Teaching School Jazz

Abstract

Abstract Teaching School Jazz: Perspectives, Principles, and Strategies is an edited collection of suggested practices in school jazz education authored by a seasoned and diverse lineup of jazz educators with supporting research-based case studies woven into the narrative. It provides not only a wealth of school jazz teaching strategies but also, and perhaps as important, the jazz perspectives and principles from which they are derived. The first part of the book describes the current landscape of school jazz education and offers an overview of basic jazz concepts through the lenses of two expert, yet very different, school jazz educators. Parts II–VI constitute the heart and soul of the book, covering a vast and comprehensive set of topics central to school jazz education. Included throughout each chapter are references and links to audio, visual, and print resources for teaching school jazz that are downloadable from a related website. This text is an invaluable resource for preservice and in-service music educators who have no prior jazz experience, as well as for those who wish to expand their knowledge of jazz performance practice and pedagogy. The book may serve as a primary text for collegiate-level jazz pedagogy courses or as a supplemental text for general instrumental methods and pedagogy classes. Chapters begin with jazz case studies and contain a wealth of jazz-specific teaching material, lists of recommended artists for listening, and visual demonstrations of each chapter’s material.