IN SEARCH OF EFFECTIVE JAZZ EDUCATION - Kaithlyn Fay PDF

Sponsoring Committee: Dr.
Diane Falk, Project Advisor

Dr. David Demsey,
Professor Pete McGuinness

IN SEARCH OF EFFECTIVE JAZZ EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS AND
COMPARISON OF PEDAGOGICAL METHODS EMPLOYED BY DIRECTORS
OF SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLES

Kaitlyn A. Fay
Program in Jazz Performance
Department of Music

A THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Music in Jazz Performance in the
College of Arts and Communication
William Paterson University
May 2013
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i

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

In search of effective jazz education: An analysis and comparison of
pedagogical methods employed by directors of
successful high school jazz ensembles
by
Kaitlyn Fay
A Masters Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
William Paterson University of New Jersey
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of
MASTER OF MUSIC
May 2013

College of Arts and Communication
______________________________________________
(Thesis Supervisor: print name)
______________________________________________
(Thesis supervisor: signature)
Department: Music
______________________________________________
(Chairperson: print name)
______________________________________________
(Chairperson: signature)
ii

Copyright 2013 by Kaitlyn Fay. All rights reserved.

iii

ABSTRACT

Jazz education within academia is still young, yet many educators have been
recognized for successful leadership of high school jazz ensembles. Directors of finalist
bands from the 2012 Essentially Ellington competition, a national opportunity hosted by
Jazz at Lincoln Center, completed a questionnaire and interview regarding their
pedagogical techniques and supplemental methods. All participants responded that
listening to recordings and the fostering of peer mentoring are crucial elements. Other
important techniques include singing, sight-reading, rhythmic exercises, and the use of
blues improvisation as a warm-up activity. Important supplemental factors included
personality traits such as intense, detail-oriented, energetic, and fun, while participants
noted the positive experiences and techniques learned from events with Jazz at Lincoln
Center. In conclusion, leaders of successful high school jazz ensembles share several
techniques, qualities, and behaviors, yet there is no single formula for a great high school
jazz ensemble director.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The dedication a band director makes to his job is demanding and time-
consuming, thus I am doubly grateful for the interest and enthusiasm shown by those
educators who participated in this research. Faculty members Dr. Diane Falk, Dr. David
Demsey, and Dr. Tim Newman have been instrumental in my success at William
Paterson University, and they have been excellent role models of scholarship in
academia. If I have learned anything in my pursuit of jazz it is that studying this music is
a life-long journey. For encouraging my curiosity I thank the major jazz teachers in my
life, including Joey Berkley, Jon Metzger, and Nancy Marano, who challenged me to
strive for my best and reassured me when I had my doubts. More than anyone, my
parents have been the greatest supporters of my musical efforts and academic pursuits.
Special thanks to my mother, Sarah, for modeling a love of music education, and
encouraging me when I discovered my passion for jazz pedagogy. Finally, thank you to
Eric, for your immeasurable emotional support and inspirational intellectual fire.

v

LIST OF TABLES

1 Results of Questionnaire, Question 2: How many times has your school
participated in the Essentially Ellington competition in the last ten years? 22

2 Results of Questionnaire, Question 3: How many times has your school
been selected as a finalist in the Essentially Ellington competition in
the last ten years? 23

3 Participant Success Rates: Comparison of Years as Finalist to Years of
Participation 24

4 Results of Questionnaire, Question 4: How would you describe your personal
experience and ability level in jazz performance? 25

5 Results of Questionnaire, Question 5: Which of the following activities
contribute to your preparation for rehearsing and directing the jazz ensemble? 26

6 Results of Questionnaire, Question 6: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how
often do you emphasize fundamentals such as posture, breathing, and basic
musicianship? 27

7 Results of Questionnaire, Question 7: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, do you
address jazz-specific techniques such as articulation, rhythm, style, interaction,
and phrasing? 28

8 Results of Questionnaire, Question 8: How often do you provide positive
feedback in jazz ensemble rehearsals? 29

9 Results of Questionnaire: Question 9: How often do you include
improvisation instruction in jazz ensemble rehearsals? 30

10 Results of Questionnaire, Question 10: Do you encourage students to
memorize chord changes? 31

11 Results of Questionnaire, Question 11: How often do you include guided
listening exercises in jazz ensemble rehearsals? 32

12 Results of Questionnaire, Question 12: Do you use any pedagogical materials
or aids in jazz ensemble rehearsals (such as play-along recordings, theory
books, repertoire collection books, prescribed pedagogical method/book)? 33

13 Results of Questionnaire, Question 13: Do you require sectional rehearsals
outside of the full jazz ensemble rehearsals? 34
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14 Results of Questionnaire, Question 14: How often do you address
instrument-specific issues in the jazz ensemble rehearsal? 35

15 Results of Questionnaire, Question 15: Do you provide additional
opportunities for instruction outside of jazz ensemble rehearsal
(e.g. after school extra help, lessons)? 36

16 Results of Questionnaire, Question 16: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how
often do you address rhythm section roles when accompanying a soloist? 37

17 Results of Questionnaire, Question 17: How often do you self-reflect upon
your own jazz pedagogy? 38

18 Results of Questionnaire, Question 18: How often do you (audio or video)
record rehearsals for self-evaluation? 39

19 Results of Questionnaire, Question 19: Do you participate in professional
development opportunities in the area of jazz pedagogy? 40

20 Results of Questionnaire, Question 20: How often do you bring in guest
conductors/directors to jazz ensemble rehearsals? 41

21 Summary of Results from Questionnaire 42

22 Adjectives Used to Describe Participant Teaching Personalities 54

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

1 Application of bopping and tizzling techniques 48

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT...iii
ACKNOLWEDGEMENTS...iv
LIST OF TABLES...v
LIST OF FIGURES...vii
CHAPTER
I THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE.............................................1
Introduction and Background ..1
Problem Statement...4
Research Questions..4
Purpose Statement5
II RELATED LITERATURE..6
Introduction..6
Development of Jazz Education...7
Literature Regarding Educators with
Little Training in Jazz Pedagogy.........8
Guides for Educators......10
Studies of High School Ensembles11
State-specific High School Studies13
III METHODOLOGY AND METHODS..14
Research Design.14
Participants.14
Tools for Data Collection...16
Questionnaire.....16
Interviews...18
Supplemental Data: Observations..19
Analytic Method20
IV RESULTS AND ANALYSIS21
Questionnaire Results....21
Interview Results...43
ix

Pedagogical Techniques.43
Band Director Background and Influences49
Reported Student Behavior and Investment..50
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Effect.51
Teaching Personality Descriptions53
A Note about Observations....54
V CONCLUSIONS...55
Discussion of the Findings.55
Common Pedagogical Techniques.55
Common Supplemental Characteristics,
Behaviors, and Methods57
Limitations of the Study59
Recommendations for Further Study.60
Final Words61
REFERENCES..62
APPENDICES...66
A QUESTIONNAIRE...66
B INTERVIEW QUESTIONS......70
C INTERVIEWS...71
Band Director 1..71
Band Director 2..82
Band Director 3..87
Band Director 4..89
Band Director 5..93
Band Director 6105
Band Director 7....115
Band Director 8124
Band Director 9126
1

CHAPTER ONE
THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Introduction and Background
In 1987, jazz was recognized as a national treasure by the United States Senate,
therefore securing its place as an important part of the countrys culture as well as the
public school curriculum (Senate Judiciary, 1987). One of the primary purposes of
education is to perpetuate significant aspects of culture (Porter, 1989); therefore the
importance of teaching jazz in schools is evident. Within the history of music education
in the United States, formalized jazz education is relatively young (Erwin, 2003). A
significant contemporary issue is that many educators teach jazz courses or ensembles
with little or no knowledge of effective, jazz-specific pedagogical techniques.
Alternately, school jazz ensembles across the nation continuously receive recognition for
excellence in performance through participation in jazz festivals, adjudications, and
competitions at the regional and national levels; therefore, there are also many successful
jazz pedagogues.
An important program which offers high school jazz ensembles, and their
directors, recognition at the national level is Jazz at Lincoln Centers annual Essentially
Ellington competition. Another opportunity is found in Downbeat magazines annual
student awards; however, in the high school jazz ensemble category, it seems that these
awards have been dominated by only a few schools across two states in the last several
years. These methods of recognizing successful high school ensembles are relatively
new as formalized, academic jazz education developed over the last several decades.
2

A particular reoccurring theme within existing literature on jazz pedagogy is the
supposed opposition between the traditional or original means of learning to play jazz
and the newer, formalized system of jazz education which has been brought into
classrooms (Berliner, 1994; Porter, 1989; Prouty, 2005). In an interview with Paul
Haines (2003), renowned jazz trombonist and arranger Bob Brookmeyer stated, I am
afraid were stuck with the music schools. Real life as my generation knew it and
experienced it does not exist anymore, so the teachers remain the last bastion of
assistance before expelling the student out into the cruel world. What Brookmeyer
addresses here is a cultural shift which greatly affected established jazz musicians and the
previously relied upon method of apprenticeship and mentoring (Berliner, 1994).
Combined with the decline in mass popularity that jazz once had, the emergence and
dramatic growth of collegiate jazz programs through the mid-twentieth century created a
new opportunity for veteran and aspiring musicians within academia (Prouty, 2005).
Although many great jazz musicians such as Brookmeyer mourn the loss of the old ways,
one side effect of the establishment of formal jazz education is its sustenance of the jazz
community.
While formal jazz education has allowed veteran performers to work with
aspiring musicians, this usually occurs at the college level. In high schools, it is the duty
of the music teacher to instruct students about jazz, commonly as the director of a jazz
ensemble. It is a common sentiment among teacher preparation programs that jazz
should be part of the required curriculum to better equip candidates for the possibility of
leading a jazz ensemble. Rummel (2010) and Ward-Steinmann (2007) approached this
3

issue by studying educators and teacher candidates, respectively, who felt a lack of
confidence about their ability to teach jazz and a desire to learn more about the subject.
Much of the existing literature on the history and development of jazz education
focuses on college level study (Bash & Kuzmich, 1985; Bowman, 1988; Porter, 1989;
Prouty, 2005). This is a reasonable setting for such research as the earliest incidents of
jazz in schools occurred in higher education (Prouty, 2005). In addition, much of the
literature which exists focusing on secondary schools is limited to institutions within a
given state (Brittin, 1997; Jones, 2009; Mack, 1993; Payne, 1973; Scagnoli, 1978). This
restriction is also logical as each state operates as an individual educational system and
different states offer different means for measuring school ensemble achievement. There
is currently a gap in the literature regarding commonalities among jazz pedagogy
techniques of band directors across the country, let alone jazz ensembles which have been
recognized at the national level.
The Essentially Ellington competition provides a well-known opportunity for high
school jazz ensembles to be evaluated based on a national level of excellence. The
competition is part of Jazz at Lincoln Centers year-long program and is free to
participating high school bands. Band directors who wish to participate in the program
only need to register on the Internet to receive access to arrangements for a large jazz
ensemble or big band.
Directors wishing to enter their jazz ensemble in the Essentially Ellington
competition must have the group record several selections of music chosen from a
predetermined list and a panel of veteran jazz musicians and educators selects fifteen
finalist bands out of an average of one hundred applicants. While it is already known that
4

this competition requires a high level of performance from those bands selected as
finalists, it is not known if the directors of these ensembles use similar pedagogical
methods in rehearsals. Participation as finalists in the Essentially Ellington 2012
competition can therefore be used as an indicator of a successful high school jazz
ensemble, whose director would be a candidate for study of his or her pedagogical
techniques.

Problem Statement
Jazz education in the United States has seen great growth over the past several
decades; however it has sprouted up haphazardly and with no unanimous agreement upon
specific pedagogical methods for the successful inclusion of jazz in the secondary
instrumental music classroom. As a result of a lack of experience with jazz music, many
music educators do not know how to go about implementing jazz pedagogy into their
classrooms. This serves as a detriment to both the students and the longevity of this
music as an important element of our national culture.

Research Questions
1. What are common pedagogical techniques among high school band directors who
achieve successful jazz instruction in the ensemble setting?
2. What supplemental characteristics, behaviors, and methods can be found in a high
school band program that boasts a successful jazz ensemble?

5

Purpose Statement
This study seeks to reveal and explore the pedagogical methods employed by
several high school band directors who have succeeded in garnering for their program a
strong reputation for successful jazz education. It is my hope that this research will
provide useful suggestions for current and future music educators, and help move the jazz
education community toward the acknowledgement of effective pedagogy methods for
secondary instrumental teaching.

6

CHAPTER TWO
RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

The review of literature has been organized by topic. Those topics include
development of jazz education, literature regarding educators with little training in jazz
pedagogy, high school jazz ensembles, guides for educators, and studies focused on jazz
pedagogy within a particular state. The ordering of these topics provides a logical
progression in the evolution of the current research study, beginning with the general area
of jazz education and finishing with studies which contributed to the design of this one.
Aside from the aforementioned topic sections, a particular reoccurring theme
within the literature is the supposed opposition between the traditional or original means
of learning to play jazz and the newer, formalized system of jazz education which has
been brought into classrooms (Berliner, 1994; Porter, 1989; Prouty, 2005). Combined
with the decline in mass popularity that jazz once had, the emergence and dramatic
growth of collegiate jazz programs through the mid-twentieth century created a new
opportunity for veteran and aspiring musicians within academia (Prouty, 2005).
An unfortunate gap in the literature is research on music educator training and
preparation in jazz pedagogy. This is a topic which the author has heard spoken of often
in music education circles, yet substantial research has yet to be presented within the
community.

7

Development of Jazz Education

Ferriano (1974) states that a noticeable increase in school jazz ensembles took
place following the end of World War II in the late 1940s because veteran jazz musicians
returning from the war sought out college teaching positions where they could lead a
student dance band. Therefore, the presence of these ensembles sparked the beginning of
jazz education within the academic setting. Ferrianos dissertation provides good
background information on early jazz education, however it is rather outdated because it
only examines up to the year 1974. He discusses the influence of school bands,
professional big bands, and the music industry. While these things continue to play a role
in school jazz education, they are less important in the study of pedagogical techniques.
Moving chronologically, Porters article (1989) is also important to this study.
This article gives an overview of American jazz education, yet it is limited in that this
publication is twenty-three years old. One particularly significant point Porter makes is
that the inclusion of jazz in school curricula is essential for the perpetuation of such a
major aspect of our historic culture. Porter also acknowledges that educators are often
ill-prepared to teach jazz. Further, he states that the academic setting is beneficial to
students interested in the music because schools provide performance opportunities and a
safe environment for personal growth. Advocacy is essential in music education,
especially for jazz; therefore, this article provides support for the current study by
presenting the need for improved jazz education in our schools.
Prouty (2005) claims that the development of jazz education was reliant upon the
development of jazz harmonic theory, so that concepts in jazz could be better explained
and expressed in an instructional setting. His primary argument is that the history of jazz
8

education should not be viewed merely through institutional developments, but also
through the perspective of real world learning environments, such as informal jam
sessions or learning from elders in performance settings. He states that academic jazz
programs have often received criticism for straying too far from the traditional methods
of learning to play jazz, such as informal jam sessions and performing. While Proutys
focus is centered on the historical perspectives of jazz education, his research provides
useful background information to the current state of jazz in schools.
Watsons (2010a) article titled Charting future directions for research in jazz
pedagogy: Implications of the literature, provides a survey of existing research and
literature on jazz education. Some of the areas addressed in his review include factors
affecting achievement, content quality of published materials, and the effectiveness of
pedagogical methods. In recommending directions for future research in jazz education,
he raises the question: What behaviors or characteristics do effective jazz teachers
exhibit, either in classroom or private lesson settings? (p. 8). Watson explains that much
of the existing literature is either outdated or lacking a proper research methodology, and
he states that there is a clear need for further research in this area, ideally in the areas he
has outlined and suggested.

Literature Regarding Educators with Little Training in Jazz Pedagogy

Ward-Steinmanns (2007) study dealt with undergraduate music education majors
who felt unprepared to teach jazz improvisation, because they lacked prior experience
with improvisation, and who would like to learn more about the subject. She begins by
stating that the National Standards for Music Education, set forth by the organization
9

MENC, now called NAfME (National Association for Music Education), calls for all
music teachers to include improvisation in their curricula. The author then states that
teacher education programs in colleges across the United States are attempting to revise
their curricula to best prepare students to address all nine standards. However, many
professors in teacher education programs are not prepared to teach improvisation, thus
creating a need for these instructors to seek out in-service training. In terms of the
potential success of improving jazz improvisation education for current educators, the
researcher notes that teachers must be motivated to learn more and take advantage of
such workshops and resources which are already available. The study calls for further
research in this area and states that there is a need for more resources available to
educators to help improve jazz instruction.
One particular study focused on the perceptions of jazz improvisation held by
music educators in Pennsylvania (Rummel, 2010). Echoing Ward-Steinmanns (2007)
statements about music educator preparation, Rummel points out that most Pennsylvania
colleges with music education majors offer few jazz courses. Among the conclusions of
Rummels dissertation was the common sentiment of participants that undergraduate
teacher education programs should include more instruction in jazz and jazz
improvisation.
In an effort to guide teachers with little knowledge of how to teach jazz or
improvisation, music educators such as Tomassetti (2003) have offered their own
suggestions. Tomassettis article talks about specifics activities and steps teachers can
implement in their music classrooms when introducing the topic of blues improvisation.

10

He states that teachers should lead students through phrase-based melodic principles
(p. 18), and application of melodic improvisations to the 12-bar blues form. Tomassetti
also recommends that teachers utilize thematic elements and melodic shaping, as well as
encouraging students to participate in improvisation trading exercises. The article is
specifically aimed at teachers who have little or no experience with jazz or blues
improvisation.

Guides for Educators

One of the first books written to guide music educators in jazz pedagogy is David
Bakers Jazz Pedagogy (1979). This seminal publication offers Bakers thoughts on jazz
education, college degree programs, rehearsal techniques, teaching improvisation, and the
general suggestions for directing of a successful jazz program. Contents of the book
include suggestions for designing jazz courses in history and improvisation, as well as
recommendations for leading large and small jazz ensembles. The rehearsal techniques
Baker mentions provide a good reference for observations of techniques used by band
directors in the present study. Despite the fact that it has been over thirty years since the
books publication, this historical music being studied and taught in schools remains
unchanged, thus much of the books content is still relevant to educators today.
Another contribution to the resource literature for current music educators is
Dunscomb and Hills (2002) book, Jazz Pedagogy: The Jazz Educators Handbook and
Resource Guide. This book contains tips for beginning and maintaining a jazz ensemble
at the secondary and post-secondary levels. While Bakers book can be applied more
directly to college jazz programs, Dunscomb and Hill have written their book to be
11

accessible and applicable to middle and high school programs. The authors discuss jazz,
improvisation, festivals, professional development, technology, and rehearsal techniques
for large jazz ensembles. The thorough and widespread information included in the book
make it a useful resource for music educators in need of guidance when teaching jazz.
In his book Teaching Improv in Your Jazz Ensemble, Poulter (2008) includes
detailed background information on jazz education and improvisation and offers
instructional techniques and activities, as well as options for assessment and further
resources. This book emphasizes the importance of improvisation in developing a strong
school jazz ensemble. One chapter in the book is titled Limitations of current resources
and practices, and it is important that such limitations are acknowledged as this is the
reason for continued research into jazz pedagogy. Limitations discussed include a lack of
appropriate ear training or aural learning and the daunting task of choosing ensemble
literature. Poulter asserts that the aural learning process is essential to learning jazz
improvisation and he suggests that some arrangements for school ensembles are so
involved that they may distract students to focus more on what is visual than the aural
stimulus.

Studies of High School Jazz Ensembles
An early study on jazz ensemble rehearsal techniques was done by Grimes in
1988. Grimes selected five high school jazz ensemble directors and analyzed videotaped
samples of their rehearsals as well as interview transcriptions. This research divided
findings into the following categories: warm-up, count-off, articulation, time feel,
balance/blend, and dynamics. The researcher found that all five directors gave a count-
12

off in the groove of each tune being rehearsed; they also all commented on
articulations, as well as the general concept of keeping a steady tempo. In the other
categories noted the directors techniques showed more variety. In his suggestions for
future studies, the author notes that analysis of rehearsal techniques may have been
facilitated if all of the directors had been videotaped while rehearsing the same music.
Andrew Goodrich is an active contributor in the area of jazz pedagogy research.
Starting with his 2005 dissertation he has continued to publish papers on various aspects
of jazz ensembles at the high school level. In order to collect supporting information for
the school jazz ensembles consistently high level of performance, his dissertation
utilized an ethnographic design. The study concluded that factors contributing to the
success of the jazz band included the development of student leadership, as well as
fostering a jazz culture within the classroom. This jazz culture included such elements
as peer mentoring, listening to live and recorded music both in and outside of school,
demonstration of advanced improvisation skills, frequent performances, and making
recordings.
Continuing with the theme of jazz culture within the high school jazz ensemble,
Goodrich (2007) published an article titled Peer mentoring in a high school jazz
ensemble. The study sought to find out how peer mentoring contributes to the overall
success of a band. Goodrich notes that it seems, alongside good pedagogy, the presence
of peer mentoring is perhaps a factor involved in achieving success or a high level of
performance. In his conclusions and suggestions for future research, Goodrich
acknowledges that good pedagogy may necessarily include the process of guiding
students to effective peer mentoring.
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In a 2008 study of jazz culture in high school jazz ensembles, Goodrich employed
another ethnographic study design. The purpose of the research was to discover what, if
any, elements of historic jazz culture managed to exist within the structured confines of a
school classroom. The findings showed that listening, improvisation, and engaging in
traditional jazz vocabulary were prominent elements that flourished in the classroom
environment.

State-specific High School Studies
There are several studies which isolated the high school jazz ensembles within a
particular state (Brittin, 1997; Jones, 2009; Mack, 1993; Payne, 1973; Scagnoli, 1978).
The purpose of these studies was to gather data regarding the status of high school jazz
ensemble programs, such as student participation, level of musical achievement, and the
overall current quality of these programs. The existence and reoccurrence of such studies
demonstrates that current jazz education has been researched at the state level; however it
also highlights the need for research which considers a comparison of high school jazz
education programs from across the United States.

