-making, recording, and performance, led by artists and multimedia educators.
“Twin Cities Mobile Jazz programs benefit our youth by promoting learning, self-reflection, youth social work, and creativity, all of which are vital to our success as a community,” Fischer says. “I am thankful for partners such as Saint Paul Parks and Recreation and the City of Saint Paul, which help ensure that young people continue to have access to resources and supportive spaces where they can thrive.”
The organization’s after-school and summer programming is designed for young people ages 10 to 18, combining collaborative creative projects with individualized mentorship. Fischer says relationships with Saint Paul Public Schools, its Office of College and Career Readiness, and other community partners have helped the project bring its learning model into spaces already familiar and accessible to local youth.
As the Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project continues its work, Fischer says its purpose reaches beyond preparing students to perform. The nonprofit intends to preserve safe and welcoming spaces where young people can test ideas, collaborate across differences and translate difficult emotions into creative expression.
“Music gives young people a way to be heard, but the deeper goal is to help them understand that their ideas and experiences have value,” Fischer says. “When mentorship creates trust, creativity can become a pathway to learning, healing, and meaningful participation in the community.”
Contact Info:
Name: Louis André Fischer
Email: Send Email
Organization: Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project
Website: https://twincitiesmobilejazzproject.org/
Release ID: 89201180
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