[Dixielandjazz] public school music

[Cebuisle2 at aol.com]

Hello list-
 
I've followed the thread concerning school music programs on the site. Like  
Russ, I am a retired teacher and band director who subs frequently for the  
county music educators.
The programs I have seen vary widely from school to school. Some are  
innovative, some exhibit music staff who are just marking time before a switch  to 
another school or vocation. 
The frustration level is high, the pay low. Football performances take a  
front seat here in the South, marching competitions a close second. The small  
so-called "jazz bands" at the public concerts play a wide variety of music, much 
 of which would be highly suspect for lack of jazz content. One director is 
into  sophisticated Latin jazz, another always uses a lot of dissonance and 
others  have the . well, BOOM BOOM BOOM beat going throughout. The younger 
educators  have little or no knowledge of traditional jazz forms, they didn't  learn 
them in college.. Student music appreciation here is divided between  the 
"rappers" and the County fans. There is a smattering of heavy metal, gothic,  
etc. but no jazz. When the kids ask me what kind of music I like and I tell them  
there are puzzled looks .
 
Each post had some truth in it-but the programs here vary widely in  quality- 
The only universal truth is-there's no hot jazz. 
 
                                                                              
      tradjazz