14

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY AND METHODS

Research Design
This research was designed as a qualitative study. The author hoped to gather
information regarding the pedagogical methods, rehearsal techniques, and supplemental
characteristics of participants in order to compare and contrast the data and illustrate
habits of successful high school jazz band directors. The information sought is primarily
qualitative in nature and necessitated the use of methods which would allow for analysis
of individual and multiple participant data on various levels. Due to the small sample
size, and the desire to compare and contrast data on multiple levels, it was deemed
appropriate to utilize a variety of data collection tools. Data was collected through an
electronically distributed questionnaire, phone and email-based interviews. In the hope
of collecting additional data which would not be self-reported by the participants, the
study attempted to include observations of rehearsals. However the execution of this step
with all of the subjects was hindered by geographic distance and unavailability of
necessary technology.

Participants
Two groups of possible subjects were considered for the study. First, the winners
and honorable mentions from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 student awards in Downbeat
magazine were considered because these awards recognize excellence in performance
without strict criteria for the repertoire chosen. Second, the Jazz at Lincoln Centers
15

finalists from the 2012 Essentially Ellington competition (EEC) were considered because
of the respected reputation of the program for attracting successful high school jazz
ensembles. Ultimately the Downbeat winners were not chosen because within the three
years mentioned, two schools had dominated the awards and all five schools were located
in only two different states. As one of the authors goals was to incorporate band
directors and ensembles from across the country, the Downbeat competition did not
provide enough state diversity.
It should be noted that participation in the EEC requires a focus on a specific type
of repertoire and may not fully represent successful pedagogical techniques for the broad
spectrum of music encompassed by the term jazz. Yet, the EEC final round includes
the only national live performance competition for high school jazz ensembles, and this
unique aspect sets the EEC apart from other opportunities for achievement recognition.
Further, the achievement of a high performance standard in these finalist bands is worthy
of study. Perhaps these band directors in particular have similar successful rehearsal
techniques which eventually set them apart from other applicants in the competition.
Thus, the participants selected for the study are the band directors of the finalist
schools from the 2012 Essentially Ellington competition. The fifteen finalists are chosen
from over one hundred applicants from across the country, therefore indicating successful
direction of a high school jazz ensemble. These band directors vary in age, training, and
experience, yet the high achievement of their ensembles suggests that they might have
something in common. Of the fifteen eligible subjects, nine agreed to participate in the
study, all of whom are male. All nine responded to the questionnaire and were
interviewed; four chose to respond via email, and five requested that their interviews be
16

done over the phone. Two of the nine participants were observed: one in-person, and one
via recorded video.

Tools for Data Collection
Questionnaire
The first tool for collecting qualitative data was a questionnaire, designed
specifically for this study and partially based on the questions for self-evaluation in
Kuzmich and Bashs book, Complete guide to instrumental jazz instruction: Techniques
for developing a successful school jazz program (1984). The purpose of the
questionnaire was to gather basic information and to provide a preliminary, direct
comparison among certain aspects of the different band directors pedagogical practices.
The nineteen questions fit into the following categories: participation in the Essentially
Ellington competition, background and preparation of the director, jazz ensemble
rehearsal techniques and pedagogical methods, and post-rehearsal procedures. The
questionnaire is included in Appendix A.
The questionnaire used for this study was administered via the Internet. There
were a total of twenty-five questions, however only nineteen of those pertained to the
focus area of the study. The six questions that were not content-based included a
question regarding informed consent to participate in the study, as well as a request for an
interview, observation and the participants preferred methods for communication,
interviewing and observation.
The two questions regarding the Essentially Ellington competition asked the band
directors how many years, out of the last ten, they have had an ensemble participate in the
17

competition, and how many years they have made it to the finalist round of the
competition. Although the pool of participating schools is different from year to year, the
number of years as a finalist compared to the number of years competing could be a
significant variable in identifying those directors with particularly successful pedagogical
practices.
It was important to include questions regarding the background and preparation of
the band director because these things impact a teachers methods and approach to
leading a jazz ensemble. The first question of this nature in the questionnaire asks
participants to describe their personal experience and jazz performance ability level as
either beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Another question focuses on how the
directors prepare for jazz ensemble rehearsals, providing score study, listening to
recordings, and attending professional development events as choices. This question also
included an option for respondents to write in other things they have done in preparation.
The final question in this category addressed the subject of professional development to
determine if the directors attend or even lead such events in the area of jazz pedagogy.
The largest portion of the questionnaire belonged to the category of jazz ensemble
rehearsal techniques and pedagogical methods. These questions concentrated on the
focus of the research study and ranged from inquiries into the frequency of certain
practices to the choice of specific techniques. Directors were asked whether or not they
address jazz-specific techniques, encourage students to memorize chord changes, or use
any published pedagogical materials. They were also asked how often they emphasize
fundamentals, instrument-specific issues or rhythm section roles behind a soloist, offer
positive feedback, include improvisation instruction or guided listening exercises, and
18

invite guest conductors to rehearse the ensemble. All of these things are often suggested
as important or successful techniques in books on jazz pedagogy or leading a jazz
ensemble (Kuzmich & Bash, 1984; Dunscomb & Hill, 2002).
For the final category of questions, four items were used to learn about the post-
rehearsal practices of the participants. One question asked whether or not the directors
require sectionals outside of the regular jazz ensemble rehearsal, and if they do, whether
or not the students are responsible for running them. Along the theme of pedagogy
outside of the large ensemble meetings, another question asked whether or not the
directors provide additional opportunities for help or instruction outside of the jazz
ensemble rehearsal. The last two questions in this category focused on post-rehearsal
reflection; the first asking how often the participants self-reflect upon their own jazz
pedagogy, and the second asking how often they make either audio or video recordings
for the purpose of evaluation and reflection. In order to improve ones own practices,
self-reflection and evaluation are especially useful for teachers of performing ensembles.
Reflection with the help of recordings facilitates future rehearsals by allowing the
instructor a second chance to identify errors or details in need of improvement.

Interviews
The use of a questionnaire allowed for direct comparison of answers among
participants because answers were selected from prescribed options; however, open-
ended questions and an opportunity for the band directors to expound upon topics related
to their personal pedagogy techniques were deemed important for the scope of the study.
All of the nine participants who returned the questionnaire agreed to be interviewed by
19

either phone or email. The purpose of conducting interviews with the band directors was
to provide more thorough and detailed information which could be coded for themes and
cross-referenced with questionnaire answers among the pool of participants.
The interviews were focused on pedagogical methods and other decisions made in
jazz ensemble rehearsals which contribute to the success of the group. Two questions in
each interview allowed the participants to provide more complete information than could
be done in the questionnaire, specifically regarding the facilitation of memorizing chord
changes for students and the choice to use or not use published pedagogical materials in
rehearsals. There were fourteen questions asked of each participant, spanning various
topics such as the Essentially Ellington competition and repertoire, background and
preparation, rehearsal techniques, practices outside of rehearsal time, and a few broad
open-ended questions. The interview questions are included in Appendix B.

Supplemental Data: Observations
One observation was conducted via recorded video and one was done in person
by the researcher to provide additional qualitative data. Notes were taken regarding the
classroom environment, the general behavior and rehearsal etiquette of the students, the
structure of the rehearsal time, pedagogical choices by the director, as well as perceived
rapport between teacher and students. These observations were intended for use in cross-
referencing data from the interviews and questionnaire, as well as illuminate anything the
directors may have failed to mention. However, because so few observations were
possible due to geographic distance and a lack of necessary recording and sharing
technology, this information could not be justifiably included in the analysis.
20

Analytical Method
In studies by Jones (2009) and Goodrich (2008) the researchers used similar data
collection methods, including surveys, interviews, and observations, and included the
analysis method of coding. Creswell (2009) describes the practice of coding as the
grouping and organizing of textual data prior to assigning meaning to the gathered
information. Jones (2009) employed a paper survey which was mailed out to high school
band directors across the state of Alabama. The structuring of his survey provides insight
into the types of questions which could be useful to this type of research. An important
distinction between the use of surveys in these studies and the questionnaire in the
present research is the difference in number of participants. Jones (2009) had over three
hundred subjects, whereas this study has nine, therefore necessitating the use of a
qualitative questionnaire rather than a quantitative survey. Goodrich (2008) conducted an
ethnographic study which utilized interviews and observations to investigate behaviors
within a high schools jazz ensemble rehearsals. The technique of coding was then used
to aid in his analysis of all the qualitative data which had been collected.
To best serve this qualitative study data was analyzed at multiple levels, in search
of any potential trends or patterns within individual participants pedagogy as well as
across the techniques of several participants. Methods of analysis include cross-
referencing questionnaire answers among participants, and coding of the interviews for
important themes and ideas which may also be represented in the questionnaire data.
Significant topics, as represented in the coding, were specific pedagogical methods and
reoccurring behavior within the classroom environment.

21

CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Questionnaire Results
Nine of the fifteen people invited to participate in the research responded to the
questionnaire. All nine participants agreed to be interviewed, four via email and five via
phone. Two agreed to be observed, and one submitted a video while the other
participants school was close enough to facilitate an observation in person. From this
point onward, all participants will be referred to by a number indicating the order in
which they responded to the questionnaire; for example the first band director to respond
will be called BD1. As stated earlier, a copy of the questionnaire is included in Appendix
A.
The first question acted as an acknowledgement of consent to participate in the
study, therefore question number two was the first of the questionnaire to focus on
content. This question asked participants how many times their school ensemble has
participated in the Essentially Ellington (EE) competition in the last ten years. BD3 and
BD6 answered three years, BD4 and BD5 selected four years, BD7 answered nine years,
and BDs 1, 2, 8, and 9 all responded ten years.

22

Table 1
Results of Questionnaire, Question 2: How many times has your school participated in
the Essentially Ellington competition in the last ten years?
Participant Number of years participation in Essentially Ellington
competition out of the last 10 years
BD1 10
BD2 10
BD3 3
BD4 4
BD5 4
BD6 3
BD7 9
BD8 10
BD9 10

23

The third question acted as a follow up to the previous, asking participants how
many years of the last ten was their ensemble selected for the finalist round of the EE
competition. BDs 3, 4, and 6 responded with one year, BDs 5, 8, and 9 answered two
years, BD7 three years, BD2 five years, and BD1 six years.

Table 2
Results of Questionnaire, Question 3: How many times has your school been selected as
a finalist in the Essentially Ellington competition in the last ten years?
Participant Number of years selected as finalist in Essentially Ellington
competition out of the last 10 years
BD1 6
BD2 5
BD3 1
BD4 1
BD5 2
BD6 1
BD7 3
BD8 2
BD9 2

24

Combining the results of these two questions, Table 3 shows a comparison of
each participants years as finalists out of how many years they have submitted auditions
over the last ten years. The resulting percentage will be referred to as a rate of success, as
the initial goal of participating in the EE competition is to reach the finalist round. As
mentioned earlier, each year fifteen finalists are selected out of approximately one
hundred applicants. The top three performing directors, by this standard of success, are
BD1, BD2, and BD5. While this data may seem quantitative in nature, its incorporation
into the research is qualitative in nature.

Table 3
Participant Success Rates: Comparison of Years as Finalist to Years of Participation
Participant Years as finalist Years of participation Success percentage (%)
BD1 6 10 60%
BD2 5 10 50%
BD3 1 3 33%
BD4 1 4 25%
BD5 2 4 50%
BD6 1 3 33%
BD7 3 9 33%
BD8 2 10 20%
BD9 2 10 20%

25

Question four asked the band directors to describe their own jazz performance
ability, choosing from beginner, intermediate, or advanced. It should be emphasized here
that descriptions such as these were self-reported by the participants without any external
guidelines for determining definitions of beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Six of
the nine directors chose intermediate, while three responded that they felt they are
advanced.

Table 4
Results of Questionnaire, Question 4: How would you describe your personal experience
and ability level in jazz performance?
Participant Selected answer
BD1 Intermediate
BD2 Advanced
BD3 Intermediate
BD4 Advanced
BD5 Advanced
BD6 Intermediate
BD7 Intermediate
BD8 Intermediate
BD9 Intermediate

The next question asked about activities which contribute to the preparation of the
band director for leading and rehearsing their jazz ensemble. Participants had the
opportunity to choose as many answers as applied, including an option for entering their
26

own answer. The three given choices were: score study, listening to recordings, and
professional development. BDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9 selected all three given choices.
BD5 responded by selecting score study, listening to recordings, and other. BD7,
however, only chose the listening option. The four responses offered under the other
choice included talking to other directors, falling in love with jazz, clinicians, and
I still perform in a jazz combo on a regular basis, given by BDs 3, 5, 8, and 9
respectively. Listening to recordings was the only choice which received unanimous
selection by the participants.

Table 5
Results of Questionnaire, Question 5: Which of the following activities contribute to your
preparation for rehearsing and directing the jazz ensemble?
Participant Score Study Listening to
Recordings
Professional
Development
Other
BD1
BD2
BD3 Talking to other directors
BD4
BD5 I still perform in a jazz
combo on a regular basis
BD6
BD7
BD8 Falling in love with jazz
BD9 Clinicians

27

Question six asked how often fundamentals such as posture, proper breathing, and
basic musicianship skills were incorporated in jazz ensemble rehearsals. BDs 5 and 7
answered sometimes, BDs 1, 3, and 8 responded often, and BDs 2, 4, 6, and 9 said
every rehearsal. No participants responded never.

Table 6
Results of Questionnaire, Question 6: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how often do you
emphasize fundamentals such as posture, breathing, and basic musicianship?
BD1 Often
BD2 Every rehearsal
BD3 Often
BD4 Every rehearsal
BD5 Sometimes
BD6 Every rehearsal
BD7 Sometimes
BD8 Often
BD9 Every rehearsal

28

In asking the respondents if they address jazz-specific techniques such as
articulation, rhythms, style, interaction, and phrasing during rehearsals, all selected yes.
This was the only question in the questionnaire to receive a completely unanimous
response.

Table 7
Results of Questionnaire, Question 7: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, do you address jazz-
specific techniques such as articulation, rhythm, style, interaction, and phrasing?
Participant Selected Response
BD1 Yes
BD2 Yes
BD3 Yes
BD4 Yes
BD5 Yes
BD6 Yes
BD7 Yes
BD8 Yes
BD9 Yes

29

Following a similar choice format to question six, question eight asked
participants how often they provide positive feedback in jazz ensemble rehearsals. Seven
out of nine said every rehearsal, while BDs 5 and 8 answered often. No directors
selected sometimes or never.

Table 8
Results of Questionnaire, Question 8: How often do you provide positive feedback in jazz
ensemble rehearsals?
BD1 Every rehearsal
BD2 Every rehearsal
BD3 Every rehearsal
BD4 Every rehearsal
BD5 Often
BD6 Every rehearsal
BD7 Every rehearsal
BD8 Often
BD9 Every rehearsal

30

Question nine asked how often directors include improvisation instruction in the
jazz ensemble rehearsals and answers were more diverse than the previous question. Five
participants responded every rehearsal while BDs 3, 7, and 8 chose sometimes and
BD1 selected often.

Table 9
Results of Questionnaire, Question 9: How often do you include improvisation instruction
in jazz ensemble rehearsals?
BD1 Often
BD2 Every rehearsal
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Every rehearsal
BD5 Every rehearsal
BD6 Every rehearsal
BD7 Sometimes
BD8 Sometimes
BD9 Every rehearsal

31

In response to question ten, six of the nine participants said that they encourage
students to memorize chord changes, while only three actually require students to
memorize them BDs 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, and BDs 2, 4, 6 respectively.

Table 10
Results of Questionnaire, Question 10: Do you encourage students to memorize chord
changes?
Participants Selected answer
BD1 Yes, I encourage it
BD2 Yes, I require it

32

Question eleven asked specifically about the frequency of guided listening
exercises in the jazz ensemble rehearsals and only BD6 responded every rehearsal.
BDs 3 and 7 answered sometimes. The majority six out of nine participants
however, chose often. This topic was also often mentioned during interviews.

Table 11
Results of Questionnaire, Question 11: How often do you include guided listening
exercises in jazz ensemble rehearsals?
Participants Selected answer
BD1 Often
BD2 Often
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Often
BD5 Often
BD6 Every rehearsal
BD7 Sometimes
BD8 Often
BD9 Often

33

The following question required a response of yes or no, and asked band
directors if they choose to incorporate any published pedagogical materials in their jazz
ensemble rehearsals. Six out of nine said yes, while the other three BDs 3, 5, and 7
responded no. Directors were asked to further comment on their answer to this
question in their respective interviews.

Table 12
Results of Questionnaire, Question 12: Do you use any pedagogical materials or aids in
jazz ensemble rehearsals (such as play-along recordings, theory books, repertoire
collection books, prescribed pedagogical method/book)?
BD1 Yes
BD2 Yes
BD3 No
BD4 Yes
BD5 No
BD6 Yes
BD7 No
BD8 Yes
BD9 Yes

34

Question thirteen focused on sectional rehearsals outside of the full jazz ensemble
rehearsals whether or not directors required them and, if so, who was responsible for
leading them. Two participants BDs 6 and 7 responded that they do not require
sectionals. The other seven directors responded yes, and the students conduct the
sectional rehearsals. The third response option was yes, and I conduct the sectional
rehearsals, which no participants selected.

Table 13
Results of Questionnaire, Question 13: Do you require sectional rehearsals outside of the
full jazz ensemble rehearsals?
BD1 Yes, and the students conduct the sectional rehearsals
BD6 No
BD7 No

35

Next, participants were asked in question fourteen to state how often they address
instrument-specific issues in rehearsals, choosing from never, sometimes, often, and
every rehearsal. BDs 3 and 8 chose sometimes, BDs 4, 7, and 9 chose often, and
BDs 1, 2, 5, and 6 chose every rehearsal.

Table 14
Results of Questionnaire, Question 14: How often do you address instrument-specific
issues in the jazz ensemble rehearsal?
BD1 Every rehearsal
BD2 Every rehearsal
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Often
BD5 Every rehearsal
BD6 Every rehearsal
BD7 Often
BD8 Sometimes
BD9 Often

36

Question fifteen asked if directors offered additional instruction or help outside of
the jazz ensemble rehearsal. Such help could include things such as lessons or after-
school help days. Only BD8 responded no. The other eight out of nine said, yes.

Table 15
Results of Questionnaire, Question 15: Do you provide additional opportunities for
instruction outside of jazz ensemble rehearsal (e.g. after school extra help, lessons)?
BD1 Yes
BD2 Yes
BD3 Yes
BD4 Yes
BD5 Yes
BD6 Yes
BD7 Yes
BD8 No
BD9 Yes

37

For question sixteen, participants were asked how often they address rhythm
section roles with regard to accompanying a soloist in the jazz ensemble setting. Answer
choices included: never, sometimes, often, and every rehearsal. Five out of nine
respondents chose often, while BDs 3 and 8 chose sometimes, and BDs 2 and 9
selected every rehearsal.

Table 16
Results of Questionnaire, Question 16: In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how often do you
address rhythm section roles when accompanying a soloist?
BD1 Often
BD2 Every rehearsal
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Often
BD5 Often
BD6 Often
BD7 Often
BD8 Sometimes
BD9 Every rehearsal

38

Band directors were asked how often they reflect upon their jazz pedagogy in
question seventeen. The majority responded often, while BD7 chose sometimes and
BDs 3 and 4 selected after every rehearsal.

Table 17
Results of Questionnaire, Question 17: How often do you self-reflect upon your own jazz
pedagogy?
BD1 Often
BD2 Often
BD3 After every rehearsal
BD4 After every rehearsal
BD5 Often
BD6 Often
BD7 Sometimes
BD8 Often
BD9 Often

39

Question eighteen gathered a wider variety of results, asking how often directors
record rehearsals for the purpose of self-evaluation. It was noted that recordings could be
either audio or video. BDs 1, 5, and 9 chose often, BDs 2, 3, 6, and 8 selected
sometimes, BD7 responded never, and BD4 said recording occurs every rehearsal.

Table 18
Results of Questionnaire, Question 18: How often do you (audio or video) record
rehearsals for self-evaluation?
BD1 Often
BD2 Sometimes
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Every rehearsal
BD5 Often
BD6 Sometimes
BD7 Never
BD8 Sometimes
BD9 Often

40

The penultimate question asked about directors participation in professional
development activities related to jazz pedagogy. Seven of the nine participants said that
they do participate in such events, whereas BDs 2 and 4 responded saying that they have
actually lead such sessions. BDs 2 and 4 had both responded to an earlier question
stating that they felt their abilities as a performer of jazz are advanced.

Table 19
Results of Questionnaire, Question 19: Do you participate in professional development
opportunities in the area of jazz pedagogy?
BD1 Yes, I participate
BD2 Yes, I lead such professional development sessions
BD4 Yes, I lead such professional development sessions

41

Participants were asked how often they have guest conductors rehearse the jazz
ensemble for question twenty. BDs 5 and 9 said that they invite guest conductors often,
while the rest of the directors responded saying that they do this sometimes.

Table 20
Results of Questionnaire, Question 20: How often do you bring in guest
conductors/directors to jazz ensemble rehearsals?
BD1 Sometimes
BD2 Sometimes
BD3 Sometimes
BD4 Sometimes
BD5 Often
BD6 Sometimes
BD7 Sometimes
BD8 Sometimes
BD9 Often

Table 21 shows a summary of the results from the questionnaire. This table
provides a centralized view of the questionnaire data for comparison and contrast
between band directors. Abbreviations of responses use the first letter of the word, or in
the case of a response with more than one word, the first letter of each word was used to
represent responses; for example, Every Rehearsal is abbreviated as ER.

