Content area
Full text
Abstract
The inclusion of jazz ensembles within extra-curricular instrumental music programs in secondary schools in Australia has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Despite this growth, there is a deficiency of specialist teacher training in jazz education and pedagogy in Australian tertiary institution instrumental music courses. This lack of specialist training in jazz pedagogy has left many music educators, especially early career instrumental music teachers, underprepared and underequipped to teach jazz programs successfully in their junior and secondary school settings. This article aims to synthesise and contextualise some of the key literature in jazz pedagogy and jazz ensemble rehearsal techniques for early career teachers, or those with little or no background in jazz. The topics discussed in this article include roles of instrumentation, rehearsal and performance set-ups, rehearsal techniques, the role of the jazz director, directed student listening, jazz style, language and articulation, improvisation, and repertoire. The aim is to equip instrumental music teachers with an introductory knowledge, reference to further literature, and practical examples to maximise the proficiency and potential of their jazz ensembles in junior and secondary school music programs.
Key Words: jazz education, jazz pedagogy, jazz ensemble instruction
Introduction
Jazz education, and particularly the inclusion of jazz ensembles' within extra-curricular programs in secondary schools in Australia, affords students important fundamentals in the development of a holistic instrumental music education. The number of jazz ensembles in Australian school music programs has increased exponentially in the past two decades. Fortunately, music education curricula globally have progressed from negative attitudes towards jazz studies, to now arguing for its inclusion as part of a rounded music education. Even so, there is still much work to be done in this space. Despite the proliferation and growth of jazz ensembles in music programs, and the growing requirement for instrumental music teachers to direct these groups, specific instrumental music teacher training in jazz education and pedagogy is still not considered prerequisite learning in many Australian tertiary institutions for pre-service instrumental music students. Hitherto, a lack of understanding of jazz pedagogy has left many music educators, especially early career teachers, underprepared and underequipped to teach jazz successfully in their junior and secondary school settings.
As a jazz musician and educator, | have also observed such difficulties even amongst...