Joshua ThompsonRezensionen

Introduction

Jazz History is an important component of jazz education today. Because of the
aural tradition of jazz and the way that jazz has built upon itself over the past decades,
knowing key figures and components of the idiom is essential. Knowing who and what to
listen to allows students of jazz to develop their technique and ability.
If we don’t teach students the importance of listening and give them history that
backs it up, they will miss out on the creative foundation that has been laid before them.
Mark Gridley, in his How to Teach Jazz History (1984) states that “the students
who...continued to follow jazz events in their home towns and on the radio were those
whose teachers stressed the development of listening skills.” (p. 1) He says, “Teaching
‘jazzHISTORY’ for the sake of history might prevent teaching the essential listening
skills that truly develop APPRECIATION for jazz.”.
As jazz instructors, we find ourselves constantly in the mad dash to churn out
performances that showcase the talents of our students and provide them with challenges
that keep them excited. For some, jazz band is extracurricular and rehearsals are limited
to one or two evenings. For others, who are fortunate enough to have the class regularly
as part of the school day, there is supposed to be more time, but it still never seems to be
enough. Regardless, taking the time to teach jazz history in a performance ensemble is a
challenge that must be approached with the discipline and the respect that this element of
jazz education deserves.
I’m writing this curriculum because of my weak attempts at jazz history in the
past. Usually these attempts were one day a week devoted to listening and make-shift
history lessons. Occasionally, I have added related assignments, such as short research
projects or arch map depictions revealing the form of their favorite jazz tune. While these
proved interesting to some of my best students, there was a lack of the consistency and
accountability that would make this teaching effective. In addition, the average high
school student could not remain on task long enough to really learn much from 45
minutes of jazz history and listening.