By Margot Thomas

THE  15^th PANAMA Jazz Festival,   only days away,   has mushroomed into not only an internationally recognized performance feast but a major musical education program and a  boost for tourism.

There are over   90 activities in place, including music workshops, open rehearsals, and informative sessions with artistic universities from abroad, Jan. 15-19 in the City of Knowledge.

Little appears to have been left out. The workshops cover piano, drums, vocals, bass, double bass, trumpet, saxophone, guitar, trombone and vibraphone while the artistic teaching sessions cover folklore, composition, improvisation, digital music industry, panels, symposiums and an exchange of classical music.

It’s all happening at different locations in the City of Knowledge (buildings 105 and 109, the Athenaeum and the  Isaac Rabin school).

Student participation in the early years oscillated between  250 and 800  and since 2015 averages, 4000, including visitors from Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia.

The Berklee College of Music, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, New England Conservatory and Thelonious Monk Institute are some of the foreign training entities that will be Presenting workshops and auditions.

An exchange of classical music will launch the educational program of the Festival on January 15, at 9:00 a.m., at the Isaac Rabin School.

Other artistic training activities will include the "Anatomy “of a melody ", by David Engelhard, Attune yourself;  Egyptian music; Afroboricua  Music; History of Latin jazz;"," Arrangement and orchestration; and Ancestral and contemporary sounds.

The festival will also feature workshops that will address: "Digital ecosystem in the music industry;, "Originality in the development of ideas;, Modes of cultural entrepreneurs; Mental practice for musicians and Finance for musicians.