Good news for the Madison jazz scene: UW Madison is looking to hire a Jazz Studies Professor. I suppose this could be to replace Richard Davis or Les Thimmig but my understanding is neither of them have that title. I believe Joan Wildman was the last UW Madison Jazz Studies Professor and she retired well over 5 years ago. She was never replaced so it appears they’re finally getting around to that.
This is great news for jazz in Madison because the lack of a quality jazz program at the UW affects the entire community. A quality program attracts quality students, some of whom will settle in Madison and enrich the city’s cultural milieu. Currently, UW-Madison does not offer a jazz degree and students who play in the UW Jazz Orchestra don’t receive performance credit! Quality jazz musicians are choosing other universities and Madison is missing out on fresh talent to replenish and invigorate the jazz scene.
Hiring a new Jazz Studies Professor is definitely a step in the right direction. With all the talented jazz musician/educators out there it will be exciting to see who we get.
Not just losing missing out on jazz musicians, but musicians, period. Most talented high school musicians looking for a college to go to haven’t yet become “jazz” or “classical” players. They’re just musicians, players, who want to keep it all going.
Not sure what the backstory is here-maybe a donation from a third party?
Considering the UW-Madison’s recent debacle regarding the school’s unwillingness to allow their jazz ensemble to “count” toward a degree, this is an interesting development. If the school is sincere about increasing it’s viability and competitiveness regarding a jazz curriculum, they would have been better served to “overhaul” the entire program. When properly marketed, jazz education serves as an excellent “branding” tool for music schools. Whether it is a marketable area of study beyond academia is another question.
The Isthmus article linked to from the post discusses a donor willing to contribute 1 million dollars towards an endowed jazz studies professorship. My guess is that donation came through.
How would you overhaul the program? What needs to be changed?
I would call the music that has been characterized as Jazz as Modern American Creative Music or Spontaneous Composition. I’m not sure a strictly limiting label is necessary, but the term jazz has been adopted academically for some time
I am trained classically and love and practice that music, but my passion is for “jazz.” The freedom to create expressive music on the spot and communicate directly with an audience live is something not many people get to enjoy doing. There are many people (though not nearly enough) who enjoy LISTENING to it. There are far fewer who practice it.
In this context, jazz if of the highest of the musical arts. One must have classical training and background to understand the underpinnings of western music. However, one MUST also be willing to disconnect from a rigorous connection to this western music. One should be able to absorb and implement virtually other of music into their creativity. I would argue that it is important for the student of jazz to readily incorporate Eastern music, Eastern European music, African music, Latin music, Urban music, Country music, Rock music, etc… into their creative palette for jazz. Jazz should be a fundamentally eclectic art form.
Any decent jazz program MUST insist in learning “classic jazz” styles and history. Early jazz, Traditional jazz, New Orleans jazz, Chicago jazz, New York jazz, West coast, Cool jazz, Big Band, Be Bop, Post Bop, Hard bop, Fusion, Free jazz etc. However, any jazz program that is to survive in the 21st century MUST also be willing to incorporate other idioms including urban music and “contemporary folk music” as well as the other idioms cited in the previous paragraph.
As a free-lance professional trumpeter in the Chicago area, I play in at least twelve different bands. I play in many big bands, several rock and fusion bands, several commercial bands and a couple of very modern to almost free jazz combos. I also play in brass quintets and do legit work. The point is that I keep busy be being versatile. I also believe this has helped me grow as a “spontaneous composer.” Even though I have been a professional for several decades since I left the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra in 1981, I still consider myself a student. I believe this a big part of any students musical growth – recognizing that they have signed on for a lifetime of study and musical erudition. This is a thrilling thing to ponder. Any jazz program, IMHO, that is to grow, must adopt this thinking. The students not only have to learn, they have to learn how to learn. Even more importantly, they have to learn how to teach. Finally, they have to learn how to address the needs of the learning style of their most important student: THEMSELVES.
