Welcome to.....the official Web
site for the
Michigan Association
for Jazz Education
Another
Fall
academic year ushers in much anticipation.
Teaching, classroom sessions and performance
swing
into overdrive.
Band directors lend discovery to arrangements and present guest artist
master
clincians, whose creative import heightens the student experience.
The calendar abounds with band festivals and special event
concerts, each showcasing the brightest musicians that
upper and lower Michigan has to offer.
From Houghton to Holland, Alpena to Adrian, jazz
education
pushes noteworthy attention and deserves unwavering support.
Reach
us by e-mail.
New general memberships are welcome,
so join our effort to preserve jazz education.
Mo' Better Jazz: An Evening of Swing and Film
Terence Blanchard Appears with Wayne State University Big Band
Friday, March 12, 2010;
7:30pm
The Music Box @Max M. Fisher Center, Detroit
Tickets: (313) 576-5111
$20
general admission, $10 students and seniors
Here's a grand opportunity to appreciate opportune alliances betweeen
jazz and cinema once again. Organizers for The Detroit International
Jazz Festival are partnering with the Wayne State University Department
of Music in presenting trumpeter-composer Terence Blanchard and
the Wayne State University Big Band with a special program Mo'
Better Jazz: An
Evening of Swing and Film.
Blanchard
and the WSU Big Band will perform his arrangements of movie themes,
including selections from 'A Streetcar Named Desire' to 'The
Pawnbroker'. Blanchard will
talk about scoring for film and show clips from several Spike Lee
movies.
With more than 29 albums and 50 film scores to his credit, Blanchard is
one of the most influential jazz musicians and film score masters of
his generation who recently won a Grammy Award for 'Best Improvised
Jazz Solo' for the track 'Dancin' 4 Chicken' on the 2009 album 'Watts'
by drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts. His other film score credits
include 'Inside Man', 'Malcolm X', 'Trial by Jury', Eve's Bayou', 'The
Tempest', "Summer of Sam', and 'Cadillac Records', but to name a few..
UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS
Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra
See and hear the GRJO twice each month now, including
this coming weekend!
Sunday, March 7, 2010; 5:30 PM
Founders Brewing Co., 235 Grandville Ave., N.W., Grand Rapids
Ph: (616) 776-1195
Free admission
 Who
is Wynton Marsalis?
Tuesday, March 16, 2009; 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library,
Downtown Branch Multipurpose Room
343 South Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor
Free and open to the public
Presenters: Ann Arbor District Library, U-M School of Music,
Theatre & Dance
WEMU 89.1 FM jazz host Linda Yohn engages participants in an
exploration of modern-day music legend and frequent UMS performer
Wynton Marsalis, whose notions of what jazz is and should be resonate
alongside his incredible artistry as a musician, bandleader, and
composer. This event coincides with the LCJO/Marsalis concert.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with
Wynton Marsalis
Wednesday, March 17, 8 pm
Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tickets: http://www.ums.org
14th Annual NMU Jazz
Festival
Friday,
April 16, 2010
Northern Michigan University, Marquette
Jazz Director: Mark Flaherty, Associate Professor of Jazz
Featuring special
guest, vocalist Kevin Mahogany with the NMU Jazz
Band & NMU Jazz Combo
Schedule>>
High School and Middle
School jazz
bands in the region are invited. The registration fee is $200 per
ensemble. Space is
limited and participation is on a first come, first serve basis. Registration
deadline is March 8, 2010.
Top
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
PREMIERE
JEN Announces the...
1st Annual Jazz Education
Network Conference
May 20-22, 2010
University of Missouri, St. Louis
http://www.jazzednet.org/
Visit
the site for full details on registration, membership, clinicians,
workshops, hotels, and the complete conference schedule!
WEBCASTS IN PERFORMANCE
During the Michigan Youth Arts
Festival last May decorated student jazz bands performed as part of a
all-star performance summit, representing an MSBOA adjudication of high
school musicians at the close of the academic year. It's time to
recognize and listen to these talented players thanks to archived
webcasts from our good friends at Banddirector.com.
