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 WHY JAZZ EDUCATION? Here's what two respected area educators have to say, in their own words, about the importance of jazz as an art form and jazz education in the schools. Clarence Smith Drummer/Percussionist Director of Jazz Studies Paseo Academy
I'm certain I became a jazz educator because of the love of the music. I have always loved listening as well as performing this music. I also think it is a welcome change from the other popular styles like rock, R&B, rap and classical. Students need to be exposed to all kinds of music, and they will grow if they are being challenged. Playing jazz is a huge challenge. I am also of the opinion that jazz education is an afterthought in most school music programs. Why is there state-mandated material for classical music but not for jazz? Why is having a jazz ensemble optional, but not a pep band? Why aren't band directors fighting for jazz programs? I have seen some improvement over the years, but far too little. I'm not sure what the future holds; however, here is one thing I'd like to see. How about a state level jazz contest, comparable to district and state solo and ensemble contests, held in every state in the country? This is done very well in the state of Iowa, for example, and they've produced some very good players. But more than anything they have many kids who have been exposed to jazz and who will become players and patrons. Hal Melia Saxophonist/Woodwinds Professor of Jazz Studies University of Missouri-Kansas City
We need to teach jazz history, and we need to show students how to draw on that history to make their own statements and carry the music forward. This goes for music students and the general public alike. Jazz is also cultural nourishment. If we are to grow as a society, we must find ways to counteract the conformative, fast food, junk bond, monosyllabic tendencies promoted by mass media, and get back to values which champion innovation, creativity and individuality in our citizens. Jazz is a discipline. In a society where discipline is not only unrewarded, but avoided altogether, music in general and jazz in particular provide disciplined studies that help people succeed in other areas of their lives. The person who sits down and learns scales and chords well enough to solo over a tune like "Giant Steps" is also the person who will be well equipped for problem solving in later years, and may also have developed the mental and emotional stamina needed to deal with life's difficulties. The reason I first got into jazz education was dual in nature. I saw a need, and in fulfilling it found I had a gift. In Dayton, Ohio, where I'm from, there was not much awareness about jazz in the early 1990s. Since I was there, and trying to play jazz music, I thought one way to build an audience would be to educate kids about this art form. That way, they could make decisions as they entered the consumer market in later years that might reflect a broader understanding about choices for arts and entertainment. Well, the response was terrific! Seems the marching bands were doing one show the whole season, and concert bands were doing little more than prepare for contests where the winner brought home the "iron," so these kids were absolutely starved for creative outlets. Even the jazz bands they were involved with concentrated mainly on rehashing big band music that was higher, faster, louder, and included newer arrangements that were watered down and featured one soloist at most. These jazz bands were also involved in contests where there was a winning band, as if music were an Olympic sport or something; it was very frustrating for the kids, and very blasé educationally. Naturally these kids would gravitate toward a more open minded approach where their creativity was celebrated, their weirdness and individuality encouraged. I found myself staying with Jazz Education as a passion and a profession. In my opinion, Jazz Education is in both good shape and bad shape today. While there are more outlets for exposure (most decent sized high schools have jazz programs of some sort), there are some problems with perception. Jazz today is perceived as encompassing everything from field hollers and church testifying to jump swing and watered down wallpaper I refer to as "Fuzak." With such a broad range of musics lumped under the heading "Jazz," it is not surprising that record stores and radio stations, not to mention high schools and colleges, are confused with respect to what jazz is. If we consider jazz an aggregation of styles, then the programs available to kids are wildly successful. If, however, we add the element of making a personal statement using improvisation, most programs I see are failing rather badly. It's not the band directors' fault; they are some of the most overworked, underappreciated people to be found in all of society, and their efforts are nothing short of heroic in just getting a program to function through the school year. Consequently, a band director just doesn't have the time to spend with each individual student learning improvisation. The answer may lie in special programming and private instruction, and perhaps a new approach to aural skills. Students have to be made aware that jazz is an aural tradition, and must be learned as such. Kids have to be introduced to some of the great jazz recordings, and encouraged to transcribe the notes and pick up the styles and internalize this great music. I hope for their own sakes that many, many students begin to realize that, since it will help foster not only their own creativity, but also do the jazz scene in general some good! RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2000 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved. |
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