OPENING THE TENT: DR. STEPHAN BLANFORD'S VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF EARSHOT JAZZ
- Vivian Phillips
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
by Vivian Phillips
“Sometime around 1897, the Charles 'Buddy' Bolden band began filling the dance halls and streets of New Orleans with a new kind of music. Instead of following the notes on sheet music like they were a railroad track, Buddy made his cornet an extension of his emotions. To this rough Negro barber, popular melodies were only points of embarkation for funky, hip-swinging improvisation. Some twenty years later, this new music would be called jazz. Many years after that, it would be recognized as America’s unique contribution to the arts.” - Excerpted from the preface of Bourbon Street Black: The New Orleans Black Jazzman, by Jack V. Buerkle and Danny Barker. Published in 1973
When Dr. Stephan Blanford became the Executive Director of Earshot Jazz, he wasn't simply taking the helm of one of Seattle's most respected arts organizations. He was embracing an opportunity to expand access to an art form deeply rooted in Black American history while reimagining who gets to participate in its future.
This reimagining did not start with Dr. Blanford. It has long been a north star for the 42-year-old organization. The kitchen-table founding of Earshot Jazz has always held at its core a dedication to celebrating jazz as a cultural treasure of Black America. Yet Blanford is the organization’s first Black leader.
Blanford's appointment comes at a moment of transition and opportunity within Seattle's jazz community. At the same time, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has named acclaimed bandleader Orrin Evans as its artistic director. Together, the appointments signal renewed attention to jazz's Black cultural roots and its future in the region.
Six months into his tenure, Earshot Jazz’s new executive director is focused on access, education, and ensuring that Seattle’s Jazz community reflects the people who shaped the music.
For Blanford, the challenge is twofold: preserving Earshot Jazz's international reputation while expanding access for audiences and young musicians who have historically felt excluded from jazz spaces. His vision centers on education, community partnerships, and a commitment to keeping jazz connected to its Black American origins.
One of the most pressing challenges he identifies is the lack of diversity within music education pipelines. “Despite Seattle Public Schools serving a majority-minority student population, Black and Brown students remain underrepresented in many music programs,” stated Blanford. The reasons, he says, are both practical and cultural.
"There are barriers to participation that many families face," Blanford explained. "Private lessons cost money. Instruments cost money. But beyond those challenges, students need to feel like these spaces belong to them."
That sense of belonging has become a central focus of his leadership. Rather than waiting for students to discover jazz on their own, Blanford wants Earshot Jazz to bring the music directly into schools and communities.
"There are people in our community who still don't see Earshot as a place for them," he said. “We want to understand what it will take for more people to feel an ownership in Earshot. That’s the big project for us going forward.”
Among the possibilities he is exploring is a partnership that would connect students with nationally and internationally recognized jazz artists performing at Seattle's Jazz Alley. The vision is simple but transformative: create opportunities for young musicians to meet, learn from, and even perform alongside professional artists.
"It's about creating experiences that inspire young people to see themselves in this music," he said.
Drawing on his experience as a former Seattle Public Schools board member, Blanford understands that successful educational initiatives require more than good intentions. They require partnerships and champions within schools who can help build sustainable programs that endure beyond a single performance or school year.
His commitment to access is rooted in a broader philosophy that connects jazz to social justice.
Before joining Earshot Jazz, Blanford built a career in advocacy and public service. Rather than viewing his move into arts leadership as a departure from that work, he sees it as a continuation.
"Opening access to jazz is social justice work," he said.
That perspective is informed by his understanding of jazz history. Blanford describes jazz as one of America's greatest cultural contributions to the world—a uniquely American art form born from Black creativity, resilience, and innovation.
Tracing its origins to New Orleans in the years following the Civil War, he notes how surplus military instruments found their way into Black communities. Musicians learned to master those instruments, creating opportunities for economic advancement while developing a musical language that would eventually captivate audiences around the globe.
Understanding that history, Blanford believes, is essential to preserving jazz's future.
As Earshot Jazz continues to present artists from a wide range of backgrounds and traditions, Blanford sees another challenge on the horizon: audience diversity.
While Earshot's stages often reflect a broad spectrum of voices, he acknowledges that its audiences do not always mirror that same diversity.
"There are people in our community who still don't see Earshot as a place for them," he said. “We want to understand what it will take for more people to feel an ownership in Earshot. That’s the big project for us going forward.”
Changing that perception will require intentional outreach, community engagement, and programming that invites broader participation. Blanford is quick to emphasize that expanding audiences does not mean abandoning existing supporters.
Blanford is openly appreciative of the 38 years of leadership guided by the previous director, John Gilbreath, and the support he garnered for the organization. Noting how Earshot has gained such a powerful international reputation, Blanford notes the invaluable relationships Gilbreath developed over the years and says he is up to the task of continuing that trend.
"The tent is big enough," he said, describing his vision of an organization that welcomes longtime jazz enthusiasts while creating new pathways for first-time attendees and emerging audiences.
That vision will be on display during Earshot Jazz's upcoming 38th annual festival season, October 9 – 25th. The festival, which has earned international recognition for its ambitious programming, will feature acclaimed artists from around the world, including bassist and composer Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves, Celebrate Coltrane, and more.
For Blanford, maintaining Earshot's reputation as a world-class presenter remains a priority. Equally important, however, is ensuring that jazz remains connected to the communities and cultural traditions from which it emerged. Recognizing the significance of his assignment, Blanford notes just how important the organization is to musicians with whom the organization has a history. “I’m pleasantly surprised when I see releases by artists who, for instance, have received the Earshot Golden Ear Award. That relationship is noted and is a great source of pride knowing that Earshot has played a role in their trajectory.”
His goal is to honor jazz's Black American roots while nurturing the next generation of artists and audiences who will carry the music forward.
As Earshot Jazz enters a new chapter under his leadership, Blanford's approach is clear: preserve the legacy, expand the invitation, and ensure that more people see themselves reflected in the music.
The future of jazz in Seattle may not simply be more diverse. It may become more representative of the city—and the history—that made the music possible in the first place.
ABOUT DR. BLANFORD
Dr. Stephan Blanford brings to every room a rare combination of intellect, purpose, and presence. A Seattle-based leader, writer, speaker, and educator, he has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of policy, community, and social change—always with an ear for the deeper rhythms that move people and institutions forward. His career has been defined by improvisation in the best sense: listening closely, responding in the moment, and shaping bold ideas into collective action.
As the new leader of Earshot Jazz, Blanford is helping shape the future of one of Seattle’s most important cultural institutions. Before joining Earshot in early 2026, as Executive Director of Children’s Alliance, Blanford led statewide advocacy efforts that helped secure more than $1 billion in historic investments for children and families across Washington. He also served as an elected school board director for Seattle Public Schools, where he championed educational equity and public accountability. Across each chapter of his work, he has remained committed to amplifying voices too often unheard and building systems that honor dignity, possibility, and justice.
Blanford holds degrees from the University of Washington and Antioch University Seattle, with academic work focused on leadership, policy, and social justice. But beyond titles and institutions, he is a thoughtful storyteller and bridge-builder whose life’s work reflects many of the values at the heart of jazz itself: discipline, collaboration, risk, soul, and the courage to create something new in real time. Whether on a stage, at a podium, or in conversation, Stephan Blanford brings clarity, conviction, and a deep respect for the power of ensemble.
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