Content area
Abstract
This historical investigation examined the development and rapid expansion of college jazz programs, ensembles, and courses in the United States during the decade of the 1960s. It described some of the significant events and issues that influenced college jazz programs prior to and during that decade. Furthermore, it studied the integration of college programs into college curricula rooted in the Western art music tradition.
This inquiry probed the multifarious and intertwined aspects of (1) the development of jazz as a musical art, (2) perceptions of jazz held by society and academia, (3) societal issues and cultural influences, and (4) collegiate jazz programs. A broad context of significant historical, social, and cultural episodes is established to illustrate how college jazz education fits in a historical framework. Such an approach illuminates causes and effects, and highlights central and peripheral concerns. Data gathered for the study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources including oral histories, books, journal articles, dissertations, correspondence, and newspaper articles.
