[Dixielandjazz] le deluge

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Steve: > How can we expect anyone to learn anything if there are no 
teachers?

Actually teachers are a problem in jazz.  You can teach jazz progressions 
and all sorts of technical things but you can't teach art.

You can teach an artist how to mix paint but you can't teach someone how to 
use colors and if you try you end up with copy's --- not art.  The same 
holds true with music.

I would say that 95% of the music teachers that are teaching today haven't a 
clue as to how to play jazz themselves.   I would also say that almost all 
of them have never tried to play on a pro basis or spent any amount of time 
on the stand.   If you can't do it you can't teach it.

There is a big band here in St. Louis that has a large number of teachers in 
it.  A couple do credible jobs with solos but several are more belch and 
blat players.  On the positive side they hire a guy for their rehearsals to 
help them out as director who is knowledgeable in jazz.

When Bebop came along all the music teachers said Ah Ha we can teach this. 
Books have been written and everyone got on the band wagon.  Just play these 
notes to that chord and you are doing jazz.

A couple of months ago I heard a guy play a solo with zillions of notes - 
not a single one fit the chord progression.  He thought he was really hot. 
There is a young woman who is a pretty good trumpet player here.  Her dad 
has taken her to many rehearsals and spent a bunch on lessons.  Her solos 
are absolutely pitiful.  Every note is right but they just don't go 
anywhere.  She thinks she is playing jazz and gets bent out of shape if no 
one complements her.  Oh well she has a nice chest and isn't hard to look 
at.  If you tell a kid like that, that she is playing nonsense you won't be 
believed because everyone including dad and her teachers tell her she is 
doing great.

The teachers think they are teaching jazz because after all it's cool.  The 
students think they are playing jazz because the teachers tell them they 
are.  School officials haven't a clue and they think the kids are doing 
wonderful if they aren't killing each other.

I have heard very few students that can play a melodic solo that goes 
somewhere,  That takes some experience.  It takes the ability to compose on 
the fly and to insert tasty licks like someone would add salt to a dish. 
Not too much and not too little.

You can't can an art or else you get paint by numbers and that's exactly 
what is being taught today.  Musical paint by numbers.

If you jazz guys out there want to make a difference then volunteer to coach 
some high school jazz students.  The school and music department just might 
like the additional help.

Personally, everything I learned was learned on the stand and not in the 
classroom, thank heavens.
Larry
StL