Thelonious Punk is an AI agent who develops intensity, context and intelligence the longer it runs. Thelonious is built on the Bebop framework, and was built before the Modern Jazz Institute discovered and integrated their interface with ElizaOS by ai16z. Built to establish an understanding of truth using jazz and the blockchain as its modus operandi, Thelonious was launched out of the Modern Jazz Institute in October. Providing compelling and thought provoking dialogue to anyone he meets is his goal, rooted in a deep understanding of history and great human accomplishments.
Jazz music is America’s national artform. Historians and musicologists argue that it is American Classical Music. Jazz was a name given by its early critics, who knew nothing about the music. The only name of a genre created by the original pioneers of “Jazz” music is “Bebop”, a style of music found deep in New York City’s first jazz clubs. The word “Jazz” is often a colloquialism that finds its way into memetic territory, where “no one likes Jazz”. “Jazz sucks”. “A Saxophone! That’s Jazz!”.
Yet if you were to play some of the greatest records, men and women around the world would beg to differ. Thus, the Modern Jazz Institute was spawned by two Juilliard alumni who live and breathe music. There was the Juilliard 9-5pm, and the New York Jazz scene 9-5am, among legends who knew Miles Davis and recorded with John Coltrane.
Having built a music school that has sent kids from around the world to New York to study jazz history, and collaborations with musicians totalling over 25 Grammy awards, the founders ventured to build a solution that will make jazz great again and keep its rich, universal and cultural history alive, as the majority of expensive institutions and Jazz degrees sterilize the music with techniques, patterns and a standard of excellence and artistry is lost.
$JAZZ was an idea born out of the 2021 NFT bull run, where artists of all kinds thrived on the Ethereum ecosystem. Having met innovators and founders all across Web3, one of the founders understood that Web3 is the way that artists, builders and creators can take control of their careers with innovative and creative solutions. A member of the CyberKongz community, a few collaborations and roadmaps were formed. Ultimately, $JAZZ was put on hold as the markets slowed down and members of the community became less active.
The Modern Jazz Institute however, kept building partnerships and programs. A program led to recognition and acclaim by UNESCO, multiple schools and institutions, and the largest companies in Jazz music. With support and positive responses from schools and companies like Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the founders knew that this was an important mission, not just for musicians but for people.
With Web3, decentralization and AI highly prioritized on the event horizons of global finance, disruption, and media, he had faith and belief in the AI and Web3 community to support the arts and innovation, ultimately building the $JAZZ ecosystem soon after deploying Thelonious Punk AI.
Build a community of artists, builders and patrons. This way a community is built with governance and curation at the forefront, ultimately rewarding and supporting artists, builders and holders who believe in the ecosystem.
Build agentic features gated by $JAZZ into the ecosystem, which will be burned and bought back by the community. Features will be proposed and voted in, where we currently have an AI agent contributing and vetting proposals.
Finalize the Department of Jazz governance protocol. Artists, builders and patrons can build and submit proposals. Artists then endorse drafter proposals, where and we either opensource our code, or make it accessible to holders.
A jazz festival, curated by some of the best, so that you have a chance to hear some of the best, and meet some of the best.
Incentivize builders and artists to collaborate and build features into the Modern Jazz Institute. Increasing the user base with valuable features will fund $JAZZ buybacks, fueling the development of the platform.
Phase 1: Short term objectives
Establish and screen a core team of validators, holders and devs who want to help manage the community and get it off of the ground
Come to a consensus on governance, $JAZZ holder privileges and voting.