[Dixielandjazz] Students in Jazz Schools

[mmckay]

Thank you James!

There are many who chose to be educators rather than professional musicians.
It is two different sets of skills and two decidedly different fields (when
done correctly).

I'm a "dedicated listener" and can count the "gigs" I've played on one hand.
As a retired band director from a small, rural high school in mid-America, I
can count ten to fifteen students who came through my program and who are
now (or have been) playing jazz and other genre's professionally.  That
includes students who are part of (writing, background, accompanying etc.) 4
Grammy awards, to date.  I also have (that I am aware of) another twenty or
so who have chosen to be music educators.  Finally, there are three or four
(again, that I'm aware of) who are in music related professions, including
one of the more significant studios in the nation. Apparently I did
something right some of the time.

If you care at all about the background between performing and music
educators I would direct you to the article "Is music a trap for the
academically gifted?" MUSIC EDUCATOR'S JOURNAL, April 1983.  I'm not even
sure it's on line anywhere but I can provide an outline (and maybe the full
article if I can find the manuscript) if anyone really wants it.

If anyone is interested in a procedure that worked well for me with
BEGINNERS in creating jazz solos (pre-Abersold) drop a line off list and
I'll share it.

Mart

Martin D. McKay (Designated listener)

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of James O'Briant
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 8:51 AM
To: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Students in Jazz Schools

tcashwigg at aol.com wrote:

> ... Does that mean that ALL Music teachers are bad or idiots ?  
> certainly not, but far too many of them have taken the easy road out 
> by becoming teachers ...

And you think that's an EASY road??????

> ... rather than striking out and actually trying to make a living as a 
> Professional Gigging musician. ...

And you think that one of those roads is innately inferior to the other?
Why?

> ... Why because nobody ever taught them how to go find gigs or create 
> them in the marketplace, ...

And so you believe that skill, which you happen to have and use
successfully, is more important or more valuable than the skill of imparting
knowledge and a love of learning in students?

> ... therefore they went back and
> retreated into the Music education business ...

Here's a radical thought.  Perhaps they WANTED to be teachers rather than
full time gigging musicians.  

I'm very new to the OKOM scene in California, and right off the top of my
head I can think of more than half a dozen music educators who are teaching
because they WANT to be teaching, but who are also very accomplished jazz
musicians.  It should be obvious that some of their students will be less
accomplished players than others, but that certainly doesn't mean that the
teacher took the lazy way out or is incompetent or as a teacher or player.

I suggest that you before you publicly criticize music educators as a class,
you try walking a few miles in their shoes.

Jim O'Briant
Tuba
Gilroy, CA


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