is the Las Vegas, Nevada branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians under the Direction of Dr. Claire Hart. is the Las Vegas, Nevada branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians, frequently referred to as NANM. on May 3, 1919 and held its first national convention that same year in Chicago, Illinois. It is the oldest organization dedicated to the preservation, encouragement and
advocacy of all genres of the music of African-Americans in the world. It has likewise, sought to develop higher professional standards of all music through lectures, conferences and conventions. Since its inception, it has provided encouragement and support to thousands of African-American musicians, many of whom have become widely respected figures in music and have contributed significantly to American music and culture. In its more than 90 year history, NANM has awarded more than 175 financial scholarships and awards to talented young musicians throughout the country. Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding musicians between the ages of 18 and 30 from throughout the nation. The categories include Voice, Strings, Organ, Winds and Piano. The Las Vegas, Nevada affiliate of NANM was chartered in July 1992 and was named in the honor of Jester Hairston, a famed actor, musician, composer, singer, choral director, songwriter, historian and U.S. Ambassador who made significant contributions to the entertainment industry from the late 1930’s until 1999. There are 6 active branches of NANM in California and Nevada and an additional 30 active branches throughout the United States. The Jester Hairston Music Association strives to accomplish similar objectives as those shown for our national organization. Each year, we perform concerts in an effort to share our music with our communities, to introduce others to the music of African-American composers and once each year, we sponsor a Scholarship Concert to raise funds for our Scholarship Program. This program allows us to provide scholarship assistance to musically talented youth and young adults pursuing a career in music.
