Columbus Jazz Hero
Ohio
Stephanie Matthews’ enthusiasm for and commitment to presenting and extending her passion for jazz is unending. Her work exceeds presenting concerts, which she has done and done well — in 2024 alone, 16 of them in an international jazz series featuring foreign, nationally-emerging and local talents. What makes Matthews a Jazz Hero is her work to connect jazz with the social-emotional aspects of living, both in the classroom and broader community .
She’s the co-founder and executive director of A Tribe for Jazz, a Columbus 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing jazz through education, performance and visual storytelling. With a strong background in arts and arts administration, Matthews has pioneered innovative programs like the Battelle-funded Jazz Lab™ Mobile pilot, which integrates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts with jazz to create STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).
Stephanie spent scores of hours seeking the input of educators, scientists, technical professionals, business leaders and related community and educational organizations, assuring the success of a curriculum she designed with input of young people engaged in the technology industry. The target audience is Columbus’s underserved elementary to middle-school students. Cost-free to students who meet after school, activities include studying the science of sound, creating sound patterns on synthesizers and building 3-D printed instruments.
“On the first day of Jazz Lab™ at Dominion Middle School,” Stephanie recounts, “Matthew, an 8th-grade trombonist, arrived with an energy that was impossible to miss.
“From the moment he stepped into the room, his attention was riveted on the band. It was clear — he wasn’t here to listen; he was here to immerse himself. Matthew quickly gravitated toward the music, especially our pianist, Christopher Brown. Week after week, without fail, he claimed a spot near the piano. His curiosity was magnetic, the kind of energy that brings a room to life.” Matthew was selected to perform on stage during A Tribe for Jazz’s July 2024 International Jazz Series performance with Taiwanese vibraphonist Yuhan Su. The audience, which included Matthew’s middle-school band teacher, erupted in applause.
Discovery is the name of the game during the Jazz Lab™ VR (virtual reality) engagement. For 90 minutes, students push the boundaries of what seems possible, — getting experiences that spark curiosity, creativity and the courage to attack the unknown. Interest in Jazz Lab™ has won it support into the summer and 2026-27 school year. Earlier, Stephanie developed the multidisciplinary, arts-based, social-emotional learning program “An Exploration of Emotions and Color through Jazz Music,” a 2022 Greater Columbus Arts Council Art Makes Excellence Award finalist.
Stephanie’s work offers dynamic learning experiences to youth and older audiences alike. Under her direction, A Tribe for Jazz has earned numerous accolades, including Congressional and Senatorial proclamations and recognition for its role in community engagement and arts education. Stephanie addresses how jazz is perceived and experienced on stage, on screen and in classrooms.
What’s most amazing is that she has accomplished all this since 2020, just over four years. But the fact is that Stephanie Matthews is tirelessly engaged in her broadly defined community, serving on organizational boards, connecting jazz with our city for meaningful impact. She is truly a Jazz Hero to greater Columbus, Ohio, and especially to we who know her.
— Stephen Braunginn
Strictly Jazz Sounds
