There's a certain formula emerging from each speech or set of remarks that First Lady Michelle Obama delivers. The part I wait for usually comes at the middle or end, when she brings up some story from her own life that relates to the matter at hand. She did that Monday when she talked about the role of jazz in her life at the debut of the White House Music Series.

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Much has been written about Mrs. Obama, but there is much that remains unknown because she was first thrust on the public scene during the presidential campaign. So here's what I just learned: "Jazz has been a part of my life since I was a little girl," Mrs. Obama said. She also wants her daughters to be "aware of all kinds of music other than hip-hop." (I thought Malia and Sasha were fans of the Jonas Brothers, right?)

Mrs. Obama herself took piano lessons as a child, spokesman Semonti Mustaphi told me.

The White House Music Series kicked off Monday afternoon, using several of the rooms to create a "jazz studio" for about 150 student performers (mainly from Washington and New Orleans) who were instructed by jazz greats, including members of the Marsalis family who set up shop in the East Room: trumpeter Wynton, saxophonist Branford, trombonist Delfeayo, drummer Jason and their dad, pianist Ellis.

Their focus was on high-school-age musicians, most of them from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, also in New Orleans.

Tuesday was the first of three events in the music series. Country music will be the theme for a summer session, with classical music featured in the fall.

Mrs. Obama, speaking before a performance and after the classes, told the group that their presence at the White House was part of her drive to open the place up and turn it into "what I think the White House, the people's house, should be about. This is a place to honor America's past, celebrate its present and create its future. And that's why all of you all are here today. It's about the future."

After describing jazz as "America's indigenous art form," she continued:

"Globally recognized as America's music, originating in the great city of New Orleans just a century ago through the African-American experience, today's jazz is performed and listened to by people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, ages and creeds. Indeed, jazz is considered by many to be America's greatest artistic gift to the world.

"The understanding and appreciation of jazz is integral to understanding and appreciating American history and culture. It's an outstanding artistic model of individual expression, and democratic expression as well. And there's probably no better example of democracy than a jazz ensemble: individual freedom, but with responsibility to the group.

"It's essential that we preserve, develop and expand this treasured art form for our future generations by recognizing and elevating the importance of our jazz-education programs in every single school across America. The budding jazz -- young jazz musicians from across the country who are with us today, all you young talents, are the future guardians of the music. We salute you and your teachers.

"We are counting on you to keep the music vital and evolving for generations to come. And, as jazz has been demonstrating every night for more than a hundred years, when you work together there's nothing that you can't do."

Mrs. Obama brought her daughters, Sasha, 10, and Malia, 8, and her mother, Marian Robinson, to the event.

"I brought my own family with me today, because I want to keep them alive and aware of all kinds of music, other than hip-hop. So it's just -- it's so important for me to have you here that I brought them here as well."

("Alive"? Did she mean "alive to"?)

"And jazz has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My mother's father, who we called 'Southside,' before there were room-to-room -- speaker in every house -- every room in his house, and he played it 24 hours a day at -- on the highest volume he could put it on. And that's how I grew up in my household. At Christmas, birthdays, Easter -- didn't matter. There was jazz playing in our household.

"So it means so much to me to be able to bring that music here to the White House, and to have you all celebrating with us. So have a good time. Thanks so much."

And all that jazz.


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