42

T
a
b
l
e

2
1

S
u
m
m
a
r
y

o
f

R
e
s
u
l
t
s

f
r
o
m

Q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
n
a
i
r
e

Q
2

Q
3

Q
4

Q
5

Q
6

Q
7

Q
8

Q
9

Q
1
0

Q
1
1

Q
1
2

Q
1
3

Q
1
4

Q
1
5

Q
1
6

Q
1
7

Q
1
8

Q
1
9

Q
2
0

P
a
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
n
t

Years participation [1-10]
Years as finalist [1-10]
Jazz ability level [Beg/Int/Adv]
Rehearsal Prep. [Score study/
Listening/Prof. Dev./Other]
Fundamentals [Never/Sometimes
/ Often/Every Rehearsal]
Jazz-specific tech. [Yes/No]
Positive Feedback [N/S/O/ER]
Improvisation in rehearsals
[N/S/O/ER]
Memorizing Chord Changes
[No/Yes, enc./Yes, req.]
Guided Listening [N/S/O/ER]
Pedagogical Materials [Yes/No]
Sectionals [No/Yes, students/
Yes, I lead]
Instrument-specific Issues
[N/S/O/ER]
Additional Instruction [Yes/No]
Rhythm Section Roles
[N/S/O/ER]
Self-reflection
[N/S/O/After ER]
Recording for self-evaluation
[N/S/O/ER]
Professional Development [N/Y,
participate/Y, I lead]
Guest Conductors [N/S/O]
B
D
1

1
0

6

I

S
L
P

O

Y

E
R

O

Y
E

O

Y

Y
S

E
R

Y

O

O

O

Y
P

S

B
D
2

1
0

5

A

S
L
P

E
R

Y

E
R

E
R

Y
R

O

Y

Y
S

E
R

Y

E
R

O

S

Y
L

S

B
D
3

3

1

I

S
L
P

O

O

Y

E
R

S

Y
E

S

N

Y
S

S

Y

S

A
E
R

S

Y
P

S

B
D
4

4

1

A

S
L
P

E
R

Y

E
R

E
R

Y
R

O

Y

Y
S

O

Y

O

A
E
R

E
R

Y
L

S

B
D
5

4

2

A

S
L

O

S

Y

O

E
R

Y
E

O

N

Y
S

E
R

Y

O

O

O

Y
P

O

B
D
6

3

1

I

S
L
P

E
R

Y

E
R

E
R

Y
R

E
R

Y

N

E
R

Y

O

O

S

Y
P

S

B
D
7

9

3

I

L

S

Y

E
R

S

Y
E

S

N

N

O

Y

O

S

N

Y
P

S

B
D
8

1
0

2

I

S
L
P

O

O

Y

O

S

Y
E

O

Y

Y
S

S

N

S

O

S

Y
P

S

B
D
9

1
0

2

I

S
L
P

O

E
R

Y

E
R

E
R

Y
E

O

Y

Y
S

O

Y

E
R

O

O

Y
P

O

43

Interview Results
All nine participants agreed to be interviewed, four via email and five via
telephone. The telephone interviews were recorded and transcribed. All interview
responses were analyzed by coding. Four categories observed in the analysis include
pedagogical techniques, band director background and influences, reported student
behavior and investment, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center effect. One interview question
asked participants to describe their teaching personality with three adjectives, and these
results will be presented at the end of this section. The interview questions are included
in Appendix B and transcriptions of the interviews are contained in Appendix C.

Pedagogical Techniques
Because the subject of pedagogical techniques is the central theme of this study,
several of the interview questions required participants to talk about the methods used
within jazz ensemble rehearsals. Some band directors also shared anecdotes which
illustrated their techniques in the classroom. Seventeen unique techniques were found
during the analysis of the nine interviews which included warm-up exercises, guided
listening, discussion, analogies, incorporation of fundamentals, singing, dancing, audio
recording, use of social media such as Facebook, emphasis on relationships within the
band and between the band and director, rhythmic exercises, call-and-response exercises,
sight reading, using the blues and improvisation as a warm-up, self-evaluation by
students, bopping or tizzling for rhythmic exercises, and the incorporation of history
into the study of jazz tunes.
44

Most participants mentioned some kind of warm-up exercise as part of their
rehearsal routine. Three band directors took this a step further and explained that they
have students participate in a creative improvisation exercise over a 12-bar blues form.
BD 1 described this activity by saying, I usually encourage the rhythm section to start by
playing a bluesas the horn players come in, then they sit down and have to try to figure
out the keyand then the saxes will kind of play a riffthen the brass will do the same
thing. And then they can start to solo over that as a way to warm up. BDs 5 and 6 also
use this method, yet they prefer to use a composed melody to structure the exercise rather
than improvising riffs and background lines.
Other participants cited guided listening exercises as the core of their warm-up
routine. BD 9 states that he begins rehearsals by playing recordings of both the students
and professionals. He also emphasized the importance of having students listen to jazz
first stating, Its about listening!!!! and then later, Constant listening. BDs 1, 2, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8 and 9 all referenced listening as an essential part of their jazz teaching. BDs 4 and
5 regularly send recordings home with students; BD 4 via CDs and BD 5 via Facebook.
The use of Facebook in a jazz program shows that 21
st
century technology, such as
Internet-based file sharing, discussion forums, and social media, can be integrated into
jazz pedagogy. BD 5 has created a Facebook group for the jazz ensemble, and this online
space allows the teacher and students to share recordings, videos, and links to both
student and professional recordings, encouraging students to listen to jazz outside of
school and the rehearsal setting. BDs 1, 4, 5, 6, and 9 all included that these listening
activities can also lead to valuable discussions about the music and improvements the
students can make to their own playing.
45

Each band director must submit a recording of the ensemble for consideration in
the Essentially Ellington competition each year. Thus, many of the participants shared in
their interviews that they often record the ensemble so that their students may engage in
self-evaluation and participating in discussions about areas in need of improvement for
the group. Some directors even use these recordings to help them assess individual and
group progress throughout the year. BD 6 mentioned that he places importance on
students being able to converse about recordings using music vocabulary, recognizing
terms such as bridge and understanding types of forms. In BD 9s jazz ensemble,
students are expected to contribute constructive comments and assessment for their
rehearsals, focusing on desired goals and whether they have been met. When BD 5
records his ensemble and sends students home with a CD, he requires them to come back
to rehearsal with five written suggestions or comments.
BD 6 has a unique method for starting rehearsals which involved students singing
and dancing along to a professional recording. He mentioned that one of the first
recordings he used for this exercise was Little Unhappy Boy performed by Nancy
Wilson and Cannonball Adderley. He stated that his goal is to make sure the students are
interpreting that this music is dance music, to help them internalize the swing feel and
memorize those particular improvised solos and absorb some vocabulary to be used in
their own improvisations. The students sing along with Nancy Wilsons phrasing,
learning the lyrics, and scat along with the improvised solos, all while doing simple dance
movements to feel the rhythm of the song. The director said that he might have the
ensemble listen to a single recording for four consecutive months, or as long as the entire
school year.
46

Toward the end of his interview, BD 6 made an analogy to illustrate the
importance of guided listening, as opposed to having students listen to music without
clues to significant aspects of recordings and elements of the jazz idiom:
these students have such aa huge breadth of material available to them that
when they come to us and say Im interested in jazz, what should I do? And
then when you just look at them and say, listen,thats not helpful. You know,
thats like driving to a construction site andand Id just say listen And
then we get back in the car and I say, Did you hear that bird chirping, uh, right in
between each jackhammer hit?
He used this comparison to then suggest that one role of the teacher is to guide students
to make connections when learning about music, especially jazz. BD 1 mentioned in his
interview that he likes to use analogies to help students fully understand concepts, and he
references an instance in which he compared the role of the jazz ensemble drummer to
that of a bridge supporting a major highway.
Outside of the rehearsal warm-up, singing was mentioned by several band
directors as an important technique for learning and improving performance of the charts
on which the ensemble is working. BDs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 all stated that they incorporate
singing parts into rehearsals. BD 3 noted that singing and speaking parts can help
students to better address proper articulation for certain passages in the music. BD 4
stated that singing is done individually and in sections. Further, BD 5 shared that he does
a lot of singing both by himself and with the group, as a means of modeling correct
phrasing, rhythm, and articulation.
47

Fundamentals such as scales, arpeggios, and intonation were mentioned by six of
the nine participants, BDs 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, as part of their rehearsal process. The
promotion of sight reading or reading skills was also common among the participants as
an important aspect of rehearsing their jazz ensembles. BDs 2 and 8 included some sight
reading as part of their regular routine. However, BD 7 said that, as a result of struggling
with sight reading as a younger musician, he pushes his students to sight read roughly
eighty charts in a school year. BD 7 also said that he challenges students to sight read
one or two charts on a performance, and he related this to his philosophy of process over
product. BDs 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 did not explicitly state that music literacy or sight
reading skills are a part of their jazz ensemble rehearsals.
A few participants reported that they talk with students about the historical
context, composer, and related information to the tunes that they are working on in
rehearsals. BDs 1, 6, and 9 mentioned having regular discussions about historically
relevant information. BD 1 said, I will talk about, you know, the form of the tune, the
history of the tune, you know, something about the composer as were learning about
itI want them to reallyknow some sort of background ofof what theyre doing
Some specific techniques that a few band directors cited included bopping or
tizzling and call-and-response exercises. The call-and-response exercise, mentioned by
BD 6, focuses on improvisation in which one person plays or sings a melodic or rhythmic
idea which another person or group echoes. This exercise can be advanced by having the
participants not echo and instead create a similar but unique musical response. Bopping
is an exercise in which students speak the rhythm notated in their music using the syllable
bop. BD 7 mentioned this technique in his interview. The goal of bopping is to
48

determine whether or not students are starting phrases together when reading notated
rhythms. BD 1 has students tizzle along with professional recordings. Similar to
bopping, students speak the notated rhythms starting with the sound of a t and
representing prolonged rhythms with an s sound while practicing good breath support.
The overall focus of tizzling is the accurate reading of rhythms and use of breath
support. Both of these exercises allow students to work on rhythmic precision without
needing to think about playing their instrument, and students can hear their collective
interpretation of the music without the loudness of the ensembles instrumentation.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of how the bopping and tizzling techniques can be
applied to a brief musical phrase.

Figure 1. Application of bopping and tizzling techniques

When asked if there was anything else he would like to add regarding his personal
jazz pedagogy toward the end of his interview, BD 2 replied,
its not about pedagogy at all You can have all the tricks you want, but its
really about connecting with kids at this age, and understanding them, getting
them passionate about what theyre doing.none of the pedagogy, none of the
materials matter if you cant do that.
49

This emphasis on the importance of building relationships and trust with the students was
echoed in the interviews of BD 6 and 9. BD 9 said, We form a bond. Thinking about
the relationships between band members and between the band and the director, BD 6
shared an anecdote about Count Basie and his orchestra, saying that Basie never talked
about the most talent band he ever had. He always talked about the happiest band.I
think its really hard to have a great band without great chemistry. While the
participants did not directly comment on how these strong ties are made, they did
emphasize the importance of a jazz ensemble directors interpersonal skills.
Additionally, the interview included a question regarding the number of
performances these jazz ensembles give each year. The amount of performances given
each year may not directly reflect a specific pedagogical technique, yet this was another
area in which most of the band directors responses were aligned. Eight out of the nine
participants reported having at least ten performances with their ensemble each year, and
three of those eight claimed to have at least twenty per year. Most directors noted that
the majority of these performances happened outside of the school setting; having
students perform at local restaurants, small live music venues, jazz festivals, and regional
competitions. Taking students to these outside events allows them to hear other
performers their age as well as veteran musicians, and to see that, as BD 6 said, this
music is, not trapped in academiaits only in academia for its survival.

Band Director Background and Influences
When asked about their background in jazz, every participant cited experience
playing in their high school jazz ensemble and continuing their involvement throughout
50

college. BDs 1, 4, and 8 gave credit to their high school band directors as major
influences in their development as music educators, yet BDs 1 and 8 also mentioned
college professors and others. BD 8 noted that the value his friends and family gave to
music had a positive influence on him. Alternately, BDs 5, 6 and 7 credited their college
professors as their primary influence while BDs 2 and 3 cited mentor teachers with whom
they had worked. Finally, BDs 5, 6, 8 and 9 mentioned being influenced by Ron Carter,
whom they have witnessed as a clinician or in some other educational setting.

Reported Student Behavior and Investment
In each interview, participants were asked about the significance of peer
mentoring in their jazz ensembles. Reponses were unanimous, stating that peer
mentoring is important to the success of these jazz ensembles. BD 5 said, Thats huge,
and BD 3 said, Vital! Various participants indicated that peer mentoring exists within
and outside of the large ensemble rehearsals, showing the extent of student commitment
and investment in the success of the group. BD 2s students occasionally give younger
peers lessons and help rehearse other small ensembles, and BD 3 said, Section leaders
play a huge role in setting the tone for their section within the ensemble and in leading
sectionals throughout the year. Some students take additional time out of their
schedules to mentor other students, as BD 5 explained, the other day our lead alto
player was working with the clarinet player during lunch, I mean, because she wasnt
playing something quite right. This element of student leadership is supported by a
quote from the interview with BD 7, they call sectionals and get together and do stuff
on their own, which is great cause, you know, thats kind of the goal is to get them
51

self-supported, you know? BDs 7 and 9 also noted that the middle school band
programs from which their students matriculate begin the process of peer mentoring, and
sometimes high school students interact with those from the middle schools to give older
students a chance to coach younger students and set an early example for them.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Effect
All of the participants belonged to the 2012 group of finalists in the Essentially
Ellington competition for high school jazz ensembles. In each interview the band
directors spoke positively about their experiences with Essentially Ellington and Jazz at
Lincoln Center (JALC). Common themes among participants were Wynton Marsalis and
the JALC atmosphere, experiences in the Essentially Ellington competition, and JALCs
annual summer Band Director Academy.
Several participants spoke positively of Wynton Marsalis, the artistic director of
Jazz at Lincoln Center. BD 1 talked about Wynton Marsalis inclusive language,
encouraging directors to say, my trumpets, rather than you trumpets. This participant
also cited an experience observing Marsalis in a rehearsal with the Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra, asking band members for input and suggestions. BD 1 saw Marsalis example
as a cue for high school directors to actively involve students in the rehearsal process. In
BD 2s experiences watching and listen to Wynton Marsalis rehearse the Lincoln Center
Jazz Orchestra, he noted that he gained from the observation a general attitudethe
attitude of expecting excellence and kind of not accepting anything less. BD 7 talked
about the JALC vibe, saying, theyre about the music theyre about how well it
swings, how much it swings, not necessarily you have to play a million notes.
52

Each band director reported gaining different knowledge and advice for
improving their jazz ensembles. Speaking more specifically about positive experiences
in the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition (EEC), BD 1 stated, Ive
learned so much fromfrom Jazz at Lincoln Center and Essentially Ellington.
Similarly, BD 5 reported that the, whole experience is just incredible. BD 6 noted
that his experiences with the EEC encouraged him to make improvisation the central
focus of [the] jazz program. BD 8 learned how far students can be driven when
motivated and educated properly, and BD 9 found the importance of affirmation, and
positive reinforcement, know the history of each tune!
Two participants mentioned a tool unique to the EEC experience called Tutti
Player. This DVD of Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra not only
shows the band rehearsing the charts chosen for the competition that year, but also allows
the viewer to select and unselect individuals in the band. This function allows students to
play along with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra rhythm section or hear the lead
trumpet player articulate a specific passage in the music. The Tutti Player was new for
the 2013 competition and BDs 1 and 5 spoke highly of the teaching aid.
Throughout the interview process, BDs 2, 3, 6, and 7 all referenced a professional
development opportunity called the Band Director Academy (BDA), hosted by JALC in
New York City. The BDA is an annual four-day intensive workshop for band directors
taught by JALC staff and internationally renowned jazz musicians, during which they
learn how to teach a jazz ensemble. BD 3 noted the connection between the EEC and
JALCs Band Director Academy, stating, The first year, we were in the top 20 bands
and because we were in the group of the next 5 bands who didnt make the competition, I
53

earned a free trip to New York for the Band Director Academy. My second year
submitting a CD, we made it into the festival. BD 6 said that the BDA changed his
teaching and, its the best thing Ive ever done for myself as a teacher.

Teaching Personality Descriptions
Question number ten of the interviews asked participants to describe their
teaching personality with three adjectives. A few participants offered less than three
adjectives or none at all, and some gave more than three; resulting in a total of nineteen
unique descriptors. The adjectives included serious, humorous, modest, intense, fun,
tough, creative, high-expectations, exciting, laid-back, detail-oriented, relentless,
energetic, crazy, consistent, encouraging, passionate, inspiring, and informative. Four of
those adjectives were used by multiple participants: intense and energetic were each used
by three band directors, while fun and detail-oriented were each used by two directors.
All nineteen adjectives carry positive connotations. While these descriptors are
not necessarily related to participants choice of pedagogical methods, they may play a
role in the supplemental factors involved in directing a high school jazz ensemble. Their
correlation to other elements will be explored further in the following chapter. Each
participants responses can be seen in Table 22, which is located on page 55.

A Note about Observations
As mentioned earlier, only two participants had rehearsals observed for the
research. One observation was done in person, due to the authors proximity to the
school, and the second was submitted via recorded video. It was determined that there
54

T
a
b
l
e

2
2

A
d
j
e
c
t
i
v
e
s

U
s
e
d

t
o

D
e
s
c
r
i
b
e

P
a
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
n
t

T
e
a
c
h
i
n
g

P
e
r
s
o
n
a
l
i
t
i
e
s

P
a
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
n
t

Consistent
Crazy
Creative
Detailed/Detail-Oriented
Encouraging
Energetic/High Energy
Exciting
Fun
High-Expectations
Humorous
Informative
Inspiring
Intense
Laid-Back
Modest
Passionate
Relentless
Serious
Tough
B
D
1

B
D
2

B
D
3

B
D
4

B
D
5

B
D
6

B
D
7

B
D
8

B
D
9

was not enough observation data to warrant its inclusion in the study. This issue is
addressed further in the conclusions chapter.

55

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS

Discussion of Findings
Common Pedagogical Techniques
The first research question in this study was What are common pedagogical
techniques among high school band directors who achieve successful jazz instruction in
the ensemble setting? No two participants in the study had identical methods of jazz
pedagogy, yet several techniques emerged as common choices. Some interesting
methods which were not common among all participants will also be included in this
discussion.
The questionnaire results revealed six common techniques use by the band
directors. The most common rehearsal preparation technique used by the participants
was the practice of listening to recordings. Three of the common rehearsal techniques
included guided listening exercises, providing positive feedback, and addressing jazz-
specific techniques such as articulation, rhythm, style, interaction, and phrasing. Finally,
two common post-rehearsal practices included self-reflection upon ones own teaching
and offering instruction outside of the large ensemble rehearsals.
The interviews also produced six common pedagogical techniques, all of which
are used in the rehearsal process. Almost every participant explicitly mentioned a warm-
up activity for their jazz ensemble rehearsals. While the exact warm-ups varied greatly,
the act of including a warm-up was mentioned by seven of the nine interviewees.
Fundamentals such as scales, arpeggios, and intonation also appeared in many interviews.
56

Similar to the questionnaire results, the participants also reported listening activities as an
important part of their rehearsals and pedagogical approach. Singing was another
common technique, ranging from singing along with professional recordings to singing
ensemble parts. Recording the ensemble and engaging students in discussions about the
music and their performances were common techniques among several participants,
perhaps because involvement in the Essentially Ellington competition promotes these
behaviors. JALC requires groups to submit a recording in order to enter the competition,
thus several band directors referenced making practicing recordings and having students
comment on them as a way to prepare the ensemble for the final submission.
BDs 1, 5, and 6 all reported that they have students improvise over a blues as part
of their warm-up routine. Initially, it was considered that these band directors may have
discovered this idea through their shared involvement in the Essentially Ellington finalist
round, however this does not appear to be the case. BD 1 said he got the idea from
spending some time teaching at a local summer jazz camp, and BD 5 admitted to
borrowing the idea from a visiting clinician from a nearby university. Both BD 1 and 5
teach in the same state, whereas BD 6, who did not disclose his source for the warm-up
exercise, teaches in a different state. Despite the fact that these subjects did not learn of
this technique in the same place, perhaps their shared use of this exercise helped their
ensembles reach the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition.
Another topic which only three participants, BDs 2, 6 and 9, explicitly spoke
about in their interviews was the concept of creating strong social bonds within the
ensemble as well as between the director and the students. All of the subjects, however,
often used the pronoun we in reference to the ensemble, rather than saying I and
57

them. This kind of language is inclusive, and as BD 1 points out, Wynton Marsalis
makes a point of speaking this way and sets an example for other jazz ensemble leaders.
It is possible that the six participants who did not mention relationship building are
simply not aware that they are engaging in this behavior. Regardless of metacognition, it
is clear that this is an important part of leading a successful jazz ensemble, because it is
present, in some degree, in each of the participants bands.