So, to summarize this part, I feel that any jazz program looking to move into the 21st century must have a professional musician who is also a professional teacher at the helm. This is not optional. There are some gifted performers out there who are not necessarily good teachers. Some have dreadful people skills and no “class-room chops.” On the other hand, there are some good teachers who don’t play seriously. While that make work in middle and secondary schools, this isn’t going to work it the college/university level. These professors really need to know what they are doing on both levels, if they are to effectively addressed the needs outlined above.
Next, in order to expand any new program I think there is an imperative aspect that needs to be addressed. Any jazz program that does address this will grow without limit. In a nutshell, here is the key.
ANY JAZZ/MUSIC PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL MUST TEACH THE STUDENTS HOW TO SURVIVE PROFESSIONALLY.
That alone will do the trick. Young musicians who are seeking professional careers, need help here. They need to know how to be prepared for PAYING GIGS. They need to know how to FIND these gigs. Then they need to know how to market themselves. They need to know how to navigate in the strange and dark world of managers and business agents.
In addition to this, they need to know how to USE TECHNOLOGY. The fact that this needs to be mentioned here is troubling and surprising to me. The so-called younger generation is supposed to better at the use of technology than their parents’ generation, if one subscribes to stereotyping. However, in my travels as a professional I find more and more aspiring pro musicians who SHUN this stuff. I think that is a huge mistake. A contemporary jazz program needs to address this. Students should all know how to use Sibelius, Finale, Logic, Acid, Garage Band, Band In A Box, midi controllers, digital and analog synthesis, etc.
In addition to music technology, students need to firmly embrace social networking as far more than just a, well, social pastime. They need to use Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, LinkedIn, etc. as a means to level the playing field for their profession. Private teaching, for example should not be limited to those who can make it to your studio. You can open it up to anyone with a PC or an Ipad 2 or better – distance learning in music.
We are in the midst of very hard times for professional musicians. When I left the road I was playing many big trade shows for big name acts. I’ve played for Gladys Knight and the Pip, The Temptations, John Denver, Sammy Davis Junior, Bobby Vinton, Dennis DeYoung of Styx, Bill Cosby, to name only a few. I played many TV and radio jingles. I’ve played so many wedding and bar/bat mitz-vahs that I couldn’t even begin to put a number on it. However, times have changed. Theaters are cutting down orchestras and using more electronica. Some are replacing orchestras altogether. The jingle scene is all but dead. Lots of recording is farmed out overseas via the internet. Even music is part of a global economy. Work for young musicians is very tough to find, right now.
Yet, I have faith that the next generation of young lions of jazz and commercial music will find a way. In fact my faith and positive expectation is so strong that I’ve even encouraged my own son to pursue his career as a free-lance professional jazz musician. He is on his way to making it. Hard times beget resourcefulness. This is so heartening to see when the right instruction, guidance and role modeling is there for the students to derive the proper inspiration from.
My concluding thoughts here will address the notion of stereotype. Any good professor should NOT stereotype his students in any negative way (there is a difference between recognizing needs and denigrating kids). This has a counter concept. Schools should NOT look at gray hair and think, “this guy is too old to lead these students.” The BEST lessons I ever experienced came on the job from guys more than twice my age, and I have NEVER forgotten that. Maynard was in his late fifties when I was on his band, and he was playing incredibly. I learned volumes from watching him. Many of the seasoned pros in Chicago taught me object lessons that money couldn’t buy. In short, any music school looking to produce the sort of growth implied as necessary in your article, should, IMHO, be looking for a seasoned professional MUSICIAN who is also a seasoned professional TEACHER.
That ought to do the trick.
I love this music. I love the way it makes me feel to play. I love sharing it. I love the notion that someone could have their spirits lifted for having heard my music. I want others to have this experience. So, when I see the possibility of growth in a program such as your article discusses, I feel compelled to chime in.
This long set of comments are my opinions. Please accept them as such. I sincerely hope UW-Madison ends up with a teacher or teachers who share this love.
Sincerely,
Nick Drozdoff