2009 MYAF Jazz Improvisation
Jazz
Improvisation: You Can Do It! Part One
Vince Corozine,
arranger
Jazz
Improvisation: You Can Do It! Part Two
Vince Corozine, arranger
Jazz
Improvisation: You Can Do It! Part Three
Vince Corozine, arranger
Jazz
Improvisation: You Can Do It! Part Four
Vince Corozine, arranger
2009 MYAF MSBOA All-Michigan Honors Jazz
MSBOA All-Michigan Honors Jazz Ensemble
Max E. Colley,
Jr., Conductor
Festival,
Rick Stitzel (arranger)
Max E. Colley,
Jr., Conductor
Stolen
Moments, Oliver Nelson, arr. Paul Jennings
Vince Corozine,
Conductor MSBOA/Banddirector.com Jazz Commission
Supernova,
arr. Vince Corozine
Max E. Colley,
Jr., Conductor
Tuning
Up, arr. Toshiko Akiyoshi
TEACHER'S CORNER
The Jazz Big
Band: Ingredients to Assure Good
Ensemble Performances
Presenter:
Scott Cowan, Western Michigan University
Review
a 3-part music education primer by WMU jazz master educator-trumpeter
Scott Cowan, a series of articles which originally appeared in the International Trumpet Guild Journal quarterly
magazine. Cowan gives an insightful look at the top 10 essential
elements he says enable a solid foundation for achieving high returns
in big band performance and music awareness benefitting students within
a large ensemble framework. Must reading for jazz
students, educators, and all others
seeking a greater understanding of the dynamics at play, big band
format at work.
Download
PDF
 55KB
Top
Jazz Pedagogy: How To Evaluate And Select Music
That
Fits Your Ensemble
-J. Richard Dunscomb
Where to Begin
One of the most important aspects of our jobs as jazz ensemble
directors (and the most difficult at the same time) is the selection of
music. When done properly, this process makes a significant impact on
the success of the ensemble.
Build Morale
We have all heard bands that attempt to play music that's too
difficult. These charts can harm the students' morale as well as their
chops. If a group spends all of its rehearsal time on just learning the
notes, it is impossible to get a good, solid musical performance.
Choose Quality
We are fortunate in jazz education to have many outstanding
professional writers involved in providing jazz music for our
educational programs. We applaud this healthy situation and encourage
continuing cooperation among composers/arrangers, publishers and jazz
educators to maintain the momentum.
Still, there is a concern with how both publishers and jazz directors
view the jazz ensemble's function in the school. A large number are
published each year that have very little educational value; most of
these fall into a category of pop music or "why do we need an
arrangement of this?" We have to assume that publishers are printing
large quantitied of this kind of music because directors are buying it.
Although we understand the need to purchase a nominal amount of pop
music, using a steady diet of such material is simply an unacceptable
educational practice---especially in these times of economic
accountability in our schools. We must not lose sight of the goal of
the jazz program: to have our group play jazz---America's classical
music. Each school needs a solid philosophy of jazz education that will
ensure a well-balanced diet of good music for the students.
The Classic Jazz Standards
Although jazz is only about one hundred years old, we are fortunate to
have accumulated an enormous body of standards or classic jazz
compositions and arrangements. In this way, jazz parallels the
orchestral field where the richness of the proven "classic" literature
contrasts with the more recent compositions. While the classic
literature has proven the test of time, many of the more recent
compositions will soon become classics as well.
Taking advantage of this same approach in selecting jazz music for
performances will not only enrich the are form but will also expand the
horizons of all of our students as well as listeners. This is another
way to keep jazz history alive, and it is equally important as an
effective teaching tool for jazz educators.
For example, there is certainly much to be learned from the way the
Count Basie Orchestra interpreted "Basie Straight Ahead." The original
arrangement is available for advanced students; however, younger
students playing a simplified arrangement of the same tune will gain
much as well.