Common Supplemental Characteristics, Behaviors, and Methods
In each interview, the participants were asked how they incorporate the Ellington
literature into their year-long goals for their jazz ensemble. All of the band directors
responses indicated that the Ellington literature substantiates only a portion of the music
their ensembles learn. Some directors divided the school year into several segments by
major types of big band music; for example, starting with Count Basie Orchestra
arrangements, then moving on to Ellington charts, and eventually progressing to more
modern compositions including fusion, rock, and funk styles. Other directors prefer to
teach a wide variety of periods and styles concurrently, allowing them to work on a few
Ellington arrangements with students throughout the school year. Thus, all of the
participants made it clear that they do not only study Ellingtons music with their
students; instead, they try to give their students a well-rounded big band experience.
When participants were asked to describe their teaching personality with three
adjectives, four descriptors out of the nineteen given were mentioned by more than one
person. Intense and energetic were each claimed by three band directors, while detail-
oriented and fun were each reported by two participants. The Merriam-Webster
58

Dictionary defines intense as, Marked by or expressive of great zeal, energy,
determination, or concentration (Intense, n.d.). This definition includes the word
energy, which is implied in the adjective energetic; and the word concentration is
often a trait of detail-oriented people. Perhaps these three descriptors, intense, energetic,
and detail-oriented, are necessarily connected because they maybe inherent in successful
teaching. Further, BD 6 reminds his students that jazz originated as dance music, so it
seems obvious that successful jazz pedagogy should include some element of fun. Thus,
Intense, energetic, detail-oriented, and fun all appear to be adjectives worthy of emulating
in ones teaching and leading of a high school jazz ensemble.
One supplemental factor which is present in every participants jazz program is
peer mentoring. The exact execution of this behavior and interaction is out of the control
of the teacher, yet several band directors noted that such behavior can be encouraged and
once older students begin mentoring their younger peers the process continues on its own.
Two directors mentioned that peer mentoring was started in the local middle school band
program and was brought through the high school bands by the students. Every
participant spoke of peer mentoring as an essential aspect of their program, as the roles
which students take on continue outside of rehearsals and outside of the classroom where
the teachers involvement stops. This factor is clearly important to the success of a high
school jazz ensemble, supporting Goodrichs (2007) findings.
Several participants also spoke about the significance of having clinicians visit
and work with students. These clinicians range from local professional jazz musicians to
college jazz professors and legendary musicians such as Ron Carter. While the primary
purpose of this practice is to have the students learn from a clinician, the participants
59

reported that they learn and gain techniques from the clinicians, as well. This shows that
the special treat of a guest artist or visiting teacher provides benefits to both students and
the teacher and may be an important factor in building and maintaining a successful jazz
ensemble at the high school level.
Finally, it was interesting to learn about the performance habits of these band
directors ensembles, specifically the amount of performances given in the average
academic year. It would seem that having high school jazz ensembles perform more
often benefits students through pure experience. While practice does not necessarily
beget perfection, students who engage in more performance opportunities probably feel
more comfortable in such settings than their peers who participate in only two or three
school concerts each year. These findings support Goodrichs (2005) claim that the
presence of a jazz culture which includes peer mentoring, listening to original
recordings, making recordings, and frequent performances, as an indicator of a successful
high school jazz ensemble.

Limitations of the Study
The first limitation of the study was the small number of participants. With only
nine subjects no generalizable conclusions can be made. Further, all of the data collected
was self-reported by the band directors and this collection method does not necessarily
yield the most accurate results, whether relevant information is misreported or left out
completely. Due to time and financial restrictions, travelling to each school to conduct an
observation of a rehearsal was not possible and may have revealed missing information
or pedagogical techniques that the participants are unaware that they are using.
60

Recommendations for Further Study
During the spring of 2013 JALC will host the 18
th
Annual Essentially Ellington
competition. Should further research into the band directors tied to JALCs programs, a
study involving all of the high school ensembles who have qualified for the final round of
the competition in the past 18 years. This would create a larger subject pool and perhaps
allow for generalizable results. Also, little research has been done on band directors who
attend the JALC Band Director Academy; therefore the effectiveness of the workshop has
not yet been illustrated for the academic community. Finally, should a similar study be
conducted, observations of teachers would be crucial for the validation of self-reported
data as well as the collection of additional data.
The selection of participants based on their involvement in the Essentially
Ellington program was decided as a means of studying band directors from around the
country, so as not to focus on teachers in one region or state. Future researchers may
choose to look into a nation-wide study that allows for freer selection of band directors,
without the criterion of participation in a specific competition. As there is no current
national measure of teacher effectiveness for high school jazz ensembles in the public
school system, perhaps future studies may determine which factors qualify a band
director as successful.
Further study into the exact topic of this research may want to follow up with
these nine band directors in a few years to see if their methods have changed. Also, this
study did not take into account student perspectives of their band directors and their
experiences in the jazz ensemble. Including the students views and experiences could
reveal additional factors that were not previously considered.
61

Final Words
This study set out to identify common pedagogical techniques, characteristics,
behaviors, and methods of high school jazz ensemble directors. While there are countless
additional factors involved in successful pedagogy, the reported information is hoped to
benefit current and prospective music educators who may be charged with instructing a
jazz ensemble without any previous experience in that area. The following suggestions
can be made for high school jazz ensemble directors in search of better jazz pedagogy.

1. Listen to original jazz recordings is important for rehearsal preparation as well as
an activity with students in the ensemble rehearsal.
2. Provide positive feedback.
3. Self-reflect upon ones own teaching.
4. Utilize rehearsal techniques such as recording, singing, and discussion.
5. Encourage and foster peer mentoring.
6. Expose students to professional jazz musicians as well as peer group ensembles
via visiting clinicians and performances at local festivals helps give perspective to
both the teacher and students.

Jazz education is still relatively young, thus there is a need continued research in
this area. Further, the training of prospective music educators in jazz pedagogy can
continue to improve as more research is done. The more that can be learned about
effective jazz pedagogy, music educators will be better able to serve students and pass on
one of our national treasures and original art forms to future generations.
62

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Mark, M.L., & Gary, C.L. (2007). A history of American music education. New York,
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66

APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE

1. I have read and consent to the terms and conditions of this research study as
outlined in the consent form which was included in the email I received from
Kaitlyn Fay. Selecting yes below acts in place of a signature, designating
consent.
o Yes
o No

2. How many times has your school participated in the Essentially Ellington
competition in the last ten years?
o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4
o 5
o 6
o 7
o 8
o 9
o 10

3. How many times has your school been selected as a finalist in the Essentially
Ellington competition in the last ten years?
o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4
o 5
o 6
o 7
o 8
o 9
o 10

4. How would you describe your personal experience and ability level in jazz
performance?
o Beginner
o Intermediate
o Advanced

67

5. Which of the following activities contribute to your preparation for rehearsing and
directing the jazz ensemble? (Select all which apply)
o Score study
o Listening to recordings
o Professional development
o Other (please specify) ______________________

6. In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how often do you emphasize fundamentals such as
posture, breathing, and basic musicianship?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

7. In jazz ensemble rehearsals, do you address jazz-specific techniques such as
articulation, rhythms, style, interaction, and phrasing?
o Yes
o No

8. How often do you provide positive feedback in jazz ensemble rehearsals?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

9. How often do you include improvisation instruction in jazz ensemble rehearsals?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

10. Do you encourage students to memorize chord changes?
o No
o Yes, I encourage it
o Yes, I require it

11. How often do you include guided listening exercises in jazz ensemble rehearsals?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

68

12. Do you use any pedagogical materials or aids in jazz ensemble rehearsals (such as
play-along recordings, theory books, repertoire collection books, prescribed
pedagogical method/book series, etc.)?
o Yes
o No

13. Do you require sectional rehearsals outside of the full jazz ensemble rehearsals?
o No
o Yes, and I conduct the sectional rehearsals
o Yes, and the students conduct the sectional rehearsals

14. How often do you address instrument-specific issues in the jazz ensemble
rehearsal? (ex. Appropriate application of a scoop or bend in playing jazz
saxophone in an ensemble)
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

15. Do you provide additional opportunities for instruction outside of jazz ensemble
rehearsal? (i.e. after school extra help, lessons)
o No
o Yes

16. In jazz ensemble rehearsals, how often do you address rhythm section roles when
accompanying a soloist?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

17. How often do you self-reflect upon your own jazz pedagogy?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o After every rehearsal

18. How often do you record (audio or visual) rehearsals for self-evaluation?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often
o Every rehearsal

69

19. Do you participate in professional development opportunities in the area of jazz
pedagogy?
o No
o Yes, I participate
o Yes, I lead such professional development sessions

20. How often do you bring in guest conductors/directors to jazz ensemble
rehearsals?
o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

21. Would you be willing to complete an interview for this study?
o Yes
o No

22. If yes, how would you prefer to be interviewed?
o Email
o Phone
o Skype
o I do not wish to be interviewed

23. Are you willing to have a rehearsal of the jazz ensemble observed for this study?
o Yes
o No

24. If yes, which of the following options would be possible? *Please note that any
video recorded would be help strictly confidential and would only be viewed by
the researcher for the purposes of recording observations for the study. Afterward
all video content will be destroyed or deleted. That being said, it is understood
that some students may have paperwork which prevents them from having
pictures or video taken of them. If requested a letter can be provided for parents or
school administration. Also, you must be able to supply your own technology
equipment for the purpose of either using Skype of taking a video. (Select all
which are possible)
o Skype
o Recorded video
o I do not wish to have a rehearsal observed

25. For future communication, how would you prefer to be contacted? [Select one
contact method, then please type in the text box the appropriate email or phone
number]
o Email
o School phone
o Cell phone
o Type email/phone number here: _________________________
70

APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Briefly explain your background with regards to involvement with jazz, as a
student, performer, and teacher.
2. Are you an active performer (in any music genre) in addition to teaching full-
time?
3. Describe the typical structure of a jazz ensemble rehearsal.
4. How do you assess student learning and progress within the jazz ensemble
setting?
5. Which pedagogical methods do you think that you use most often?
6. Are there any rehearsal techniques you have taken away from your experiences in
the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City? If so,
what are they?
7. Do you ever have your ensemble(s) participate in the annual Essentially Ellington
program? If so, how do you integrate that into your other goals for the ensemble
throughout the academic year?
8. How important is peer mentoring in your jazz ensemble?
9. Approximately how many performances does the jazz ensemble give each year?
Are there any performances/gigs outside of the school setting?
10. Describe your teaching personality with three adjectives.
11. What experiences or people in your life contributed to your choice of pedagogical
techniques and/or teaching philosophy?
12. You responded in your survey that you encourage students to memorize chord
changes for improvising; what techniques do you use to facilitate this process for
the students?
OR
You responded in your survey that you require students to memorize chord
the students?
13. Which pedagogical materials/aids/tools do you use?
OR
Is there any particular reason you choose not to use pedagogical
materials/aids/tools with the jazz ensemble?
14. Is there anything else you would like to add regarding your personal jazz
pedagogy for the purposes of this study?

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APPENDIX C
INTERVIEWS
Interview with Band Director #1 (BD 1)
Method of interview: Phone, January 8, 2013

Interviewer: Kaitlyn Fay
Participant: BD 1

I: The first question I have for you is, if you could, um, please briefly explain your
background with regard to involvement with jazz as a student, performer, and a teacher.

P: Okay, um, well, um, as a student, my first experience with jazz was at the ninth grade
level. Um, and I kind of laugh about it because I remembered the first tune that we played
was that famous jazz tune The Ink is Black, The Page is White from Three Dog Night,
and so it was, uh, it was a rock tune [laughter]. And, uh, so we didnt have a lot going on
in terms of jazz at theat the junior high level. And then at the high school level then we
did have a big band in the school. Um, the school that I was at was, uh, you know,
[inaudible] um, and, you know, we did, um, do a variety ofof different jazz things, and
we did, um, it was ait was an in-school, uh, jazz program that met every-other day and
we would go to a few festivals and have maybe a couple concerts a year. Um,

I: And did you continue this throughout your involvement in high school and college?

P: I didI did stay, yeah, uh, I wasIve always been sort of in a big band, uh,
throughout high school and college, yes. Um, and so, um, inin our school district, in
order to be in jazz band you have to be in likein the band program itself; so, of course,
I was in concert band and marching, and pep and all of that, but the jazz band waswas
part of it. Um, and then, uh, yeah, into college, um, I was a music education major, um,
and jazz was alwaysalmost every semester was, uh, a group that I was in. Um, I never
was inin kind of awe really didnt have a lot of opportunity for like, um, uh, other
jazz-type classes, whether it would be like jazz improv or jazz pedagogy or, uh, jazz, um,
history. Um, anything that I picked up about jazz was eithereither in those jazz
ensembles or things that I, uh, found on my own, or, you know, maybe other people who
I knew, uh, maybe would show me, uh, you know, a record or a book or wed talk about
it, you know, um; and, uh, so a lot of thea lot of the rest of the educational background
of that was pretty informal. I mean, also, my dad had an old [inaudible] time band, um,
that, you know, he playedthey played polka and waltzes but they also played what he
called standards and foxtrots, and those are things like older jazz tunes like, um, Five
Foot Two or Saints Go Marching In, you know, those kinds of things that were
Dixieland or maybe just a little bit, you know, beyond Dixieland; um, and so I had some
experience playing in mymy dads small band. He was a blue collar worker but he had
abut he had a band on the side, so So that was sort of the extent of my, um,
education as far as jazz goes.

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I: Um, okay, are you still performing jazz today?

P: Yeah, um, oh, um, Im getting a beep here but thats because a friend of mines trying
to let me know that hes at the door, I thinkum, so Im just gonna go get the doorIm
actually on the other line so Im gonna keep going here. Um, so

I: And actually Ill just rephrase question cause that does lead itthemy second
question that I wanted to ask you is: are you an active performer in any music genre in
addition to teaching full-time?

P: Yeah, um, II mean I play, um, in churches pretty regularly, um, I was just hired last
weekend to play, um, for, um, a service. I alsowell I have been a regular player at the
church that I attended. Um, and then, um, I have aa big band that plays sporadically
sometimes we get real busy and sometimes we have stretches where we dont. Uh, and
then I also conduct, um, the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra, so Im not a player in that,
but ImI conduct it.

I: What is your instrument?

P: My instruments trumpet.

I: Okay.

P: Yeah.

I: Alright. You keep busy, thats for sure.

P: Yeah, thats for sure. [Inaudible] Uh, hang on just a second, please.

I: Sure.

[Pause]

P: Yeah, actually, this is, a person from the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra, uh, the
CVJO is the acronym for it, and hes actually here picking up some tunes, um, from, uh,
from me for our concert that weve got coming up, uh, in just a little while, so [inaudible]
you have to make copies [inaudible, then speaking to someone else for a few moments].
Okay, sorry.

I: Its alright.

P: ImIm back.

I: Alright, my next question is, um, if you could describe the typical structure of a jazz
ensemble rehearsal in your school.

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P: Okay. Um, yeah, um [Inaudible briefly talking to someone aside] I mean, it can
vary, sobut I understand what youre saying, uh, the students, you know, come in, get
their instruments out. I usually encourage the rhythm section to start by playing a blues,
um, and, um, then theyand then, as the horn players come in, then they sit down and
have to try to figure out the key thatthatthat the blues is in; and then the saxes will
kind of play a riff that will fit with that and then the brass will do the same thing. And
then they can start to solo over that as a way to warm up. Um, II havent been doing
that just recently but weveweve beenweve been doing that forfor a good chunk
of the year, um, as a way to sort of start out, um, which iswhich is a lot different than,
you know, what I would do inin a concert setting, [Chuckle] you know? Um, so, it
thatit sort of allows for, uh, people to kind of come in and get situated, you know, but
also kind of get going so they canthey can jump in and take part in whats going on.
Um, and, uh, so II based that on a, um, something that I watched, um, at the jazz camp
that I taught at this summer, the Birch Creek Jazz Camp, over in Door County, which is a
really renowned jazz camp I was really honored to be asked to do that, its, um, yeah.
Just to give you a couple of ideas of, like, whos actually plawho actually, like, um,
teaches at that camp thethethe guy who runs it is the bass instructor, his names Jeff
Campbell, whos the bass instructor at the Eastman School of Music. And, um, the
drummer that teaches [inaudible] any of the drummers who are thereits a fairly
limited, um, camp, too, theres basically, um, thethe ratio is about two students to one
teacher, its a really, really rarefied well, anyway the drummer is Dennis Mackrel, who
iswho leads the Count Basie band now these days.

I: Oh, wow.

P: Um, so, yeah, so, a very high level ofof expertise andand musicianship, and, uh,
so II noticed, um, Jeff andand Dennis finishtheythey finish most of their
concerts by doing thatby doing that kind of pattern of, like, itthe rhythm section
would pick a key and then the saxes would start and then the trombones and trumpets
come in; and I thought, you know, thatd be kind of a neat way to start a rehearsal.

I: Yeah.

P: Um, so Ive been doing that this year. So, um, so, I started doing that, um, and then
typically, then after that gets going and theyve played a little bit I will come over and
end the tune, and, um, then, uh, have them actuallythey should be basically trying to
tune as theyre going, but we do sort of an official tuning then at that point. And, uh, and
then announcements for whatever happens to be going on; tomorrow we have a
performance of a talent show at the school here, and Im encouraging the kids to be in the
honors jazz orchestra opportunity that theactually the Chippewa Valley Jazz
Orchestras putting on, so my jobs sort of cross over a little bit. Um, and so thatsthose
are the announcements for today, and thenand then into the rehearsal part it. Um, and
often timesand this is pretty informal, in terms of, like, the structure of itum, but,
um, I will talk about, you know, the form of the tune, um, the history of the tune, you
know, something about the composer - as were learning about it, you know? Um, so,
depending on the rehearsal, um, I dont want to just teach notes and rhythms, I want them
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to really, you know, know some sort of background ofof what theyre doing and the
and the form and structure of it as well. So thatthat will be folded into the normal
rehearsal. Uh, and then, uh, another thing that I do quite a bit, actually, is I use metaphors
and analogies quite a bit. Um, thatsoto tell you the one that I can think of that I used
todayand they usually are, again, fairly spontaneous, [laughter] um, Im not usually,
like, thinking, and then Ill use this analogy you know, they just sort of come up. So
today, um, my number one drum set player was sick so my freshman, uh, drum set player
had to play some of the stuff that he wasnt used to playing. And were doing this tune,
um, Feeling Good, [singing] birds in the sky, you know how I feel you know that
tune?

I: Yes.
P: [singing] And Im feeling good. Uh, so, and gets to this really bluesyit starts off real
soft and everything and then it gets to this really heavy [singing instrumental line] dom,
duh dom, duh dom, duh dom doo dom, you know, its reallyreally supposed to crank.
And so mymy freshman drummer, you know, played the beginning of the tune, played
delicately and nicely, and then when we got to the big, heavy part of the tune he was still
playing delicately and nicely [laughter]. So my analogy to him was, Im like, um, the
metaphor was that You know, you have to realize that you need to support thethe
band in whatever its doing. And its like, in the beginning, they were just like a little tiny
bridge over a brook and you were sort of the little log sticks underneath that bridge; and
now weve gone down the road and now were to a super highway bridge and they are
very heavy concrete and you are still those tiny little logs underneath there and its just
gonna collapse. [laughter] So, you know, and I know it would just be easier for me to
say, you know, Jackson, you need to play louder, but I feel like word pictures like that,
I think, can really bring something to life and make them, you know, realize something
more than just, you know, more than say, Play louder here, play softer there, well,
why? Why am I playing louder here, why am I, you know? Soso I think I helped him
to realize what that was. Andand I try to do it relatively light-heartedly and not yelling
at him, you know, um, Im justyou knowand sometimes thethe analogies can be a
little weird or whatever. So, like, for example, this one, Im like, so this would be really
bad if this is what really happened because then the bridge would completely collapse
into the river, I thoughtand I thought, you know, actually, not too manycoupa
couple years ago in Minneapolis, not too far from here, I-35 collapsed into the river
[laughter].

I: Oh, wow.

P: Um, yeah, it was a majorit was on NBC news, [inaudible] you know, and
fortunately not a lot of people werewere hurt, but, um, butand, so, anyway its been
long enough where it wasnt, like, you know, fresh in anybodys mind [inaudible] have
to have been like, Yeah, like I-35! You do not want to be like I-35! You know?
[laughter] So they started laughing about that, and, um, you know, and so, uh, I think that
thats something thats a pretty regular part of my rehearsal is to try totry to do, um,
bring in somesome different kinds of ways of looking at things. Um, so, yeah, so
typically we would often times work on more than one tune however, today we only
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worked on one tune because its the tune that were playing for this talent show
tomorrow. I just felt like, although wed played it in the past, that we needed toto
tweak some things and we ended up spending the entire hour on that tune. Um, but, you
know, in ain aa normal rehearsal itd maybe be two or three tunes. Um, if they had
not seen the form yet, uh, we would talk about the form and what scales, uh, and chords
would be involved in that in improv. Um, and if we needed to work on improv, uh, I
would typically have like a sheet that would have chords and scales on them, or give the
kids a blank piece of paper and make them work through what it is, you know, with my
with my guidance, but, uh, with them writing down. You know, like, I might say,
Alright, this is a B-flat blues, and so everybody, um, you know, write downlets do
lets see if you can dookay, first [inaudible] depending on how advanced they happen
to be at that partiat that point in time, or for that year, um, I would expect that they
would know concert pitch to be able to figure out their own concert pitch, and see if
they could write that note down. Then I might usein a blues scale I might say, Okay,
well, okay, so, your bottom note is the B-flat concert pitch, and youre gonna flat the
third and youre gonna go to that note. See if you can write that down. So I might
challenge them to do that, too, so that I dont do all the work and they dont do any
thinking, um, but, in fact, that they do have to, like, try to work it out. And so, uh, so
yeah, thatthat would be essentially the rehearsal.

I: Okay, great. Um, how do you assess student learning and progress within the jazz
ensemble setting?

P: I do it on the fly, um, Ill break things down, um, II will be honest with you, and I
rarely test, um, in my entire career in jazz. I meanI sort of feel like I have to have
playing tests in the concert setting; but II rarely do any formal, like written, or even
listeningplaying tests. II partly feel its because its, um, the groups an ensemble,
its small enough thing where I can really hear everybody, or if caif I cant I can just
go down the line and go, Okay, let me just hear the trumpets. Let me hear the fourth
trumpet play that part. Okay, now let me hear the third trumpet. Okay, yeah, youre
articulating a little too heavily you need to back your tongue off a little bit or put more
air in, and you can do that again. Yep, yep, there you go, thats the idea. Keep working on
that. So, its aits thisanan informal, uh, on-the-fly assessment where I might
break it down into smaller sections or even individuals that I might ask to play parts.

I: Okay. Um, you mentioned the analogiesor that you like to use analogies often in the
lessons; um, whichehand related to thatwhich pedagogical methods or techniques
do you think you use most often?

