[Dixielandjazz] school music thread

[Cebuisle2 at aol.com]

Hello list mates-
 
I've gone through all the posts on the subject of school music. Too many  for 
private replies, so I'll just add my two notes worth.
 
The observations , all of them,  are correct.Band directors are  seriously 
hampered by discipline problems. An undisciplined student should not  be part of 
a school music organization. Or for that matter, a school sports  team. The 
early jazz musicians who quit school to jazz did themselves and their  schools 
a big favor. Today however, quitting is a lot more difficult and schools  have 
become holding pens for teenagers.
 
Most newer school band directors have had little or no jazz exposure. As  
many posts have pointed out, jazz can't be taught from a text. A local director  
at a school where I sub a lot answered my suggestion that his "jazz band" play 
a  little hot jazz at the next concert to increase  the small attendance  
that usually showed up. He replied that he had already played "String of Pearls"  
at the last concert. This fellow supposedly majored in alto sax, but I have  
never seen him play the horn or even bring it to school during the last five  
years. Today he bemoaned the fact that in a school of over a thousand students 
 he could not find a piano player for his "jazz band." His equipment has been 
 damaged, stolen or vandalized repeatedly over the years. 
 
The impossible schedules some music people work under. Football games,  
basketball games, annual parades, marching competitions, and on and on. Little  
time left for jazz if even they wanted to. Mostly this is done by one person  
here in the South, no assistants.
 
And then,there is the poor choice (my feeling anyway) of material they use  
for concerts.Far out dissonant harmonies by New Age composers. Audiences can't  
relate to them, kids can't play them well. 
 
I could run on, but just wanted to say that the list knows the problems.  
What to do is a real nightmare in today's schools, and not just in the arts  
departments.
 
And then, as one member pointed out, some of these folks really don't want  
to know the solutions. 
 
And then there is there annual band trip. My grandkids go to China every  two 
years! The whole band year is spent raising money for these extravagant  
tours so the director's resume will look good when he or she leaves. Not much  
time for music-
 
                                                                              
   as always, tradjazz ted
oh yes-the last time they went to China they forgot to take the tuba  
mouthpieces-