The Arts Education initiative of Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, was developed in 2000 by Orbert Davis and Mark Ingram with a mission to enhance student academic achievement and life skills through supportive mentoring and the implementation of standards-based curricula. Its unique method is presented from a perspective that meets students where they are emotionally, culturally and academically. Research reveals that high-quality Arts and Arts Educational programs have implications for students' academic development in other disciplines; therefore, high quality programs that effectively integrate and improve Arts instruction are increasingly important. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to enhance traditional core academic disciplines. Similar efforts must be made to integrate the Arts effectively into the regular curriculum, either as a vehicle by which core academic areas are strengthened or as an academic discipline in its own right.

The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic has found success in using music as the vehicle for strengthening core academic areas while introducing and reinforcing life skills. The CJP contains a wealth of resources from its pool of musicians and other Arts professionals who serve as mentors/instructors in its programming. In addition, the CJP houses a variety of performing groups for all-school Arts Education assemblies that cover a variety of musical genres and topics. As a collective, the CJP’s "MusicAlive!" initiative is one of the most comprehensive – reaching students from all ages, beginning at early childhood through young adulthood.