P: Yeah. I mean, um, definitely thats one. You know, and just, you know, talking and
telling stories, you know, or givinggiving real background about, you know, a tune, if I
know an interesting story about it toto bring the music to life. And then were
talkingwe talk quite a bit about not just playing the notes on the page but really, um,
trying to really speak the music andand finding the heart and soul of it. Um, another
thing that Ill do quite a bit is I will play my trumpet, um, andandand play for them.
I can transpose, um, any key, so I can play an alto part and read that along with them, or a
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trombone part. Im not, um, envious of people who can do this, but Im not a good
saxophone player or trombone player or, you know, other rhythm sectionbut, I mean, I
play some piano, um, so between piano and trumpet those would be the two ways I would
demonstrate to my band. Um, and, uh, that, as well as using recordings. Um, Im a big
believer in listening to, uh, the original recordings especially, if we can find those. Um,
and, uh, encouraging kids to do sectionals, thats howthats really inside the class
thats really quite [inaudible]. I do feel like a big, uh, approach that I use is, um, to mo
to motivateyou know, finding ways to motivate my students. You know, tofor
example, um, if something is seeming like its a long ways away Ill try to find a way to
make it seem like its a lot closer. Like, uh, you know, like, okay maybe its a month
away but for us that, you know, maybe that means, um, you know, um, 12 rehearsals.
You know, um, you know, and then when you break it down weve got other things
going on, you know, maybemaybe we only can get to dedicate toward that
performance, we maybe only have half of those rehearsals or whatever. So, Weguys,
weve got to get this done in the next half-dozen rehearsals and I really need for you to
have all the notes and rhythms by the next rehearsal so that we can get on to nuance
andandand so forth. So Ill break it down into, you know, uh, break the time chunks
down into smaller time chunks to make the, uh, sense of urgency, um, rise, you know?
So, yeah.

I: Okay. Are there any rehearsal techniques that youve taken away from your
experiences in the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City,
and, if so, what are they?

P: Uh, Ive learned so much fromfrom Jazz at Lincoln Center and Essentially
Ellington. Um, its hard to, likeyou completely know it now by this point because Ive
been, you know, Ive been there, uh, over about 15 years of time, you know, eight
different times and Iand so, uh, butso I know that the impact has been there. Um,
you know, uh, one thing thatand this is aa subtle thing, but its something that I
noticed thatthat Wynton Marsalis does is he often refers to, um, sections, uh, or his
band, uh, not by saying, um, Okay, trombones, you need to do this, oror whatever,
but hell say more like, We need to, uh, get the dynamics, you know, uh, better. We
we, uh, ororouror our articulationour articulation, um, is a little too heavy right
there. You know, heshes got a real inclusive kind of, uh, approach. You know, my
trumpets, rather than you trumpets, you know. Uh, my trumpets really need to play out a
little bit more here, you know, so, um, so, I think that thatsthats something I picked
up fromfrom him. Um, Ium, one of the things that, in the final round of Essentially
Ellington, um, that we get to do is we get to watch Wynton rehearse with his Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra. And, um, I noticed how, even at this level, he encouraged
people to provide input, you know, he would, um, certain members of the bandthe bass
player, very good, of course, at time-keeping, and he would actually ask the bass player,
Was my tempo a little bit fast on that? Inin his open rehearsal talks, you know, we
would get to see that, and Id be like, Wow! Wynton Marsalis is asking the bass player
if his tempo is okay. You know? Uh, andandand I thought, Wow, thatsWynton
canyou know, hes still checking on that kind of stuff, you know, at his level, um, it
sort of gives us band directors permission to, you know, include, you know, members
77

but of course, its a little bit different its like, hes here with pros, and youre with high
school kids, but I think theres a message there, dont you? Thatthat, you know, you
know, you may have someoneandand Iin fact I have done that, I mean, and it just
made me feel better about it because II can remember a piano player, Josh Gallagher,
who just had a phenomenal ear. So, you know, when he was in the band, back in the, uh,
late 90s/early 2000s, um, in fact, some of the first Essentially Ellington bands thatthat
made it, in fact, he was in the first one. Uh, you know, Id just stop the band and go,
Josh, you know, what do you think? Are youare you hearing anything weird? So, you
know, does it sound like its, you know, good? Andand hedhe didnt communicate
verbally too well, he was a phenomenal player, but hehehe just was so quiet. And so
Id have to kind of wait and see if his right eyebrow raised [laughter], yeah. He was like,
yeah, I was like, Oh, okay, we need to go back and listen to that again. Okay. [laughter]
You know, so, um, you know, so I think the idea of listening, you know, toyou know,
and involving your players andandand all of that. Those are fairly subtle things. Um,
um, yeah, the idea ofof listening, certainly, um, has been reinforced because, of course,
Essentially Ellington sends those recordings, you know, and, um, you know, Jazz at
Lincoln Center sends us recordings of the Ellington tunes, and so thats been aa great,
you know, thing, too. And then just the way they runsome of the sectional ideas, um,
too, um, um, have beenhave been good to pick up on. Im trying to think if I can tell
you specifically, um, but just the idea, that, yeah, that sectionals are gooda good thing.
I believe in sectionals. Um, so I dont know, I guess thats maybe what I can think of off
the top of my head.

I: Okay. Great. Do you ever have your ensembles participate in the annual Essentially
Ellington program, um, in additionin addition to the competition, and if so, how do
you integrate that into your other goals for the ensemble throughout the academic year?

P: Um, so give me an example of howhowwhat else I would do.

I: Well, thethere is the program that, I guesswhere theymy understanding of it is
that they, um, make these arrangements available to you andand they have other tips
for teachers and things through, um, the free, uh, public program. Um, and because they
provide those arrangements my question is how does that fit into you, you know, keeping
a broad spectrum of music for your ensemble?

P: Okay, um, let me see if Im understanding your question on that. Um, youre
wondering if Ido I use any of the other materials that they provide and then how does it
fit into my overall spectrum of what I teach.

I: Right. Right.

P: Okay, well, the thingyeah. First of all, when they send those materials out, not only
are they great arrangements and transcriptions, but if youve seen them you know that
they have all kinds of tips and, uh, suggestions for watching out for things, like, you
know, Intonation will be a challenge here because everyone is in unison, or, Watch
out, you know, anana typical band will rush in this section, or, Make sure that the
78

clarinet, you know, plays the lead part out here over the saxophone part. You know, so
theres just lots of great advice in there, um, from Wynton and also from the transcriber,
from David Berger often times. And so definitely thatthatthose, um, things as well as
the recordings that we get, uh, as well as, now, the new thing, uh, where they have these
recordings where you can break down and you can hear the individual players, um, play.
I dont know if anybodys talked to you about that. Its a new piece of software that
allows you to hear each individual Jazz at Lincoln Center player play their part with the
band.

I: Wow.

P: Yeah, its phenomenal.

I: And thats free?

P: Thats free also.

I: Wow.

P: Yeah. Um, and so everyand itsits only available now for this years, uh,
materials. Im assuming theyll do it every year because it takes a special recording
they have to do it with a microphone on every person and then you just click on the
person on the video and it will take you right into theirtheir sound. You can mute
everybody else out, or you canor you can mute that part out, if you want to play your
part and not hear the part there. Its justits sort of like, you knowdo you knoware
you familiar with Jamey Aebersold records?

I: Yes.

P: Yeah. So this is like that on steroids. You know, its just crazy. Soso thats
available. And youre asking me how this all fits into like, you know, the overall
spectrum of what I do. I mean, really, Ellingtonthe music, uh, thatI think Duke
Ellingtons music that hes written for the big band is some of, um, the best and the best,
um, music ever written forfor big band. And so for my students to learn, um, about jazz
throughthrough this music, um, is a big boost for them because the way I set the year
this year, I really have a rebuilding band this year. Its really aa young band. We
graduated a lot of really strong players last year. Um, so I started with actually a lot of
Basie tunes. You know, Basie tunes because the blues andand the riff tunes that Basie
has just make, really, a lot of sense. And then to go from there to Ellington, I think, is a
prettypretty natural step. Um, and then from there well probably, this next quarter,
well start to probably do just like a little bit more modern, um, jazz, a little bit more
like theres this very cool arrangement of, uh, Higher Ground, Stevie Wonders
Higher Ground. Um, and, um, so well probably do some shuffles and some rock tunes,
but wellbut well certainly also not go completely away from, you know,
mainstreammainstream jazz. Um, okay, but yeah.

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I: Okay. And just to let you know, um, this is the half-way point. I have seven more
questions, and I dont know how much time you have. Um, I only have about 20 more
minutes, so, um

P: Yeah, Ill try to shorten my answers up.

I: [laughter] Okay. Your answers are wonderful, but I just wanted to let you know.

P: Yep.

I: Um, how important is peer mentoring in your jazz ensemble?

P: Peer mentoringUm, oh thatsthats really big because when we go to do
sectionals, I do student-run sectionals, and so I expect my advanced players to help teach,
you know, the younger players. Um, certainly, thats, uh, yeah.

I: Okay. Um, approximately how many performances does the, uh, the Ellington
ensemble, or the one that, you know, you usually send the recording in for how many
performances does that ensemble give each year, and are any of them outside the school
setting?

P: Um, yeah. Um, okay, um, typically we would doyou know, it varies, depending on
the ability level of the band a little bit. Um, if theyreif they need more time to get
ready, or they have, you know, theyre just not as advanced, I might not do quite asas
much performing with them just because we need to be in the classroom, you know, in
the rehearsal room working. And so this year is a good example of that compared to last
year. Last year we went to, um, four festivals, and this year wellwell only go to two
festivals. Butbut theyllbut I meanbut then we also do some other things, though,
too. Um, so every year, on average, I would say [chuckle] its hard tohard to nail
down, but I would have to say it has to be, when you figure out the concerts and gigs
andandand a dance or two that we play, and festivals, thats probably between 10
and 15 a year.

I: Wow. Thats great.

P: Yeah.

I: And you saidso some of those

P: And then outsideoutside of theyou were actually going to say outside the school
setting, yeah, definitely. I mean, wellwe do a big band, uh, dance near the end of the
year at the Heidi Center. We did a, um, a thing called the big band monster bash in town
here as a benefit for the childrens theater. Werewere going to the Chicago New Trier
Jazz Fest inin February. Well also be going to UW Eau Claire Jazz Festival in April.

I: Wow.
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P: Um, and so, yeah, so we definitely get out there.

I: Thats great. Um, uh, describe your teaching personality in three adjectives.

P: Okay, um, well Id say high-energy if I can use that as one.

I: Thats good.

P: Um, uh, yeah, very high-energy. Um, I like it to be exciting, and I dont know if those
are two completely and very different things, uh, but, um [pause] I would say
[inaudible] I tend to think of myself as being high-energy, uh, intense, and hopefully fun,
and, you know, informative. Those would be some right there, so, hopefully

I: Okay. Thats great. Uh, what experiences or people in your life contributed to your
choice of pedagogical techniques and/or teaching philosophy?

P: Well, I would definitely say, you know, Wynton Marsalis definitely has had an impact
on me because, um, in just watching what he has done andand, uh, seeing how he
operates with his, you know, with, um, with his musicians. So thatthats definitely
oneI mean, oddly enough, sort of in a reverse way, I had someI had a very old-
school, um, uh, college instructor who would say things like, Heads will roll, blood will
be spilled, [laughter] you know, and be like rereally pretty harsh. And the thing is, I
mean Im still intense but I try to do it in a positive way. Um, you know, at the same time
if somethings not happening quite the way it needs to, there might be little shades of that
in there somewhere [laughter], like, Guys, this really needs to happen, so if were gonna
get this done youve got to get going, you know [chuckle], and so, um, I just try to say it
in a little bit more positive way. But I mean, II certainly think that my college and high
school band directors had an impact on me, um, you know, too, and, um, that would
probably be like the, uh, the topthe top ones.
I: Okay. Uh, you responded in your survey that you encourage students to memorize
chord changes for improvising. What techniques do you use to facilitate this process for
the students?

P: Um, you know, II will often times, if the chords are not in everybodys parts, I will
often times write the chords out for everybody so they all have them. So they can
theyll have those, you know, things in front of them. And then often times, too, then
wellwell have recordings of the tunes so they can play along with them and I can just
ask them to play the chordthethe roots as the progression goes by and then maybe
one-two-three or one-three-five, one-two-three-five, um, as theas the progressions go
by. And, um, and I think those are probably my main things that I do.

I: Okay. Um, which pedagogical materials, aids, or tools do you use? Uh, you did
mention those Ellington recordings where you can single out, um, separate parts
anything else like that?

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P: Um, well, certainly justyou know, thelistening totheretheres sometimes
where Ill actually have the students, um, uh, tizzle along with the recording.

I: Oh, good.

P: Um, um, where theyrewhere theyre fingering along and articulating
[demonstrating tizzle articulation], you know that kind of thing?

I: Yes.

P: Which still allows them to hear the recording but also be able to, you know, see how
theyre doing with it, you know.

I: Um, but do you use any published materials?

P: Um, you know, what thing that Ive done is, um, Jamey Aebersold has a jazz
handbook thats free.

I: Yes, Im familiar with that.

P: Uh, andand IveIve order thosecause you can get however many of those you
wantIll order likeyou know, when I was at Memorial I had, you know, over a
hundred kids in the jazz program there, and so I would just order a box of a hundred jazz
handbooks, you know? Ive also used a number of different books for piano voicings.
Um, you know, um, I dont think I could tell you off the top of my head what the names
of them are [laughter], um, but yeah, differentdifferent, uh, piano jazz voicings. Um, I
also do like to useIve used Approaching the Standards, which is sort of a Jamey
Aebersold, uh, book.

I: Okay.

P: Um, sohang on just a second. [Pause] Okay, um, I have a new phone and so Im just
figuring out how this is working. Um, but yeah, um, Im trying to think what else

I: Well that all sounds great.

P: I have purI have had the bands purchase Real Books before.

I: Okay.

P: Um, and, um, yeah nowadays I sort of have them more the combo, you know, kids
who are like a little more into it get those, and the kids who are, you know, just sort of in
the sections that are, you know, not as advanced Ill haveI might have them get like
the Approaching the Standards book and not get a whole Real Book for them, so

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I: Okay. And last question: is there anything else youd like to add regarding your
personal jazz pedagogy for the purposes of this study?

P: Um, thats a good open-ended question. Uh, you know, I mean, II do feel like
making recordings of your band, um, and then playing them back to the students, and
then comparing those recordings to the original recordings of, uh, the propro
recordings, um, can be really great. And one suggestion that I have for people, because I
think when people think of recordings they think, Oh yeah, microphones and wires and
you have to have, you know, all this I really like those H2-Zoom hand-held recorders,
and theyre like, you can get them for less than 200 bucks, and its just a, you know, hit
the button and record, and then you can run a little patch chord into your stereo and have
everybody listen to that and you can actually make mp3s out of it and you can put them
on your computer so then you can send it home to the kids [inaudible]. I mean, at the very
least, you can make a recording and play it back for the students so they can hear how
theyre doing. I think thats a really important thing. I also think that getting kids out to
hear live jazz, uh, is really important, um, yeah, so thats why I like playing at festivals
one of the reasons I like going to festivals is, you know, so kids can hear, you know, live
jazz musicians. So a couple thoughts

I: Thats really great. Well, this has been a wonderful interview, and, um, Im excited to
transcribe it.


Participant: BD 2

I: Briefly explain your background with regard to involvement with jazz as a student,
performer, and teacher.

P: Alright, um, I have been, uh, involved in jazz since, uh, really since starting to play
saxophone when I was eleven. So thats thirty years. And, um, I grew up in New York
City, um, and moved to, uh, California a little over twentyaround twenty-one years
ago. And I have been playing jazz ever since. Uh, growing up in New York, basically
ImIm a saxophone player, and, um, I got to study with some very, very good players,
of course because it was New York and, um, and got to play inin a number of things.
Um, uh, starting in thesort of the first opportunity was in the New York City All-City
High School Jazz Band for a couple years under Justin [inaudible], which was a great
experience in fact, it was kind of himwatching him work made me want to do this
because hesI dont know if you know Justin [inaudible], but heshes just a genius
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[laughter] at teaching, hes really wonderful. Um, and, uh, anyway, I started playing gigs
when I was in high school and, uh, moved out to California, um, after a little bit of time
at the New School jazz program in New York, and, um, started playing and teaching
professionally here. Um, and, uhseventeen years ago, uh, I did my student teaching
here at Rio Americano, and, uh, and then got a job in the district and then fifteen years
ago I started teaching at Rio and Ive been here, uh, ever since and still play in a
number of bands, uh, including the Sacramento Jazz Orchestra, which is kind of a
repertory big band here in Sacramento. And I do some judging and clinician work when
time allows, but, uh, thats pretty much it.

I: Okay. Are you an active performer in any music genre in addition to teaching full-
time?

P: Ah, yes, I still play, um, like I said, in a couple bands and, uh, I work in big band and
small group jazz, and also rock-and-roll and R&B.

I: Describe the typical structure of a jazz ensemble rehearsal.

P: Umnotthere isnt a typical structure. We alsowe have four levels of jazz band at
our school.

I: Then, in that case, the question is directed more toward the group that you would, uh,
have gone to Essentially Ellington with.

P: Okay, um, again the answer there is: there isnt a typical structure, because it really
depends on what time of year and what it is were working on. Um, the top band has
already gone throughall the kids in there, they cant start in that band they have to go
through one of the lower levels before they can make the top band, um, so theyve gotten
all of the boot camp, uh, theory stuff and all that. So they already have all that knowledge
and information, um, so we really dont have to build on that. So, most of the time in the
top band, were dealing with, um, conceptual things and picking tunes and sight-reading,
and rehearsing tunes. So the structure, basically, is start early we start at 6:50 in the
morning and just work on putting things together and try to get the repertoire as wide
and, uh, large as possible.

I: Okay. How do you assess student learning and progress within the jazz ensemble
setting?

P: Um, and, again are we talking specifically about the top band?

I: Yes.

P: Cause its very different in the other bands. Um, well, itsI mean, generally, the
assess is that you hear them play, [laughter] you hear them play every day. So, you
know, I mean, theres not any testing or anything like that, we dontI dont look at it
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from an academic perspective; really, Im looking at it musically, so I assess by listening
and we discuss and talk and try to get better as a group.

I: Okay. Which pedagogical methods do you think you use most often? Some other
directors have said things like singing parts out loud or moving to the music or self-
evaluation; any of the above, anything in that nature.

P: Yeah. I mean, Im not sure what you consider a pedagogical method, because thats
just not terminology that I use; but, um, yeahI mean, wewe dowell, sectionals are
done out of class, on their own time. Um, and, uh, there is a lot of singing and theres a
lot of, um, yeah, movement and all that. But, again thatswell, singing is done,
certainly, at the highest level, but most of the things that you would consider, I guess,
pedagogical methods are done at the lower levels.

I: Maybe, to clarify, I should say that these methods will generally be teacher-directed for
the purpose of clarifying jazz concepts or helping them reach that next level of
performance. So, sectionals dont really fall under that category because those are
student-run.

P: Right. Yeah, you know, I mean, its tough to give you really specific answers here
because of the way our program is structured that its so graded from one band to the next
and the next and the next. Um, and, uh, I mean, in there, like I said, its mainly a
collective experience in the top group.

I: Okay.

P: As much as possible, at least.

I: Okay. Are there and rehearsal techniques youve taken away from your experiences at
Essentially Ellington?

P: Um, well II attended their Band Director Academy, um, about six or seven years
ago, and that was great. But, yeah, just being around the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
and being around Wynton and all those people, um, hadI mean, I wouldnt say specific
techniques so much as just the general attitude kind of try to take on their attitude and,
uhthe attitude of expecting excellence and kind of not accepting anything less. But
there areif were gonna get specific, there are rhythm section techniques and just things
that I learned about playing bass or playing guitar or drums, cause, as a saxophone
player, those are things that, obviously, I had to really work at to understand or have a
basic understanding of how towhatthe roles of those instruments in the band.

I: Okay. How do you integrate the Essentially Ellington music and arrangements into
your other goals for the ensemble throughout the year?

P: Um, well they actually are the perfect teaching tools. So, uh, theyrewe use them
quite a bit. We play them the new charts and we pick old ones as well, and through all
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four levels of our bands were playing Essentially Ellington repertoire. Um, and, uh, I
mean, we use themwe do dances, we, um, we do concerts and festivals and
competitions and things like that; and we will use them, um, really at any time. And
theyre justtheyre kind of the essence of jazz [laughter], so you can teach so many
things by using those basically as your curriculum.

I: Great. How important is peer mentoring in your jazz ensemble?

P: Uh, its big, because we have our older kids who ideally, um, become mentors to the
younger kidsespecially, you know, the kids with thosewith that particular skill set.
Um, and, uh, and, yeah, they sometimes give them lessons they may coach younger
combos and just generally encourage the younger kids quite a bit. So its actuallythat is
a huge thing in our program.

I: Okay. Approximately how many performances does the top jazz ensemble give each
year and are any of these performances given outside the school setting?

P: Um, most of them are outside the school setting. Um, 80% I would say. And we
probablythe top band does between ten and twenty a year.

I: Okay. Describe your teaching personality with three adjectives.

P: [Laughter] Uhwell, Ill try to thinktoday was a weird day, so Ill try to think back
to a different day. Um, with three adjectives; um, I try to be encouraging, um, passionate,
and inspiring. Thats what I try to do.

I: Nice. What experiences or people in your life contributed to your choice of
pedagogical techniques and/or teaching philosophy?

P: [Laughter] Um, well I workedIve been here for fifteen years and the first nine years
I was here I was working alongside, um, another teacher, Greg Faniani, uh, F-a-n-i-a-n-i,
and, um, he waswell, and still isan absolutely wonderful master teacher, and he
hes the one who first got us infirst got the band into the Essentially Ellington festival
the first three times we went. And, um, and he was my mentor, and he was a very, very
orhe is a very inspiring teacher and so I aspired to be like him in many ways.

I: Okay. You responded in your survey that you require students to memorize chord
changes for improvising. What techniques do you use to facilitate this process for the
students?

P: Well, um, again its very different at the different levels thats reallywhen theyre
in the top band they already have the skills to do that, so thats not really an issue in the
top band.

I: Okay, then as they progress through the levels of jazz ensembles?

