“Is Jazz Boring?” by Todd Stoll Is jazz boring? I don’t mean that it IS…but, I find myself many times puzzled by my own reaction to some of the incredible music I hear on a regular basis. Of course, I may be accused of being a “you kids get off my lawn…” jazz critic. I […]
“Thoughts On Education” by Todd Stoll Some thoughts on jazz education… By one publishing professional’s count, there were nearly 1,000 method books, solo transcriptions, and play alongs available on the subject of improvisation, the great secret as one might say, to “jazz”. And since the beginning of the “Second Wave” jazz education movement (roughly 1965-1995) […]
“Ancestral Instinct” by Todd Stoll Aretha Franklin, another great master of American music and arts, has passed. With that comes the important moments spent contemplating not only her place in the continuum of our culture, but also her connection to and influence on jazz and jazz education. For many decades, jazz and popular music were […]
IN THE SPIRIT OF SWING by Todd Stoll Scrolling through my Facebook feed, dodging political posts (nearly impossible these days…) I am inspired and heartened by the number of gigs, especially big band gigs, my “friends” are playing (FB “friends” being a fluid definition). It appears that there are active big bands in nearly every […]
Welcome to the Jazz Education network! This is my first note as President, and I am thrilled to be of service to this music that we love and the inspired group of educators, fans, students, and artists that compose our growing community. It goes without saying that I stand on the shoulders of the previous […]
AT LAST! by Caleb Chapman And just like that, two years is over. Like most milestones in our lives, the conclusion of my service as JEN president was a day that often felt like it would never come, yet here we are. A year ago I reported to you that as a board, we were […]
YES, THE WORLD STILL NEEDS JAZZ EDUCATION! by Caleb Chapman Jazz has passed the century mark and organized jazz education isn’t too far behind. It’s somewhat ironic that this music with a few miles under its belt is one of the greatest educational tools to prepare young musicians for today’s challenging and rapid-fire economy. I strongly […]
Music Is Universal! by Bob Sinicrope, JEN Immediate Past President and Milton Academy Jazz Founder and Director (with significant input from Kevin Chaplin CEO of the Amy Foundation) In the 19th century, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called music “the universal language of mankind.” He had no idea how right he was: music inspires common human feelings […]
NOW’S THE TIME: THE SEVEN C’S by Caleb Chapman Our JEN conference theme this year was “Now’s the Time”. What is it time for? It’s time for us to take our future into our own hands. To help us in that effort I would like to talk to you about the 7 C’s. I’m not […]