🎯 Mission Statement
The NC Jazz Continuum Project is dedicated to the preservation, performance, and propagation of North Carolina’s contributions to Black American Music. Through an integrative model that includes performance, education, digital archiving, and community engagement, the Project seeks to illuminate the historical significance and contemporary relevance of rhythmic innovation rooted in the African American experience.
🧭 Organizational Overview
Founded and led by Larry Q. Draughn Jr., the NC Jazz Continuum Project operates at the intersection of artistic excellence, cultural preservation, and educational access. As a visionary percussionist, educator, and minister, Draughn brings over 30 years of professional experience to the helm of this initiative—bridging traditions from gospel and jazz to digital innovation and global mission work. Draughn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Percussion from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master’s in Jazz Percussion from North Carolina Central University. A Betty Carter Jazz Ahead alum and former participant in the Steans Institute of Jazz, he has performed at esteemed festivals worldwide and contributed to numerous critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated recordings. Currently serving as a public school educator and artistic director, Draughn established the NC Jazz Continuum Project to unite the threads of North Carolina's rich musical legacy—through education, performance, digital preservation, and community investment.
Core programs of the project include:
- A professional touring ensemble blending jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and rhythm-forward improvisation
- A statewide educational initiative spanning K–12 classrooms through university lecture-recitals
- A digital archive documenting the rhythmic legacy of North Carolina artists
- A scholarship program designed to support emerging musicians
- A quarterly concert series spotlighting regional talent and community voices
- A podcast, Conversations in Rhythm, capturing oral histories and cultural dialogue across generations
💡Core Values
🥁 Cultural Lineage and Continuity
We recognize rhythm as a cultural language, passed down through oral tradition, sacred practice, and artistic experimentation. Our work honors this legacy while fostering new forms of expression rooted in the Black American experience.
🎓Accessible, Multigenerational Education
The Project designs curriculum and programming adaptable across all age groups—from foundational rhythmic instruction in elementary settings to advanced analysis in collegiate classrooms—ensuring music remains a living, shared language.
🌍 Representation and Equity
We intentionally center BIPOC students, artists, and communities in our programming, amplifying historically marginalized voices and creating access pathways in spaces where representation has long been lacking.
🎤 Performance as Pedagogy
Each concert is approached as a teaching moment—merging artistry with context. From public schools to jazz clubs, performance becomes a tool for dialogue, understanding, and cultural transmission.
🗂️ Preservation Through Innovation
Our digital archive and oral history initiatives preserve North Carolina’s musical contributions while creating space for contemporary innovators to leave their mark on the continuum of Black American Music.
🎧 Documentation and Dialogue
Through our podcast, Conversations in Rhythm, and ongoing community conversations, we document the stories, philosophies, and lived experiences of artists across North Carolina and beyond—capturing the pulse of a living tradition.
🌐 Why North Carolina?
North Carolina has long played a critical role in shaping the rhythmic language of Black American Music. From the angular genius of Thelonious Monk to the funk-driven energy of Maceo Parker, its musicians have expanded the boundaries of sound across genres and generations. The NC Jazz Continuum Project exists to ensure that these contributions are not only remembered—but reimagined, taught, and celebrated.