86

P: Um, well, we do a lot of theory in the lower levels. A lot of theory and a lot of ear
training in the lower levels of jazz band as well as in concert bands. Um, so they can start
to have an idea of what it is thats going on when chords are happening they can
understand what the symbols mean and, of course, what the different sounds of the, uh, of
the kinds of chords and intervals. Uh, so they can underthey can hear them and they
can understand how their built, um, then they can memorize them much more easily. But,
actually, you know, probably the most important thing that we do with the new kids to
the program is we spend a couple weeks just talking about form just talking about form
and getting them to hear what a blues sounds like, um, at various tempi, getting them to
hear what an AABA and an AABC form sound like, um, and then well listen to, um, to
various, uh, recordings, and then they have to identify the form of the recording,
including pop forms as well. Uh, thatsso if they understand the form, if they can spell
chords and they can hear the difference between chords, then memorizing changes is not
that difficult.

I: Great. Which pedagogical materials, aids or tools do you use such as published
materials like the Aebersold books?

P: Um, well at the upper level, again, were using charts as our vehicle to, um, to
expressfor the kids to express themselves and the kids write their own charts as well,
sometimes. Um, but at the lower levels werewe actually have created our own text,
because we found that there was nothing that really does what we want [laughter]. So

I: Is it published?

P: No, its not published. Because itsyou know, drawing from sources that we would
have to pay for [laughter]; so, no, its an in-house thing, uh, that we just run off for the
kids every year. And its got, uh, all kinds of exercises, its gotI mean, its got theory in
there, um, suggestions of who to listen to and specific albums. Its got, uh, fifty or sixty
standard tunes that the kids can learn. Basically the idea is that, if they go through there
and work on the things that are in there, at the end they can play a gig in a small group.

I: Great. Last question, but certainly not least: is there anything else youd like to add
regarding your personal jazz pedagogy for the purposes of this study?

P: Uhthat its not about pedagogy [laughter] at all so thats would I would add. You
can have all the tricks you want, but its really about connecting with kids at this age, and
understanding them, getting them passionate about what theyre doing. So, itnone of
the pedagogy, none of the materials matter if you cant do that.

87

Method of interview: Email, Received January 14, 2013


I learned alto saxophone in the 6
th
grade, played through high school and
college. My high school was quite small and didnt have a full jazz band but my
director started an out-of-school jazz combo that met once a week and played
some standards. In college, I played baritone sax in the second jazz band for two
semesters (the minimum requirement.) I have taught school jazz bands at the
middle and high school levels and I usually attend jazz clinics or sessions at state
and regional conferences. I consider myself a classical player and see jazz as one
of my weaknesses so I work hard to learn as much as I can. One of my big
breakthroughs in jazz education was attending the Jazz at Lincoln Center Band
Director Academy during the summer. This intensive four-day workshop, taught
by college jazz educators, gave me some fantastic knowledge to use in my
rehearsals.

time?

In the past, I have played alto sax in various community concert bands depending
on my schedule. I am currently not playing in any group.


Warm-up with scales and maybe some swing exercises. Tune the ensemble
(section leaders get in tune with a tuner and then tune to themselves, then the full
ensemble tunes to the section leaders.) Start in on the charts.

setting?

The performance is the assessment. Attendance counts towards the grade. The
class meets every day before school so attendance is crucial. There are no formal
tests given.


Trying to get the students to feel the triplet subdivision in the eighth notes,
singing their parts, speaking the rhythms with the correct articulation.

the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City? (If so,
what are they?)
88

The three techniques mentioned above were pointed out at the Band Director
Academy through JALC. Those are the same techniques that I used at the
Ellington competition. Students can always be singing through their parts and
line and feeling the groove together.

7. Do you ever have your ensemble(s) participate in the annual Essentially
Ellington program? If so, how do you integrate that into your other goals for the
ensemble throughout the academic year?

This will be my third year submitting a CD for the EE program. The first year,
we were in the top 20 bands and because we were in the group of the next 5 bands
who didnt make the competition I earned a free trip to New York for the Band
Director Academy. My second year submitting a CD, we made it into the
festival.
As we prepare for the recording, we get the music to the point where we are
focusing on the minute details in the music vibrato, style, intonation, precision
with rhythms, etc. those details are focused on in our other music throughout the
year.


Vital! Section leaders play a huge role in setting the tone for their section within
the ensemble and in leading sectionals throughout the year.


There are approximately 4 concerts throughout the year, 1-2 local jazz festivals,
and 2-3 community performances.


Laidback, Detailed, Relentless


Fellow area band directors. Seattle has some fantastic jazz educators. My
student-teaching situation was with a fantastic teacher with very high standards
and a rigorous classroom setting.

the students?

89

Repetition, playing chord changes with rhythm section recordings, outlining
chords in class.

13. Is there any particular reason you choose not to use pedagogical
materials/aids/tools with the jazz ensemble?

There doesnt seem to be one really great set of materials that covers everything
exactly how I like it to be done.


I consider jazz to be a weakness of mine. The fact that we made it into the
Ellington festival proves that any band anywhere should be able to get there
through hard work, high expectations and persistence.



I was introduced to playing jazz in high school by my high school band director,
Scott Chamberlain. He was a very proficient jazz trombonist and he was a big
influence on my musical development and the other teachers I would soon
meet. I went to the Hartt School of Music to study with the jazz legend Jackie
McLean. Jackie has probably been one of my biggest influences as a musician
and educator. I moved to New York not too long after graduating with my
bachelors degree in performance. One of the first steady gigs I started doing was
with Philip Harper at Cleopatras Needle. Eventually I co-led a jam session with
my roommate Jeremy Pelt and then ran it myself for a little more than 10
years. This gig allowed me to play and network with some of the top musicians
in NYC and led to gigs with Eric Reed, Wes Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Peter
Washington and Illinois Jacquets Big Band. All this time I was also teaching
private lessons in NJ. The following is my playing/teaching bio.

Director and saxophonist Julius Tolentino has been in the New York jazz scene
for over 15 years. He has played with numerous small groups and big bands
including Louis Hayes Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band and Quartet, Eric
Reeds Sextet, Jeremy Pelts Quintet, the Illinois Jacquet Big Band and the Count
Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. Mr. Tolentino has played in most of the
top jazz venues and festivals in the US, which includes Avery Fisher Hall,
90

Newport Jazz Festival, the Village Vanguard, Birdland and Dizzys Coca
Cola. As a leader his debut cd Just the Beginning on the Sharp Nine label
peaked at #8 on the jazz charts in 2006. As a Vandoren, P Mauriat and RS
Berklee artist he has conducted region jazz bands and has been a guest
artist/clinician for numerous summer jazz programs and colleges. He has served
as NJAJE Region I President 09-11 and is currently the Jazz Director at Newark
Academy and the Director of Large Ensembles at Jazz House Kids. His
accomplishments as an educator have included a trip to the Essentially Ellington
Finals in 2012 (Newark Academy), First Place "Conglomerate Big Band" at the
Charles Mingus Competition (Jazz House Kids) in 2011, 2012 and First Place at
the NJAJE State Finals (Newark Academy) three years running 2010-2012. More
recently Mr Tolentino has been awarded the Illinois Jacquet Jazz Educator of the
Year Award courtesy of the Illinois Jacquet Foundation in 2013.

time?

Yes


My Academy band rehearses once a week from 6-8:15pm on Wed nights. This is
an auditioned group that is selected from a class that meets 2 times a week during
the school day (Upper School Jazz). Students are expected to be ready to play at
6pm. We warm up with some slow scales for tuning. We tune by sections
starting with the trombones then the trumpets and the saxes. Then we usually get
right to the music. Ive heard of a lot of directors doing exercises before
rehearsing the rep. I believe using the music as the main vehicle to work on
phrasing, improv, or any concepts is what works best in our situation. We have
very little practice time as a group compared to most programs at our level. I
accredit this to our focused efforts on the rep.

setting?

In a big band setting I assess the students by how they are playing the music-
style, execution, intonation, how quickly they digest the music, how they take
directions and how quickly they adjust. As far as soloing all my students know
that they have to have a certain amount of vocabulary before they solo in a
performance. I do give the students that are working on their soloing
opportunities in class, but I do not let them solo in a concert until they are
speaking the language to a certain level.


91

Im not sure if I have methods I could explain. I do have students sing phrases by
themselves, as a section, and with me. I try to get all my groups to tap their foot
together. We often listen to music as a group and I always send mp3s or
YouTubes for the students to check out. My students know that Im very serious
about the music and if they are not doing what I ask I will let them know in a very
straight forward or sometimes even a harsh way. This tough love approach is
something I credit to being in Jacquets band for 5 years. Also in Jacquet fashion
I tape every rehearsal, which I listen to at least 4- 7 times before the next
rehearsal. Sometimes I send rehearsal notes the next day if I think it will help.

what are they?)

Im sure I have picked up many teaching techniques. Here are a few that stick out
in my mind. Having the brass players watch each others plungers so they can
really get the sound tight. Also it is important that they are covering enough with
the plunger. Having the rhythm section focus on the balance by listening for the
guitar playing in a Freddie Green style. We did many mock performances in
preparation for the finals. Actually making the walk from the warm up room to
stage, doing announcements, just going through all the motions and actually
videotaping it. We watched the video as a group and commented on what we
could do better.


Yes. This will be my 5th time entering the EE program out of the 6 years Ive
been teaching at NA. Last year was the year we made it. I have never done the
EE regional festivals, but Im excited to judge and clinician the one in Greenwich,
CT this year.

The EE program is a great way to achieve these goals. The music of Duke
Ellington has almost everything you need to grow a program and teach about all
the subtleties of big band playing and soloing.


I have always realized how important this is in a successful program, but now
more than ever. I allow students to run parts of rehearsals and their own
sectionals. We have many leaders in this current band whose suggestions I will
take over my own. When they make a musical suggestion we always try it. My
lead alto player and trombonist really know how to teach our younger players by
breaking things down.
92


Around a dozen performances. Yes. About half are in school the others range
from festivals to fundraisers/gigs.


Intense, Fun and Tough.


Jackie McLean and Illinos Jacquet are my heros as far as what they did for jazz
music besides their playing career. My Middle School/High School director Scott
Chamberlain for the love and dedication he had for our HS Jazz Band. I also
work with an inspirational teacher Amy Emelianoff that has a very analytical way
of breaking things down to the students.

12. You responded in your survey that you require students to memorize chord
the students?

In the beginning I have them play chord tones. Then I may have them play lines
and apply them to the chords. With the more advanced students, I expect them to
learn the changes from the recordings.


I-pad Apps like I Real Bb, metronome, tuner, slow down transcriber.


I didnt start my musical journey thinking I would be a teacher. Now I cant
separate the playing from the teaching or vice versa. Living close to NY allows
me to have the best of both worlds.

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Participant: BD 5

I: Alright, um, please briefly explain your background in jazz as a student, performer, and
teacher.

P: My background, okay. Um, well, um, I guessyou know, Im coming from a band-
directing position a little bit differently than most. II mean mymy instrumentmy
primary instrument, I guess, with students would be piano. Um, although I did play
saxophone all through high school; you know, started in fifth grade, but it wasnt really
my passion. Um, but II play piano and, um, Im Suzuki trained, if you know what that
is.

I: Uh, yes, Suzuki.

P: Suzuki method, yeah. Um, and Iyou know, Id always gone to a summer music
camp, and the summer before my senior year I went to a camp in Michigan and met, uh, a
jazz pianoI took a class in jazz improv, and that kind ofis what changed everything
[chuckle]. Um, I found ityou knowjust to be able to improvise, uh, freed me up from
having to sight read music and, um, it really changed me. Thethe following year I went
and studied, um, jazz piano privately, um, with, um, John Harmon, whos a, uh, he was
the founder and the leader of a group called Matrix - they were really big during the 70s.
Um, and so IIyou know, I meanI did jazz, basically my senior year and then
decided toto pursue it in college and I ended up going to the University of Illinois for,
uhand eventually would get a jazz studies degree.

I: Oh, great.

P: Um, inin, uh, bachelors, and then I had looked into doing a masters in jazz and
applied and was gonna go to the University of Miami, and then, um, then the hurricane
came through [chuckle] um, right around that time andand I dont know, it justit
didnt feel right when I visited and so I just decided to go back to the University of
Illinois, which is where I did my undergrad, in Champagne. And they had a, uh, jazza
graduate assistantship inin the jazz department, so II got to, um, uh, run one of the
big bands there--

I: Nice.

P: --which was a great experience. I also decided that time I was gonna go into music
education. So I did mymy, uh, whole certification part while being a, you know, a jazz
department G.A. or whatever.

I: Neat.
94

P: Um, so thatsthats kind ofI mean, thats my background in, umyou know, now
of course Im a band director, too. Um, but really, I think that that experience of having a
bachelors in jazz studies is ais a bigI mean, thats pretty important as far as what I
can do today, and all my experiences that I gained during that time, playingyou know,
lots of playing.

I: Okay, great. Um, second question: are you an active performer in any music genre in

P: Um, yeah, I still play out and as much as I can, but unfortunately I have to turn more
gigs down than I get to play. Um, with the schedule of, you know, being a band director
Ive got a band and, you know, [chuckle] everything else that we do, I mean, jazz
festivals and II try to play, I mean, theres a, uhtheres a trio or quartet I play with
- some guys, actually, that I went to school with; and so, you know, wewe play and
rehearseat least try to rehearse at least once a month and play out once a month.

I: Okay. Um, could you please describe the typical structure of a jazz ensemble rehearsal?

P: Um, okay, well, wewe always start with, um, uh, just playingplaying a blues, uh,
and we get, you know, wewe pick a head to play, um, and then play the head, and then
we do this, like, kind of a group improvisation thing all at once and then I just point at
someone to playand everyone getsand I try to get everyone to improvise, but if not
every day, every other day. So, um, even thethe students that would probably never
take a solo in a concert are still, um, getting a shot at imprimprovising because I think
its a really important part ofof the, um, of jazz, obviously.

I: Right.

P: Um, so thatsthats kind ofI mean, thats our warm up. We dont do any other
anything fancier than that well maybe get a tuning pitch after that and then dive in. But
we always try to, you know, do some playing to warm up. Um, and well pick a different
key its not always F or B-flat well, you know, well do G, or today we did D-flat,
you know, its just whatever. Um, and I have, um, uhwe had a clinician come in,
Reggie Thomas, from Michigan State hes the one that I stole the idea from [laughter].
Um, so, andanywaykids will then, uh, make up backgrounds and stuff, and, uh,
basically you just createcreate your own tune, and well do that for about fivefive,
seven minutes.

I: Cool. And then after that?

P: Um, after that well dive into whatevers on the agenda as far as, you know, tunes
were working on. Um, I mean, right now, uh, we havethis part of the year we have
jazz every day for 80 minutes.

I: Oh, nice.
95

P: So, I mean, today we focusedI mean, wewe spent 50 of those minutes probably
working on just one tune and then kind of cleaning stuff up; but were getting ready to
record next week.

I: Oh, great.

P: So, um, as were getting closer here were kind of really focusing on some really
minute details right now. So, umand then, you know, well always, maybe, try to
honestly let you work on something, and run itrun it through at least once. Today we
ran through the tune we were working on about four times, I mean, just to kindato
kinda get it ready toto record, um

I: Okay.

P: So, you know, I mean, itllitll be a couple different tunes and maybe play some at
the end that we worked on the previous day to kind of refresh that, you know, that kind of
thing.

I: Uh, how do you assess student learning and progress within the jazz ensemble setting?

P: Um, what we like to do a lot, umand Id say a lot is maybe a couple times a month
[chuckle]uh, but its kind of auh, we have the luxury, I guess, of setting up, um, a
bunch of microphones and we have awe have a recording studio right off the band
room, so we can get aa very good recording of where were at, and I try to do that
twice a month weve done it three times already; started working on the Ellington stuff.
And then Ill makeburn CDs for everybody and thentheuhyou know, usually on
a Friday, um, the CDs will go out and then by Monday they have tothey have to write,
you know, five things they heard that need to be fixed.

I: Oh, thats fantastic.

P: And, you know, two or three things that went well, um, and then from there well
make a checklist and thats kind of what starts our sectionals and rehearsals.

I: Okay.

P: Um, I mean, other than that, I dont, you know, I dontI mean, we dont have
playing tests or anything like that, I mean, um, you know, IllIll point to people, if I
have to, and say, Okay, play this thing. But we have, you knowwe have sectionals,
too, where IllI get to hear people in smaller settings and hearassess things.

I: Great. Uh, which pedagogical methods or techniques do you think that you use most
often in jazz ensemble rehearsals?

P: Umtechniquesso, I mean, give me an example of what youre looking for there.
96

I: Um, for example, one that I put in the survey was guided listening, um

P: Oh, yeah. Um

I: Anything relevant to teaching jazz, really.

P: Anything that we useum, well, uhtheyyou know, Essentially Ellington came
out with the Tutti player I dont know if youre familiar with that technology.

I: No.

P: Do you know what Im talking about?

I: No.

P: Okay, its, uhI mean, weve used that a lotum, basically itits really, really
coolum, all the songs this year, for this years, um, uh, repertoire, they, uhLincoln
Center recorded them, andlike they always dobut thisthis time they had the
software where, um, you can select, like, any individual player

I: Oh, yes!

P: --and you can see them and hear their part.

I: Somebody else was telling me about this they just didnt tell me it was called Tutti
player. [laughter]

P: Yeah, TuttiTutti player, yeah, um, thats what the softwares called. Um, so we
use that, I mean, I just used it the other day in a sectional, we had, umwere working on
Royal Garden Blues and the trumpet part, and they werent playing the notes short
enough, so, you know, I go in, Okay, lets take a listen to this and see what the lead
trumpet player is doing. Okay, now you guys play it that way. And then whatthe other
thing thats cool about that - I can mute all the trumpet parts and we can leave the rhythm
section from Jazz at Lincoln Center playing and they can play along with that; you know,
when we dont have a rhythm section in sectionals.

I: Cool.

P: So, um, we do that, I mean, theof course we listen to lots of different recordings, I
mean, IImI give out CDs. Um, we have a group Facebook page that I post videos
and recordings on.

I: Nice.

97

P: Um, kids comment on that, too, and thatoh, the other thing I didnt tell you
regarding assessment in addition to recording, we often video ourselves quite a bit, and
that I can easily upload to our Facebook page and then people comment right on the
you know, right beneath the video and everyone can kind of see whats going on that
way, too.

I: Cool.

P: Um, I dont know what other techniques, um

I: Or, dois there anything that you find yourself, um, saying or doing a lot in rehearsals,
whether it be a single piece of advice or the way that you instruct them?

P: Um, wewe sing a lot, and I sing a lot, I dont haveyou know, I dont have my
saxophoneI mean, I couldI did play saxophone for my masters degree, um, but, um,
I usually dont have that handy, or someones borrowing it or something, you know. Um,
so I find myself singing a lot, and we have, you know, we sing as a groupwe sing
through parts, um, thats a pretty common thing we do.

I: Okay, great.

P: Um, yeah, so

I: Okay. Uh, are there any rehearsal techniques that youve taken away from the
experience in the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition?

P: The final roundum

I: Some people have talked about, um, things that affected them in getting to watch
Wynton Marsalis work with the kids or with his group.

P: Oh yeah, Iyeah, yeah, sure, in that rehearsal. Um, I cant think of anything
specifically, um, right nowkind of off my head

I: Okay.

P: But, yeah, I mean, thatsthats definitelyI mean, andand whats cool, those are
on Youtube right now, I believe they can watchI should actually go back and watch
that again. Um

I: Well, if nothing comes to mind I dont want it to be forced.

P: Yeah, um, if I thought about that a little bit more I might think of something. Um,
yeah, I cantI mean, [chuckle] you know, Im sure theres something to itI mean,
thatthat whole experience is just incredible.

98

I: Well, maybe thats something that, when I send you the transcript, if you think of it
then

P: Sure. Yeah, thatd be perfectcool.

I: Um, how do you integrate the Essentially Ellington pieces and arrangements into, uh,
your big picture plans for the ensemble through the academic year?

P: Um, well, uh, I mean, we do other stuff other than Ellington, of course, um, but just
the way we go about learning those pieces, um, you know, through listening andand,
um, II mean, everyone kind of understands the importance, um, I guess, probably from
playing Ellingtons music, that, you know how important each part is. Um, its just
entirely important in his music, um, more so than in other arrangers sometimes. But, um,
the whole process ofI mean, how we learnlearn those tunes, its kind of, you know,
thats kind of the way we do everything. Um

I: Do you find that you end up spending a lot of time on these pieces through the year, or
is it a minor part of your curriculum? How does it

P: Um, well, right now its about all we do [chuckle]. I mean, but thatsyou know, I
mean, were getting ready to record, so, uh, you know, from about the time, likeso,
from, like, November toto the middle of January, um, thats kind of what we focus on
are those whatever were deciding to record now. Prior to that, um, I mean, we do a
concert in November with a guest artist and wewe had a whole, you know, different
different, uhwe do one in May, too; so wewe haveI guess thatyeah, so theres
kind of three segments to the year. You know, theretheres the fall literature, then
theres Ellington stuff, and then theres the spring stuff thatll be totally different.

I: Okay.

P: But, you know, IIIll be honest, I mean, in the fall and spring we still program
Ellington.

I: Okay, great.

P: Um, you know, a couple pieces.

I: Um, how important is peer mentoring in your ensemble?

P: Oh itthatthats huge. Um, I mean, II seeand I knowI know our section
leaders understand it this way, too, that if somebody in the sections not playing it
correctly, um, I mean, its the section leaders responsibility to make sure they do
[chuckle]. Um, itso thatthatsI mean, thatsthats huge. So, um, we have to pick
a good section leader, obviously, someone that can work well with other people and, um,
but, you know, I mean, its aits an understanding among them that if, you know, if
theyre not playing it right, its theiryou know, its their fault, what are you gonna do
99

about it? [chuckle] You know, if you getandandwhat I mean by that is, I mean itll
betheyll come in at lunchlike the other day, um, our lead alto player was working
with the clarinet player, um, during lunch, I mean, because she wasnt playing something
quite rightshe wasntthe articulation wasnt lining up or something. So, thats what
happens.

I: Okay, um, how many performances does the jazz ensemble give each year, and are any
of these outside the school?

P: Oh, yeah, um, well, I guess that we have two major performances at a venue, um,
thats in town here, so itsits a restaurant that has a nice banquet room; and, so, its got
a wrap-around balcony, its a really, reallyall of ouractually all ofwell, what we
call formal concerts now are at this location, we dont do any, um, in the auditorium
anymore.

