Connections between Speech Acquisition and the Jazz Language

Abstract

The jazz language is an important part of an improvising musician's knowledge, and while many jazz educators and performers agree that the jazz language exists, there is little discussion on how and why it is considered a language. The jazz language closely correlates to imitation in speech, especially in speech acquisition in children. Imitation in speech patterns is a part of the learning process and is very similar to the process of obtaining a rich jazz vocabulary. The focus of this review was to compare the process of obtaining a jazz vocabulary with speech acquisition in children and how children learn to speak through imitation. This research also supports the idea that using imitation in jazz, as in spoken language, can successfully facilitate creativity and originality. Understanding the connections between speech acquisition and the jazz language better prepares the music educator to clearly and effectively transfer the musical vocabulary to the student.