Celebrating John Gilbreath’s legacy & the future of Earshot Jazz
After a celebrated career that spans more than three decades at Earshot Jazz, John Gilbreath is retiring from his role as executive director. Over the past 30+ years, John has been a driving force behind our mission to honor jazz through live performance, artist advocacy and community engagement. Earshot Jazz has worked to raise visibility for jazz in our community, helping to ensure the artform continues to thrive in the Pacific Northwest.
While we will miss John’s leadership and passion, we are energized to start a new chapter that will build upon the work, connections and community he cultivated. We are using this period of transition to engage in thoughtful planning for the future.
To ensure continuity of our mission and vision as an organization, we are appointing Meriça Whitehall as interim director. Meriça brings over 25 years of experience empowering teams, strengthening organizational operations and planning and implementing long-term strategy.
Also, during this time, Earshot Jazz’s Board of Directors will launch a thorough search for our next executive director — someone who not only aligns with our work and mission but who also has the vision and capability to lead us into the future. As part of our dedication to diversity, we are committed to pursuing executive director candidates who reflect the diverse genre of music we represent.
We are energized to reground our core values, recommit to our vision and chart a renewed path forward. We will be focused on the following activities:
- Diversifying our team by actively recruiting and retaining talented individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.
- Growing our local artist advocacy efforts, ensuring we connect artists to equitable opportunities that aim to support and propel their careers.
- Supporting local artists with resources, connections and opportunities to practice and perform their art.
- Building inclusive partnerships to reach youth and emerging artists.
- Providing education to community members, especially to neighborhoods and communities that are under resourced.
We will continue to build on our legacy as a vital steward of music and Black culture in our community to create a bright future for jazz — for those who perform it and those who love it.
If you have questions about this transition, please feel free to contact us at boardchair@earshot.org.