It is difficult to imagine a jazz library without music by great jazz
arrangers such as Sammy Nestico, Quincy Jones, Bill Holman, Bob Holman,
Bob Mintzer, Dominic Spera, Gordon Goodwin, Mark Taylor, Claire
Fischer, Dave Wolpe,Lenny Niehaus, Dean Sorensen, Maria Schneider, Jim
McNeeley, Doug Beach, Mike Tomaro, Mike Sweeney, Peter Blair, Victor
Lopez, and Mike Story, to name a few.
The classic jazz standards should be present in all jazz band
libraries. We encourage you to purchase them for yours.
Your Jazz Music Library
If you are just starting a jazz library or adding to your current
library, the charts you select need to be based on the educational and
performance needs of your program as you perceive them. Certainly one
of your most important tasks as a jazz director is selecting music that
fits your group. This requires a complete knowledge of he strengths and
weaknesses of your group.
Evaluating Your Group's Level
Here is a suggested list of information that can help ou determine the
ability level of your group so you will be ready to select appropiate
music. If your group does not have standard instrumentation, look for
charts that are playable with reduced instrumentation.
» Know the practical range of each player in
your group, particularly the lead trumpet,
lead bone, first alto, and bass
bone.
» Who
are the weak players and/or sections?
» Who
are the strong players and/or sections?
» Can
your saxes double on other instruments (flute and clarinet)?
» What
is the endurance of the wind players?
» Do
the rhythm section players need written-out parts? If so, who?
» Who
are the soloists, how advanced are they in their knowledge, and what do
they
need in the music---changes,
suggested solos, scales, and so on?
» What
are the limitations of the group in terms of playing in different
musical styles?
» Match
te music to your performance needs (concerts, festivals, dances, etc.)
» Do
you need to include non-traditional instruments such as flute,
clarinet, horn in F,
baritone horn, tuba, and so on?
Although the information in the
chapter will help you determine the
level of your group and appropiate charts at that level, you must
decide upon a balance of easier charts and more difficult charts to
fill out your book. A jazz ensemble needs some easy charts that they
can have success with immediately. These easy charts are great for
their confidence and also make great warm-up selections for rehearsals.
The band could become bored, complacent, and frustrated without
challenging music that makes them stretch beyond their current ability
level.
 J. Richard Dunscomb
Chairperson of the Music Department
Columbia College,
Chicago
Executive Director, Chicago Jazz
Ensemble
J. Richard Dunscomb is one of the leading authorities in the field of
jazz music and music education. He has been recognized nationally and
internationally as a guest conductor, author, adjudicator, clinician
and consultant. Currently he is the chair of the music department at
Columbia College Chicago, the nation's premier visual, performing,
media and communication arts college. He is also Executive
Director of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, recognized internationally as
one of
America's leading professional jazz ensembles. Professor Dunscomb
also serves on the board of directors for the
Midwest Clinic in Chicago, an annual event with more than 14,000
worldwide
participants.
Dunscomb is currently forging new paths with his Jazz Meets the
Symphony project as he conducts symphony orchestras worldwide.
The summer of 2008 found him in Italy conducting the Bari Symphony
Orchestra premiering special arrangements by Thomas Gunther and
featuring guest vocalist Bobbi Wilsyn.
Throughout his career, Professor Dunscomb has been recognized with many
honors and awards. In 1999,
the Midwest Clinic an international band and orchestra clinic
awarded Dunscomb the prestigious Medal of Honor. The following year he
was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Elkhart (IN)
Jazz Festival. He has also received numerous awards for his outstanding
conducting, teaching and service from universities. He was also
the North America coordinator for the Montreaux (Switzerland)
International Jazz Festival for 18 years.
Through his work with Warner Brothers Music, Alfred/Belwin Jazz
Music and other agencies he has presented more than 200 workshops
including conducting and Jazz clinics throughout the United States as
well as Australia, Europe, Canada, Sweden, Japan and South America.
His most recent book, in collaboration with Dr. Willie Hill, Jr., is Jazz
Pedagogy; The Jazz Educator's Handbook and Resource Guide (Alfred
Publishing), a major comprehensive resource which helps identify and
establish a
foundation and structure when planning and implementing a successful
jazz program.
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Upper
and lower Michigan jazz education performances and special events
are
linked through the individual college or university profiled
on our Education page.
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