I: Oh.

P: And thatsthats also because when our concerts are is, like, when the fall play and
the musical is [inaudible]

I: Oh, yeah.

P: You know, so wewere trying to really [inaudible]

I: Okay, well, Ito amend my original question, are any of these performances for, um,
for the purpose of a festival or an adjudication outside the school, oror for an actual
public performance other than school-related, you know, planned concerts?

P: Um, well, I think thosethose two big concerts in thethe fall and spring are
definitely, you know, public performances.

I: Okay.

P: Um, weyou knowum, well, we dowe do one at school, its awe do a
spagheEllington spaghetti dinner in February or March.

I: Okay.

P: Um, and thatsthats a big fundraiser for us, too. Um, we do, uh, well do three to
four festivals each year.

I: Okay.

P: Um, were, uhwell, yesterday, I mean, we went out, um, and thats why I missed
your call, we, um, cause I thought that yesterday was gonna be on aaa Monday or
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Wednesday with the middle school; but we went out and spent, you know, an hour and a
halfwe broke out into sectionals helping them learn a new piece theyre working on.

I: Okay.

P: And then we performed our stuff for them and the classes that wanted to come listen.

I: Great.

P: So, uh, we do stuff like that, I mean, we gowe always go and do, uh, like a three- or
four-school elementary school tour, which is a recruiting thing, you know, that we do to
help out the middle schools programs.

I: So, if you could estimate, roughly how many performances dodoes this ensemble
do?

P: Um
I: Sounds like a lot.

P: Yeah, I mean, okay, so its two formal ones, theresI mean, if you count the
festivals, theresthats like four moreIuhI dont know, itsI mean, its
probably, I dont know, twenty might be not enough, or it might be too much, Im not
sure.

I: Okay. Ill take that as an estimate. [laughter]

P: Yeah, its an estimate, I guessI mean, I dont know if thats high or low
[inaudible]I mean, and we have combos that perform a lot more just cause its a lot
easier to take out five people than it is twenty.

I: Right, right. Okay, um, describe your teaching personality with three adjectives.

P: Umteaching personalityah, thats a good question Im terrible at that. My kids
could probably tell you better. Um, no, how about I get back to you on that one? Cause I
think I might ask them.

I: Okay. Um

P: IIIId have to think about it.

I: Okay. What experiences or people in your life contributed to your choice of techniques,
uh, that you use with the jazz ensemble, or perhaps your teaching philosophy?

P: Um, IIllI go back to band directors I had in college, I suppose.

I: Okay.
101

P: Um, some of the things they did, their mannerisms, Im sure, havehave, um,
influenced what I do. Uh, and, uh, you know, we bring in clinicians, uh, at least two a
year. Um

I: Great.

P: We havewe have, umRon Carters been hereI mean, hes only an hour from us,
so he comes up at least a couple times.

I: Thats amazing.

P: And Reggie Thomas from Michigan State, we have him once a year, at least. Um, and
I know, like, I told you even about that whole warm up thing from Reggie, and, uh, he
does a lot of cool stuff, actually theres a couple things I stole from the last time he was
here, too. So, Iyou know, thats where Im gettingum, I certainly dont claim to
know everything and I never will and Im gonna beg, borrow, and steal whenver I see
something good.

I: Okay. Um, you responded in your survey that you encourage students to memorize
chord changes for improvisation, but what techniques do you use to facilitate the process
for them?

P: For them to learnto learn to improvise?

I: No, for memorizing the chord changes.

P: Um, goshWhat happens a lot, as far as people imprI guess Im more of aI guess
more of, like, how you learn to improvise I mean, thats part of learning the process,
learning the chord changes. Um, but we do a lot ofourall of our soloists do a lot of
transcribing. I mean [chuckle] theyre constantly in, transcribing stuff, or, you know,
after school theyll come in, theyll have their phone plugged into the speakers and
theyre playing something, you know. Um

I: Well, I mean more in terms of, um, do you have them do any exercises for the purpose
of helping them memorize?

P: No.

I: Or do you say, Memorize these chord changes; go home and come back and have it
done?

P: I mean, I dontI dont think Ive ever, to be honest with you, think Ive ever said
memorize chord changes.

I: Oh, okay.
102

P: Um, I mean itsIto me thats totally just part of the process of learning to solo. I
meanandand I knowI mean, they knowII know they know that theyre chord
changes. Um, cause weve talked about itI mean, I dont think I ever said, like
memorize them.

I: Okay.

P: I dont know Ive found therestheres two, umtheres two different types of
improvisers. Theres ones that Ive had and Ive had a couple of these now that have
incredible ears, and I dontyou know, to be honest, I dont even know if they know the
chord changes. Um, I dontI dont think they could tell you them; but they can
certainly playplaythey hear it, they dontthey hear it but they dont necessarily
know it theoretically, you know, on paper. And then you have the other type, who know
the chord changes, can play all the chords and all the scales, um, and so, you know, tho
those are the two types that Ive seen.

I: Ive had similar experiences noticing that kind of, uh, divide. Um, soookay, um, in
your survey you also mentioned that you do not use, um, pedagogical materials, or aids,
or tools, such as the Aebersold, uh, publications; um, is there any particular reason you
choose not to use these kinds of things?

P: The play-along stuff?

I: Anything along that similar vein.

P: Did I put that down? Um, I dont use it with thewith the group, for sure. Now, II
do know, though, that inin, uh, on our computer that the kids use there are all the
Aebersold stuff. [chuckle] And so, once in a while, I do hear them using it, so I shouldnt
have probably put no.

I: [laughter] Okay.

P: Um, but I dont, like, say, Go play this with the Aebersold recording.

I: You dont use it with the ensemble.

P: No, I dont ever use it with the ensemble.

I: Is there a particular reason for that?

P: Um, weve always had good rhythm sections, I guess, I mean

I: Very lucky.

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P: Um, are you talking aboutII dont know whenuh, we wouldnt have a play-
along going if we have, you know, a rhythm section.

I: Right. But, um, something like, uh, you know Standard of Excellence for concert band?
They have jazz versions of that.

P: Yeah, I dont like doing those. II reallyI wouldnt even use those at middle school
level. Um, primarily because, wellI mean, IId rather go a route, like, um, do you
know the [inaudible] books? They have thatthey have the really good recordings of
jazz players playing [inaudible]. Um, Ive usedIve used those, in the past. Ive taught
middle school prior to this, too, um, prior to the high school job. So, Ium, theyre not
authentic enough for me.

I: Okay.

P: Um

I: Thats a good reason.

P: Id rather have kids transcribe, you know, the head toto, uh, a blues head thats from
a real jazz recording than try to play something out of these, you know, toy-bookjazz
method books.

I: Um, you mention transcribing do you, um, ever do transcribing in the rehearsal
setting? Or, um, do you just explain it to them and see what they do?

P: Um, geez [chuckle]
I: [laughter] Im giving you all the hard questions, Im sorry.

P: You know, I meanItheres been times when weve done something like that, Im
trying to remember what it was for, though. Um

I: So its not generally a part of the rehearsal.

P: No, not like every day or every week or something, no. I mean itsI guess, you
know, the transcribing thing is really, um, I see it more as part of the process of learning
to improvise. And the students that want to do that, you know, theytheyve seen the
results of people thatthat transcribe. I mean, its justits night and day, as far as
learning, you know, vocabulary its the best way to do it.

I: Right. Okay. Um, and this is the last question its meant to be very open-ended. Is
there anything else youd like to add, um, regarding your personal jazz pedagogy for the
purposes of this study?

P: Um

104

I: Anything that you find important.

P: No, but I could maybe give that one some thoughtsome thought on that, too.
UmNo, Ione thing that has occurred to me, and that, you know, Ive seen and heard
a lot other bands do, and just by, umI mean, werewere fortunate here in our district
to be very culturally diverse and I think that plays and important role inin learning this
music. Um, I meanititit certainly helps.

I: So maybe the social aspect?

P: Whats that?

I: So, maybe a social factor involved?

P: Um, yeah, oryou know, Im gettingIve had someyou know whatah, how do
I say it without soundingwithout sounding bad? [chuckle] Um, itsI mean weve
weve hadlike our rhythm section players that Ive had a coupleright now I have a
couple good ones, um, a drummer and a bass player, and our previous drummer before
that, um, have come from, you know, the church background where, you know, they
learn stuff by ear and it just lends itself to learning jazz a lotII dont knowmore
efficiently, I dont know if thats a good, um...

I: Theres more experience coming into it.

P: I dont know, theres something about it, its hard to putits hard to put it into words.
Um, what about experience? What were you saying?

I: Um, well they have that experience outside of school and any additional experience
benefits you.

P: Sure. Yeah, yeah, that could bethat could be it, something like that. I dont know
Im not sureIm not quite sure what Im trying to say.

I: Okay.

P: Um, I mean, I thought about this, I justI mean, Icause II guessyou know,
when you see other groups you kindayou wonder, well, why is itwhy does it sound
that way? I mean, whyyou knowI mean theres lots of factors; but I dont knowI
thinkI think that has something to do with it, Im not quite sure how to put it in words
or how to explain it. Um, so, II dont know.

I: Okay. So, thats it for my list. Dont forget to ask your students to describe you!

P: Yeah.

105


Participant: BD 6

I: First question: If you could briefly explain, please, your background, in jazz, as a
student, performer and teacher.

P: Um, my background is, is uh, I did one year of jazz band when I was in fifth grade, uh,
until I started again, um, my junior year in high school.

I: Oh, wow.

P: And, uh, and at that time, uh, I startedyou know II started talking to my band
director aboutabout what I should be doing and what I should be listening to, and, um,
and I went out and bought a Louis Armstrong record, and a Dizzy Gillespie record. And,
and, uh, thats really, thats (inaudible) kind of what got me started, and then I followed
up with Miles Davis.

I: Are you a trumpet player yourself?

P: Uh, yes.

I: Okay.

P: Yes. And then, uh, ever sinceever since that time, I always played inI always
played in big bands.

I: Okay.

P: Um, so I playedI played all throughout college and, um, and while I did mywhile
I did my masters.

I: Great.

P: It was important to me to be able to find programs and teachers that I could study both
classical and, uh, and jazz trumpet.

I: Great. Um, second question: Are you an active performer, in any music genre, in

P: Um, I dont get a chance to perform actively. Um, just probably a couple times a year
in addition tobut I play every day with my students.
I: Great. Okay, um; please describe the typical structure of a jazz ensemble rehearsal.
106

P: Uh, so, every day we start off doing the same thing, uh, by singing and dancing. Well
listen towell listen to a recording, um, for anywhere from fourfour months to the
entire year; and its something that, like, uh, the first year we did it, um, we did Nancy
Wilson and Cannonball Adderleys Little Unhappy Boy, and thats howthats how
we started rehearsal every day.

I: Huh.

P: The kids stand up, we do, um, you know, you do a little church clap, step and touch
onand clap on two and four. Uh, the kids learn to sing all the lyrics, they learn to
mimic that phrasing. Uh, they learn to singthey learn to sing all the solos on that
recording. And, and, uh, and then we start to use that as part of their improvisations. So,
then I have the ability to look at that kid and say, um, you know, this time I want you to
think about how Nancy Wilson would sing that line that youre gonna play.

I: Right.

P: After we do that, we do, uh, we do Howard Clarks Five Minutes A Day, uh, which
starts outits just designed to do some really basic, um, jazz technijazz technique
exercises. But in number one its a B-flat blues, so, every day we hear at least five to six
soloists, just playing on those blues choruses.

I: Okay.

P: So, they get a chance to improvise every day.

I: Wonderful.

P: Um, we try to make improvisation the basis ofof what we do; its the backbone.

I: Great.

P: And then well pick, uh, well pick a couple tunes andand then spendspend most
of our time doing those. Now this years been a little bit different, uh, because, based on
ouron our experiences at the Ellington festival, uh, we came back andand were
gonna start a district jam session.

I: Great.

P: Whichwhich will actually start this Thursday. So, one of the things we were doing
this year is, after we finish our singing and dancing, ourour improvisations on our B-
flat blues; we would pick one head per week, because everyones learning the same 16
tunes. 18 weeks in a semester; so we do one head per week, uh, pulling apart the form,
hearinghearing people getting to solo on the standard song forms, and, uh, and things
like that. And then we would just rehearse otherother big band music after that.
107

I: Great. Uh, how do you assess student learning and progress within the jazz ensemble
setting?

P: Uh, we do a lot ofseveral different things. One, its important to me that our students
know how to talk about music, like musicians. So, if theyre able toyou know, if
theyre able to dictateif Im able to look at a student and say, Alright, guys, were
gonna start right at the bridge. You know, that tells you right away, you know, that these
kids know the form. Uh, but, that they can actually think like musicians. Um, we dowe
do some individual assessment where well have one kid play his part alone with the
rhythm section, uh, well dowell do some recordings a few times a semester. Uh, just
for our own personal use; and then talk about what we heard, and, uh, and maybe well
listen to our recording of that tune next to, uh, like, the Basie recording of that tune, and
talk about some of the similarities and differences.

I: Wonderful. Uh, what pedagogical techniques or methods do you think you use most
often in rehearsals?

P: We do a lot of singing, uh, a lot of dancingUh, lots of, um, lots of call-and-response
stuff. And I would say those are probably the rehearsal techniques that we use the most.
Um, you know, lots of isolating specific sections with the rhythm section. Those are
probably the things we use the most.

I: Im curious when you say dancing do you mean that theyve learned how to swing
dance, or they just are encouraged to move?

P: No, justI mean like step-touch,

I: Okay.

P: Baptist church, you know step-clap kind of stuff.

I: And they are responsive and theyll, you know, they get into it they dont act silly?
[laughter]

P: [In affirmative tone] Uh huh!

I: Thats wonderful! [laughter]

P: Uh, no, because, well, you do it in a way thatthat theythey start offif you watch,
um, have you watched Tops? Have you seen that?

I: No.

P: That, uhits really great. Um, but theres a part on there wherewhere Ron Carter
literally turns his back to the band and says Everybody take a step to the left, put your
108

right foot in, take a step to the right, put your left foot in. Okay. Great. And then hed
starthed start doing that, hed put on a tune and thenand then they start doing that,
and you just model.
I: Thats wonderful.

P: And thenI mean, theres some silliness to it. But as long as theyre interpreting that
this music is dance music,

I: Right.

P: Its not just something that, uh, is trapped in academia.

I: Okay.

P: That its onlyits only in academia for its survival.

I: Right, right.

P: You know

I: Are there any P: That, um

I: [laughter] Sorry finish your thought.

P: I said its[inaudible] if they can interpret that asas dance music, and sometimes
theyretheyre a little more silly than others, but, you know, if theyre doingif there
are five guys who are doing a pseudo-chorus line and their hips are moving and theyre
stepping on two and four, and the feel is good and its alright then I know that
theyretheyre internalizing that.

I: Right.

P: Those rhythms and that music.

I: Um, are there any rehearsal techniques youve taken away from your experiences in the
final round of the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City, and, if so, what
are they?

P: Um, not necessarily from the final round, um, I didI went to the Band Director
Academy, uh, twice,

I: Okay.

P: Andand I would say thatthats run by Jazz at Lincoln Center.

I: Mmm hmm.
109

P: Um, so, I would say that most everything we do in our rehearsals now isis modeled
after some techniques that werethat were discussed, um, and offered in that time. Like
singing and, you know, starting your rehearsal with singing and dancing.

I: Great.

P: Thinking, uh, making improvisation the central focus of your jazz program.

I: Okay.

P: Uh, what I didthe stuff that we took from the final round of being in Essentially
Ellington, um, I wouldnt say rehearsal techniques, but more of a focus.

I: Okay.

P: So it was great for me and my students to see that all those other bands, you know, all
the other trumpet sections all those guys have their growl chops together. All the
pianists had killing left hands. You know all theall the saxophone sections had a
similar concept of sound.

I: Right. Okay.

P: Soand thethe jam session, uh, really brought a lot of that stuff together. So by
doing the jam session itit brought back thatyou know, if we can really get to that
essential element, if we can take the time to focus on standard tunes and standard song
forms and standard chord progressions, thatthat, as a director, it makes it so much
easier for me to choose music.

I: Mmm hmm.

P: Because, if were working on Cotton Tail, which is, you know, just Rhythm
changes in B-flat, andit makes it way easier for me to pick one of these other hundred
big band tunes.

I: Mmm hmm.

P: Because now I have 17 or 18 soloists that know the form to Rhythm changes. I
dontI dont have to choose my lit based on the limitations of my ensemble.

I: Right.

P: I get to choose the literature based on the knowledge of my ensemble.

110

I: Great. Um, do you ever have your ensembles participate in the Essentially Ellington
program, uh, in addition to the competition, and, if so, how does that become integrated
into, uh, the big-picture goals you have for the academic year for that ensemble?

P: When you saywhen you say the Essentially Ellington program, opposed to the
festival, do you mean, like, when we audition and just dont get in?

I: No, um, my understanding is that thethe publically offered program where they
provide the arrangements and anybody can participate just by downloading the
arrangements

P: Yeah.

I: Right.

P: Yes, okay, soso what they do is theythey provide the tunes, so everyevery fall
theyll mail you six charts. Now, those are the same charts that you can record to get into
the festival.

I: Right.

P: So, to get into the festival you have to be participating in the program.

I: Right.

P: Soso what we do is, um, weve amassed a little Ellington library and, um, and we
had submitted recordings for the three years before we got in.

I: Okay.

P: Andand we use thosewe use them with all three of my big bands, uh, for a good
portion of the first semester every year. Uh, just because it really solidifies thatthat
feeling the swing, because, if the kids dont swing to start, theres no way you can go
back and modify,

I: Mmm hmm.

P: You know, their skill set, into any otherany other genres.

I: Right.

P: You know, if you take thatif you dont take that time.

I: Okay.

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P: So, I thinkI think the resources that weve got from the Essentially Ellington
program are so cool because it allows you to, um, to teach your ensemble in so many
ways. So by having three Ellington tunes and, uh, three Mary Lou Williams tunes, that
allows you to learn about a new composer. To approach things in a different style,

I: Mmm hmm.

P: But they also send out, um, you know, DVD recordings of Wynton rehearsing the Jazz
at Lincoln Center Orchestra on the tunes that youre trying to prepare, which is so cool
to be able to show your students that theyre working on a lot of the same concepts and
focusing on the same stuff.

I: Hm. Okay. Do you find that, um, that using the Ellington arrangements, uh, benefits or
maybe hinders the, uh, the scope of music you get to include in the entire year?

P: Um, I dont, becausebecause we dont focus on it solely, uh

I: Right, okay.

P: So wewe dowe do a pretty good blend of, uh, of Ellington, Ellington-era, and
some moremore modern big band tunes.

I: Okay.

P: Uh, we try to get a gooda good blend and balance. The first semester isis
relatively Ellington-heavy, uh, but we sprinkle in more modern tunes so they still get that
vocabulary under their belts also.

I: Okay.

P: And then starting about now, the next three months will be transitioning into, uh, more
modern big band vocabulary.

I: Okay, great. Um, how important is peer mentoring in your jazz ensemble?

P: Um, I think its really important. And not justnot just guys that are helping each
other learn their parts, but, um, you knowbut every few days well justwell just stop
a rehearsal and give the kids a chance to talk about, uh, Alright, what have you listened
to lately, that my life would be incomplete if I didnt hear it?

I: [laughter] Great.

P: You know, so itsI think its thoseI think its those sorts of things; and I think it
also really helps to build thatthat chemistry, uh, inside the band. You know, when they
talk about the Basie band, he never talked about the most talented band he ever had. He
always talked about the happiest band, you know, the happiest group of guys he ever
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played with. So, I think itsI think its really hard to have a great band without great
chemistry.

I: Right. Okay, um, approximately how many performances does this band give each
year, and are any of those performances outside of the school?

P: Yes, I would say weI would say that we do probably 10 to 12 performances a year.

I: Great.

P: And, um, Id say maybe twotwo to four of those are outside of school.

I: Okay. Uh, describe, if you can, your teaching personality with just three adjectives.
P: Detail-oriented, um, consistent, and I would say energetic. We have a good time.

I: Thats fantastic. Those are definitely three adjectives Id like to base my own teaching
off of someday [laughter].

P: You know what as long as youre consistentas long as youre consistent in your
approach, you canyou can be a stickler about anything you want to be a stickler about,
but its gotas long as its every day, and you keep the kids laughing through the tears.

I: Right, right. Wonderful. Um, what experiences or people in your life have contributed
to your choice of pedagogical techniques and/or teaching philosophy?

P: Um, I was really fortunate to have aa great mentor when I was doingwhen I was
marching drum core, of all things. Um, his names Frank Williams, and, uh, andand
laughing through your tears if one of his lines, and it really encapsulates thatyou can
have a great time while getting down to the details and the nitty-gritty ofof what you
need to do and what you want to do. And, um, and I would say that hes made the
greatest impactthe greatest impact on me in that way.

I: Okay. Um, you

P: I also had aa teachera teacher where I went to college, uh, in Kansas, Dr. Gary
Zeke. And, um, I think just the way he approachedapproached the music and
approached the way that we all played, uh, and the tremendous emphasis that he put on
on learning through osmosis. Uh, you know, you always see his students walking around
withwith headphones all the time. Because if youif you couldnt hear it, then you
werent internalizing it, and that meant you couldnt play it.

I: Right.

P: And the last thing is that the Jazz at Lincoln Center Band Director Academy
changedchanged the way I teach.

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I: Wonderful.

P: Its amazing.

I: How many times have you done that?

P: Um, twice.

I: Okay.

P: And its on my calendar every year now, afterwards. Itsits more the exception that
Ithat I cant go than I want to go.

I: Thats a wonderful recommendation for the program.

P: Its the best thing Ive ever done for myself as a teacher.

I: Great. Um, you responded in your survey that you require students to memorize chord
changes for improvisation. What techniques do you use to facilitate this process for the
students?

P: Um, thatwe do this as part of our jam session. So, one of the things that we do is all
the students are learning the same 16 heads, and the jam sessions are every two weeks.

