About
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getJazzed is the official music education program of Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance and developing new audiences. Program offerings include workshops for local and regional students, summer camps, jam sessions with professional musicians, and scholastic music festivals.
The program is presented by Berks Arts and Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, along with support from many sponsors, supporters and strategic partners who make the program possible.
About Berks Arts
The mission of Berks Arts is to Inspire, Engage, and Unite our community through arts education, collaboration, and presentation. Today, in everything Berks Arts does and supports, the organization seeks to make Berks County a more creative, desirable, resilient community.
Support BERKS ARTS
Join thousands of music education enthusiasts by supporting Berks Arts with a tax-deductible donation. Not only are you helping to secure a vibrant future for Berks Arts and getJazzed, but you’ll enjoy benefits as well!
Remembering Doc Mulligan
An icon in Berks County music, Robert “Doc” Mulligan spent the better part of his life in music.
Born in Ashland, PA, young Bob Mulligan played trombone in his high school band. That led to gigs in dance bands and a lifelong love of jazz music. He continued playing after high school as a member of the Penn State Blue Band, also performing in a campus big band.
Pursuit of a medical career after college put music briefly on hold, but it wasn’t long until he began the journey that would lead to not only a distinguished career in radiology at the Reading Hospital, but also to notoriety as a gifted musician and arranger.
Doc Mulligan went on to perform with and write music for various local groups, including the Reading Big Band, the Dave Stahl Big Band and the Bobby Mercer Road Show. Doc rarely charged for his arranging services. His charts have ended up in the books of many big bands across the county, the state, and well beyond.
In 2005, Doc was presented with the inaugural Frank Scott Award, recognizing his contributions to music and jazz education in Berks County. In 2015, he was honored at the 25th Berks Jazz Fest with a commissioned composition dedicated to him, “Pretzel City Trilogy” composed by Chris Heslop.
Doc Mulligan has influenced and mentored many generations of Berks County musicians throughout his lifetime.
Doc was one of the original founders and promoters of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest jazz education program (now known as getJazzed), and has led to our current Doc Mulligan Education Events, which include clinics, jam sessions and other programs for Berks County music students. Berks Jazz Fest’s getJazzed program continues in honor of Doc’s selfless example.
Doc passed January 8, 2021, after a short illness. He was 94.
Let’s celebrate a life in music. Let’s celebrate and remember Bob “Doc” Mulligan.
