July 6-11 Named International Fernando Jones' Blues Camp Week by Illinois Governor

Campus Communications Staff / Jul 02, 2025

fernando jones wearing hat and holding guitarFernando Jones is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago and an inductee of the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame.
Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Fernando Jones, an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago, will offer a free blues camp for school-aged musicians at Columbia’s Music Center.

In an official proclamation, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker declared July 6–11 as Fernando Jones’ International Blues Camp Week. Fernando Jones, a Chicago Blues Hall of Famer, is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago’s School of Audio and Music. The proclamation also honors the Blues Kids Foundation—the nonprofit behind the camp that was founded and is led by Jones—for its global leadership in providing free blues education. 

Jones’ Blues Camp International, an initiative of the Blues Kids Foundation, returns to Columbia College Chicago’s Music Center the week of July 6. This is the 16th year Columbia has hosted the camp, reinforcing its commitment to Chicago’s blues legacy and youth music education. 

The camp brings together more than 100 musicians ages 12 to 18, and it includes beginner to advanced-level vocalists and instrumentalists from diverse backgrounds. For six days, these aspiring artists gather in Chicago—known globally as the Blues Capital of the World—to learn the art and history of blues through immersive workshops, rehearsals, and performances, all at no cost to participants. 

Jones finds inspiration to help these young musicians by remembering those who supported him. As Jones told WGN last year: “A lot of people gave to me as well. It might have been 100 people who said ‘no,’ but there are three or four great people that opened doors and protected me,” he says. “That’s all it takes.”  

In the same proclamation signed by the governor, the State of Illinois established Blues Camp Workshop Days, which will occur during the academic year in Chicago Public Schools and provide accredited professional development for teachers and administrators across Illinois. 

Blues Camp is made possible through the support of Columbia College Chicago as well as other organizations and partners. Together, they help ensure that Fernando Jones’ vision—to educate, inspire, and elevate the blues—continues to shape young musicians and honor the rich legacy of the blues.  
 
Learn more about the Blues Camp. 

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