[Dixielandjazz] Jazz is Alive and Well - In the Classroom Anyway

[Mike]

Speaking as a student in a "jazz school" I have seen a lot of 
professors that do not know how to play jazz much less teach it. 
The Jamey Abersold's are very helpful; most students on my 
campus are into buying transcriptions books and memorizing those 
solos. It would be better to transcribe themselves that way they 
have the solo plus the practice in ear training. On my campus I 
also think that students don't listen nearly enough to jazz. You 
can't know the language if you don't expose yourself to it. My 
personal goals are to listen daily and to transribe a minimum of 
one solo per week in addition to practice.

Mike





Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis wrote:
> complaint arose: too
> many musicians sounded as if they were hatched in a practice room. The
> problem with institutionalized jazz education, the argument went, was that
> it fostered bland homogenization and oblivious self-absorption. And the idea
> held at least a kernel of truth
> 
> I completely agree that this is what happened.  This is what comes from 
> trying to teach jazz in colleges and High schools.  There is a prestigious 
> college prep HS here that has an excellent stage band.  Perfect in every way 
> except one.  The soloists totally suck.  Their training is rigid and 
> textbook like.  There is another school in the same system that had an only 
> fair stage band but produced outstanding soloists and professionals.  The 
> difference was the teacher in the second school is a jazzer who knows how to 
> inspire and lead kids into jazz the first is a textbook teacher.