When Farayi Malek first stepped onto the path of jazz education, she carried with her not only a love for music but also a deep commitment to sharing its power with others. As one of the early recipients of an Idaho Jazz Education Endowment scholarship, Farayi used that support to attend the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Contemporary Improvisation. From there, she received a master’s degree in Contemporary Performance at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute — an experience that helped shape her voice as both a performer and an educator.
Today, Farayi stands out, not only as a gifted vocalist and composer, but also as a leader in music education. She teaches at Berklee College Of Music as Assistant Professor in the Ensemble Department, as well as Pop Ensemble Teacher at Berklee’s City Music Boston High School Academy. She also joined the faculty at New England Conservatory as R&B Ensemble coach and private studio instructor. In addition, Farayi has launched her own online educational platform, continuing her mission to make jazz accessible and empowering for the next generation.
The Idaho Jazz Education Endowment is so proud of Farayi and the extraordinary path she has forged. Her story is a powerful reminder of how meaningful our mission is—and how your support helps nurture the next generation of jazz artists and educators.
A former recipient of the IJEE scholarship, Christy Echols studied jazz at Boise State University. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from West Texas A&M University and a Master Of Music in Double Bass Performance from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. After her Masters, she received an Artists Diploma in Music Composition. Today, Christy is a college professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and is the Bass Professor at Westfield State University in Massachusetts. She also is the bass instructor at a private school called Loomis Chaffee. In addition to being an educator, she is a freelance bassist in New York City and the New England area and performs with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Christy recently stated in a letter to IJEE that, “I often think of the IJEE and how influential and helpful it was to me as a college student.”
Kayla is currently serving her twelfth year in the Puyallup School District and her third year as an arts educator at Walker High School. This school is a smaller, alternate opportunity school that serves the needs of students who are searching for a different path to success in high school. Kayla provides art credit opportunities to students through visual art & design courses and recently piloted a new music course that mixes music theory, production, and modern band. This class opportunity is the first music course to be offered in Walker’s 50 years in Puyallup and aims to teach students music by using their own interest to fuel understanding in a non-traditional format. Kayla hosts a garage-band ‘club’ that meets after school. Over the past twelve years, Kayla has taught multiple choirs grade 5-12, general music grades K-6, beginning orchestra, speech & drama, yearbook and visual arts.
Kayla grew up in Boise, ID and started her music studies early at the age of five on the piano. She graduated from Central Washington University in 2013 and moved to the South Sound soon after. In 2019 Kayla earned her Masters of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Western Governors University. Kayla enjoys experiencing and creating art in multiple facets and has spent her time performing in the Symphony Tacoma Voices, providing piano accompaniment, participating in local arts events, and designing and printing artwork on her 1908 platen press. Her philosophy as a teacher is to provide the opportunity for all people to find the importance of living an artful life.
Kayla Hoots is currently serving her twelfth year in the Puyallup School District and her third year as an arts educator at Walker High School. This school is a smaller, alternate opportunity school that serves the needs of students who are searching for a different path to success in high school. Kayla provides art credit opportunities to students through visual art & design courses and recently piloted a new music course that mixes music theory, production, and modern band. This class opportunity is the first music course to be offered in Walker’s 50 years in Puyallup and aims to teach students music by using their own interest to fuel understanding in a non-traditional format. Kayla hosts a garage-band ‘club’ that meets after school. Over the past twelve years, Kayla has taught multiple choirs grade 5-12, general music grades K-6, beginning orchestra, speech & drama, yearbook and visual arts.
Kayla grew up in Boise, ID and started her music studies early at the age of five on the piano. She graduated from Central Washington University in 2013 and moved to the South Sound soon after. In 2019 Kayla earned her Masters of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Western Governors University. Kayla enjoys experiencing and creating art in multiple facets and has spent her time performing in the Symphony Tacoma Voices, providing piano accompaniment, participating in local arts events, and designing and printing artwork on her 1908 platen press. Her philosophy as a teacher is to provide the opportunity for all people to find the importance of living an artful life.
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Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, David Le attended Borah High School and Boise State University. He was a recipient of the Idaho Jazz Education Endowment's scholarship during his undergraduate studies at Boise State. David was able to attend school and absorb everything he could in the Boise area. He started as a music education major, playing violin in the Boise State Symphony Orchestra, singing in the jazz choir, and singing in Meistersingers. He also performed with Opera Idaho's resident company, participating in opera choruses for Tosca, Don Giovanni, and Aida, and also being cast for roles like The Page in Amahl and the Nightvisitors and The Innkeeper in Manon. David also performed with his jazz quartet throughout Boise for IJEE events, weddings, and other gigs. After graduating with his BA in music in 2020, He took a gap year and began taking lessons from Elizabeth Moore, a former Seattle Opera coach. With her guidance, he auditioned for The Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and was accepted into their masters program for voice in 2022. At IU, he has performed the role of Littore in L'incoronazione di Poppea, the role of Rambaldo in La Rondine, and Tapioca in L’etoile. He was also the baritone soloist for Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Schubert’s Der Psalm 92. He was most recently the first prize winner of the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Competition and baritone soloist in Mozart's Requiem with the Lima Symphony. He graduated from Indiana University with his masters in music.
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