I: Okay.

P: Uh, for the nextfor the next eight weeks. So, we tell the students that all the tunes
have to be memorized, um, but we tell them what five tunes are gonna be on the jam
session,

I: Mmm hmm.

P: And that next week. And then we give them the opportunity to sign up.

I: But the act of memorizing it sounds like theyre kind of on their own.

P: Yes. Well, we take timewe take time and, uh, in rehearsal to play through those
charts, andand what well do is, you know, well work on it for about three days, and
then Ill just call the tune. And Ill give them time to take it out, but, like, Okay, cool.
Lets just do the bridge of Cherokee.

I: Okay.

P: And then well stop and just play, Okay, cool, just play 1, 3, 5, 7 on the A section
to, uh, Take the A Train.

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I: Mhm. Okay. Great. Um, second-to-last question: Which pedagogical materials, aids, or
tools do you use? Um, such as published materials.

P: Um, we use Howard Clarks Five Minutes a Day.

I: Okay. And thats it?

P: Uh, well, we use that aswe use that as, uh, for warm-ups. Um, Ive used the
Teaching Music Through Performance, uh, in Jazz.

I: Okay.

P: And theres atheres a really greatgreat website, um, the [inaudible] jazz
workshop,

I: Okay.

P: And I would use thatwe use that quite a bit.

I: Alright, cool. And, uh, last question very open-ended: Is there anything else youd
like to add regarding your personal jazz pedagogy for the purposes of this study?

P: Um, I think that itsits important that students are encouraged to continue to seek
out this music. But that we dontbut we dont put the hones sosolely on them. You
know, II think that, um, these students have such aa huge breadth of material
available to them that when they come to us and say, uh, Oh, whuh, you know, I
didntIm interested in jazz, what should I do? And then when you just look at them
and say, Listen. Thats notthats not helpful. You know, thats like driving to a
construction site andand Id just say, uh, Kaitlyn, listen.

I: [laughter]

P: And then we get back in the car and I say, Did you hear that bird chirping, uh, right in
between each jackhammer hit?

I: Right.

P: You know, thats notits not helpful. Um, but I thinkI think that guided listening,
and keeping this as a dance music; and, as long asas we, as teachers, take time to listen,
thenthen I think teaching an ensemble becomes a lot easier and it becomes a lot more
fun.

I: Hm. Thats very good advice. So, uh, on that note, thatthat is it for all of my
questions for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

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Participant: BD 7

I: Alright, so, if you could, please briefly explain your background with jazz as a student,
performer, and teacher.

P: Uh, okay, well, I grew up in New Jersey, and, uh, ourour music program was not
very good [chuckle]. Uh, we played about grade three musicmaybe two and a half;
and, uh, they started a jazz band in, I think, my junior year and it was pretty bad. It wasnt
anything to write home about. Um, when I went to college I did not make the jazz band
the first year, and, umum, one of my friends made the third jazz band in the lead alto
spot and beat a senior for that spot and the senior ended up quitting; and so in master
class our saxophone teacher said, Who wants to be in a jazz band? and my hand went
up really fast. So thats how I got involved in jazz band.

I: Cool.

P: Um, then, um, you know, Iuh, played in that jazz band, uh, for, I think, a year and a
half, um, playing second alto, and then I playedI moved to the next jazz group. There
was likethe first one was one of three; the next one I got in was essentially the second
band but the director was really good, um, and actually he had ties with Illinois he was
in the Illinois jazz band and taught at Interlochen for many years. His name was Dave
[inaudible]. Umvery good director, and, um So I played bari in there and learned
how to playessentially how to play lead alto by playing bari in there. Um, and then, uh,
played in there for, uh, a couple years, student taught, ranran a jazz band at [inaudible]
for my student teaching, and then, uh, went back and did another year at UMass, and then
to Notre Dame. Notre Dame, um, [chuckle] it was a bit of a joke, really the jazz band
there was a joke. Um, and then I went to, uh, Illinois and I tried out and made the top
band playing bari and met some [inaudible] people at Illinois and eventually met my
wife playing in that band. Um, so, um, that wasthat was a good thing; and I would say
that I was a good, uh, section player Im not a really good improviser. I knew the basics
of it but, um, Im not a real improviser. Um, but I know the basics of it. As aas a
college student, uh, at grad school I taught a lot of private lessons. Um, and then, um
and then, uh, I was able to, uh, gig around town in, uh, some wedding bands playing
basically bari, uh, in those bands. Um, I played [inaudible] undergraduate who plays in a
funk band, in, uh, in Bostonin the Boston area, called [inaudible], so I got to use my
ear playing along with them. Um, but, you know, I played in the wedding band, and when
we moved out east, Jenn, my wife went to Peabody, um, I started teaching in the
Montgomery County public schools they had not ever had a jazz band and the program
was pretty sad. Um, one of the big unifying things for that program was when I started a
jazz band, and then weI bought fronts for the band and had a sign maker put
[inaudible] Jazz Band on it. That was one of the big things thatthat, uh, got em
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going. Um, I really didnt have an idea of really good literature for that level of band, but
there was a guy named Chris Allen who taught in one of the other schools in
Montgomery County that basically took me under his wing and helped me out with that,
which was great.
I: Great.

P: Uh, and theres a couple other really good people, uh, Ron Kerns I think writes for
Vandoren
now, maybe - uh, he was still a teacher in the district; and [inaudible] was in,
um, Airmen of Note but was my music supervisor in the Montgomery County public
schools was, uh, was also very, very goodinstrumental in helping me out withwith
that. Um, so from there I, uh, I, um, I taught for two years in Montgomery County and
then decided we were gonna move back out to the Midwest, closer to Jenns family
went to, uh, [inaudible] Indiana for a year, ran the second jazz band there. Uh, and then
there was a variety of reasons why we moved, but I moved back down to Champaign and
took the Champaign [inaudible] job and I did that for fifteen years. Um, theyve had a
history of really outstanding bands, uh, throughout the years, but it was pretty repressed
when I took it, uh, took it over. So, [inaudible] and, uh, helped bring it back.

I: Okay. Um, the next question: are you an active performer in any music genre in

P: Um, currently, I would say right now, no.

I: Okay.

P: Um, I, uh, I performed a ton before we had twins. Ialmostwell, theyre nine and a
half year old twins; and, uh, I played in a local community, uh, jazz band andand I
gigged all the time before we had the twins, and when we had the twins my wife said
youve gotta, [chuckle] youve gotta stop, youve gotta knock that off. [chuckle] So I
stopped doing that. I get called every now and then to play gigs and Ill go out and do it
occasionally, but notnot like what I used to do.

I: Okay. Um, could you please describe the typical structure of a jazz ensemble rehearsal?

P: Well, we have threethree different jazz bands in our school. I run the top group and
the bottom group. Um, we have three jazz bands and three combos, um

I: In that case, um, Im thinking, more specifically, the group that you would submit a
recording to the Essentially Ellington competition with.

P: I generally tend to run them about the same.

I: Okay.

P: Um, but, you know, obviously were a lot more detail-oriented with the group that
hashas more of a how do you say it? more of a clue [chuckle]. Like, the kids in the
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third band, uh, a lot of them have never played jazz or they come from the other middle
school where they dont generally have a strong jazz program. Uh, some of them do end
up getting in my top groups if they work hard, cause their smart, but they havent had
the same kind of training as the kids at the [inaudible] school. Um, but, um, generally I
warm them up in the morning wewe play a few, um, scales and arpeggios well, we
play up to the ninth and back down and do it in B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, and
then well have them play the chord split up between the people in the band. So well do
that and then well tune, and then, um, sometimes Ill teach them licks they can play
overover a thing; they have tothe have to write in what it is, then they can transpose
it to a different key. So well do that sometimes, and then we just get intointo music. If
wewhen I was younger, I always used to be like, we cant play that because we dont
have a plunger trumpet player or I dont have a lead alto player, or we dont have a
trumpet player or clarinet player. I heardI heard something one time, aa group close
to us that, uhthat, uhthat they would sight-read something and then play it at the gig
the next day, and II couldnt believe that it happened, cause we were more product
at that point than process. So, I decided, well, were gonna have a gig at the, uh, apple
orchard, uh, pumpkinwell, its an apple orchard but theres pumpkin stuff out there,
and we were gonna have it out there we were just gonna read some charts right on the
gig. The kids put up a stink about it at first, then we did it; they were not tough chartsI
mean, now our kids could read them, no problem, but at that point they were definitely
nervous about it. We did it, we read two charts on that day and they kept going, and we
havent looked back since. So we generally read a number of charts eacheach week.

I: Sounds great.

P: Um, by the end of the year we generally play eighty jazz charts in top. Notand not
necessarily performable, but well definitely have played through and we do perform a
lot of them, you know, um, butbut, um, we play a lot of stuff.

I: Great. How do you assess

P: I dont

I: Oh, sorry.

P: III dont necessarilywith the exception of, like, if we get into an Ellington or,
um, something in a jazz festival, or something like that - I dont reallyreally push as
hard as I should to make them perfect, cause I wantI mean, I should do that and that
would probably make them even be that much more, umuh, refined, and I know people
that work on twothreefoursix tunes throughout the year and make it perfect;
theres something to be said about that. But I think thatthat the kids thatin my own
personal belief, I was such a horrible sight-reader in high school thatthat I think that
being able to play lots of music and play it at a good level is gonna be more effective for
them when they go on and try to play or if they chose to go on and play.

118

I: Yeah. Um, whathow do you assess student learning and progress within the, uh,
ensemble rehearsal setting?

P: How do I assess student learning? Well, um, obviously if theytheythey can get
itI try to put them in situations that stretchthat will stretch them but that they can get
to the next level. We do, uhthis year we havent done it as much as some years, I mean,
after marching band well have, I dont know, three or four sectionals with each group to
make sure that they have, you know, the notes and the rhythms clean and balanced,
articulation is correct, but generally a lot of the section leaders areare, you know,
making those judgments in rehearsal, um, and letting the kids know what they are before
we get to that point. So, I dont have to do as much as you might think, um, butbut I
knowI mean, if a kids not getting it I certainly [inaudible] you know, Ill, uh, Ill
point him in the right direction, Ill put recordings online, uh, so they can listen to them,
um, you know. Uh, we do, uh, go into the studio and record, and we did do that a week
ago and were going back in on Wednesday to record a couple more tunes, and from that,
you knowyou know, you can tell whoswhos playing and whos not or whosyou
know, you can just tell. You learn a lot about the band that way as well, you know?

I: Sure. Uh, which pedagogical methods do you think you use most often?

P: Uh, probably singing. I mean, I dont know exactly what youre looking for, but we
sing a lot, we talk about articulation and howhow to articulate things, um, you know,
thats a lot of what we do.

I: Okay. With this question its really, um, its not something that Im looking for per say,
but, um, maybe something that youve noticed that you do a lot, uh, within jazz ensemble
rehearsals in particular. But that answer is good on its own.

P: Um, I mean, still talking about, like, pedagogy that kind of stuff?

I: Uh, whatever you use to get your point across, really.

P: Well, Im a pretty energetic guy, Im prettyI mean, um, the older I get, though, Im
definitely not as energetic as I used to be, but, I dont know, we get kids to do things by
being a little crazy, I guess. Uh, but I definitely have them sing and I have them dart their
air, I have them bop certain things [inaudible], a drum core thing that I got from drum
core, um, I dont know. I dont exactly know what youre looking for other than that.

I: Thats great. Um, are there any rehearsal techniques that youve taken away from your
experiences in the final round of the Essentially Ellington competition and, if so, what are
they?

P: Well, its hard to sayI mean, I definitely take stuff away from there; I take stuff
away from Savannah. Like any good jazz festival I mean, for years Ive doneand Im
not a rhythm section player and I still dont know a whole lot about rhythm sections, but
IllIll generally go to rhythm section clinics to try and find out, [chuckle] you know,
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things about hand position for bass, [inaudible] how to pull a string, you know, some
ofI went there for a brush technique thing at the University of Louisville which was
fantastic, um, you know, so Id find out about, you know, how to dohow to do those
techniques. And while I certainly cant perform them on a drum set, um, I know what I
I want to hear and II can call that. You know, I did go to the Essentially Ellington band
director academy two years in a row, um

I: Oh, good.

P: The first two years, in fact. Um, and I learned a ton from that and it definitely changed
the wayway I taught things and how II, umum, I incorporated more listening and I
incorporated more, um, you know, singing and, uh, you know, that kind of stuff into my
teaching than I did in the past. Um, so, I mean those are definitely thingsbut Iits not
just the Jazz at Lincoln Center thing that Ive taken

I: Of course.

P: Ive done [inaudible] all over the place.

I: The reason I ask about specifically something you may have taken away from the
Ellington competition is because, um, Im using that as a qualifier for the people that Im
including in this study; so it would be interesting to see if, you know, all of the people
Im interviewing took the same thing away from the Ellington competition or maybe
they all took different things away.

P: Well Iyou know, II mean, I think that Jazz at Lincoln Center has a totally
different vibe than, you know, some other jazz festivals because really theyre about the
music theyre about how well it swings, how much it swings, not necessarily you have
to play a million notes. You know, at some of the other places, you know, II think
Monterey or Next Generation a lot of those bands are more hyped on, um, you know,
how many notes you play, you know, whatwhat the level of tune that youre playing,
not necessarily how well it swings or grooves. And, you know, Ron Carter, Wycliffe, and
a lot of those other guys, not just at Jazz at Lincoln Center they really talk about how it
swings and its more of a simplistic, um, uh, [inaudible] kind of way to come up about it
than a theoretical, um, you know, note choice kind of way to go about it.

I: Okay.

P: So II definitely think that thats something that, uh, our kids have picked up on and
Ive definitely picked up on, and prefer [inaudible].

I: Okay, great. Um, do you have anysorry, let me rephrase thatwith regards to
participating in the Ellington program, um, how do you integrate the arrangements and
charts that they give you into your full academic year, um, curriculum plan, or just the
vision that you have for the ensemble?

120

P: Well no, as I told you before, um, we have three big bands, and, um, we read a lot.
Before I took over the third band, the third band always did four charts in the whole year,
and now well do thirty to forty. And, um, we will throw a couple of those Essentially
Ellington thingssome of the easier ones and we also do the ones that are thethe,
um, jazz for young people edition, um, that Wynton and [inaudible] and those people
put out as well. Um, and so, my second band right now I think were going to a jazz
festival next weekend is playing two, um, uh, I think theyre playing Swing the Blues
and [inaudible] out of the three tunes that theyre playing. So, you know, we generallyI
mean, we dont just play that stuff. If we go to Monterey Ill probably playI probably
play two of the tunes out of four that we play of the Jazz at Lincoln Center stuff. Like,
weyou know, I probably, right now in my jazz ensemble we probably played six or
seven different Jazz at Lincoln Center charts this year.
I: Okay, great. Um

P: And only one from this years stuff [chuckle]. So we have, you know, a lot of other
charts from past years not just this years stuff.

I: Great. Um, something else that you mentioned before, um, is the involvement of
students and the role that they take in their own progress in the ensemble. Um, my next
question for you is how important to you is peer mentoring in the jazz ensemble?

P: Well, I think, uh, when the kids get a little oldwell, our middle school does a good
job of making kids take ownershipI say our middle school, but I would say mymy,
uh, my best feeder program. Theytheyve played at the Midwest Clinic, they just
played at the jazz convention this pastlike, a week ago. Um, so those kids, uh, start to
take responsibility, they call sectionals, do things at, uh, at kids houses, you know, in the
middle school before they get to the high school. So thatthat kind of stuff is already set
up from the middle school level when they come to the high school obviously it just
you knowgoes on to the next level. We have a bunch of kids that are gigging and
doing, you know, [inaudible] playing a bunch of gigs, you know, they call sectionals and
get together and do stuff on their own, um, which is great cause, you know, thats kind
of the goal - is to get them self-supported, you know? Well, I remember when a sectional
teacher said, You know, four short years and youre gonna be competing for jobs with
me, and [laughter], at that time, as a freshman in college I was like, wow, thats scary!
but its true! [chuckle]

I: Yeah, alright. Um, approximately how many performances does your top jazz
ensemble give each year, and are there any of those performancesum, are any of them
given outside of the school?

P: Uh, I would say the majority of them are given outside the school. Um, I dontI used
to have a jazz concert one a year. We have a jazz festival at our school that we play
both nights; those are really the only two school functions that we do other than, you
knowI mean, the end of the year we play for the, um, the, uh, senior awards, um, day.
So theres like four things that the jazz band does for the school; but the jazz band is
gigging in the clubs, um, you know, once or twice a month were playing at parties, we
121

play at the country club, we host a swing dance where therell be sixseven hundred
people come and dance. Um, weve been called to play for, you know, parties around
town; so, we do a number of different functions outside and most of them are in clubs,
um, you know, so

I: Could you give a rough estimate of about how many performances, maybe?

P: Uh, twenty-five?

I: Okay.

P: Thirty? Um

I: Ill take it. Um, you touched on this earlier, um, but could you try to describe your
teaching personality with just three adjectives?

P: Three adjectives...um, I would say energetic [chuckle], uh, focused, um, I dont know.
[laughter] Um, II dont know. Maybe Im a little crazy.

I: Alright, Ill mark that one when I send you the transcript if you can throw the third one
in there maybe. Um

P: Im sorry, what did you say?

I: When I email you the transcript, if you think of a third one you can throw it in.

P: Oh, okay.

I: Um, you also touched on the next question earlier; maybe if you have a concise answer
for this what experiences or people in your life contributed most to your choice of
pedagogical techniques and/or teaching philosophy?

P: Well I think I have a lot of people that have contributed in lots of different ways. I
mean, my high school was so bad, and when I got to college, um, my saxophone teacher
was a Michigan graduate and it was kind of my way or the highway and I needed that
I needed that kind of discipline and love. And then I did drum core that was kind of,
you know, the same kind of thing [inaudible], and then when I got to Illinois, um,
[inaudible] was very different and, actually, Yusef Lateef was very different I started
to play my [inaudible] my last year and, um, it was, uh, it was very different. It was
more, you knowthey would ask you a question of how you felt it, What emotion do
you want. And, uh, you know, they would have you record it and say, Well, did you
reach your goal? Did you play with that kind of emotion? And, uh, it was a very
different way of thinking about it, um, yeah. So, I definitely needed that, uh, kick in the
pants when I was younger, um, but, um, the way that our program was set up before the
middle school director that was at our school was a military guy and he would definitely
give a kick in the pants to the kids, uh, at the middle school level; and when they came to
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me I adopted definitely more of the, umI didnt want to teach out of fear, I didnt want
kids to be scared, cause I dont think they can perform as well as they can if theyre
scared of the teacher. So, I kind of adopted a different wayI try not to teach out of fear,
I dont want the kids to be scared of me. Um, not that Im their best friend or anything
[laughter] but, um, but I, you know, want toto trust that, what Im saying is, its gonna
help them and that kind of stuff. So, I think myphilosophically I went from more of a
disciplinariana serious practicer to one whos motivated more by what can get done,
try to motivate kids toyou know, by listening to stuff and saying, Can we get to that
level? Seeing what kids can do stretch them that way, rather than you have to do
this.

I: Okay. Uh, you responded in your survey that you encourage students to memorize
chord changes for improvising. Um, do you provide any kind of suggestions for them, to
facilitate the process, or, uh, a guide for them?

P: Well, uh, I mean, I push them in thatI look at my role as a facilitator in many ways.
Pushing people to take private lessons, for certain people, and get them involved with the
best people around town, cause if they can get that experience from themcause Im
ImIve got to tell you, Im not an improviser. I know the basics behind it, what have
you, and I can encourage it and say, Hey, you know, Memorize this, what have you;
and you know, some of the jazz festivals that we go to, um, theytheyll get our combos
theyll give the same comments: why are you looking at the music? So you encourage
kids to memorize it. And the kids that, uh, like we went to Lincoln Center last year that
wanted to play at the, um, in the, uh, jam session, I gave them each of those charts and a
recording of a Jamey Aebersold recording, so they could practice those, and I said,
Memorize those chord changes, you know, um, and try to get with a couple of people
so that they can do that. So, Im always encouraging them I dont necessarily check
them [laughter]. But, Im encouraging them to do that.

I: Okay. Uh, is thereoh, um, something you also noted in the survey, um, sparked a
question. Is there any particular reason you choose not to use any pedagogical materials,
aids, or tools? You did just say that youve used Aebersolds.

P: I dontquite frankly, I dont know of any pedagogical stuff other than the Aerbersold
things, I just dont know about it. I mean, not that I wouldnt necessarily use it, I just
dont know about it.

I: Sure.

P: I mean, I know that thereswell, I think theres alike, a beginner jazz series that
does stuff, but my top kids are way above that. So I never really looked into it.

I: Okay.

P: I guess my younger kids could do it. I mean, I have my ownown things that I get
them to do and I teach them kind of how to [inaudible], how tohow to play certain
123

things and talk about certain rhythms, and, you know, that kind of stuff. Teach them how
to swing. But, I dont know. I guess I dont know about other stuff out there.

I: Sure. Some people just, you know, theyrethey feel more comfortable not using
somebody elses materials. So, um, I just was curiousum, and last question, but not
least: is there anything else youd like to add regarding your personal jazz pedagogy for
the purposes of this study?

P: Um, I dont know [chuckle]. Um, I mean, I know that when I was younger and I
think I said this already Id wait for certain people with certain skills and talent to move
in but that just never happens; and so, I think by going to the Essentially Ellington thing
and, um, being there andI was kind of encouraged toand I dont know the first thing
about plunger technique, but Im not afraid to pull a kid in the back and work on it. You
know? I could teach him how to do it I dont shy away from those things anymore. Um,
it was more, I meanI mean - when I was a younger teacher I definitely would shy away
from charts that are like that. I might not necessarily perform those, but I definitely dont
shy away from them, cause I know if were going to get to the point of doing that youve
got to introduce them to that stuff younger rather than later. So I would say thats a big
thing; and then sight-reading all the time. I mean, weve gone to a couple of festivals like
the Next Generation or Monterey Jazz Festival has a sight-reading component, and so
does the Eau Claire festival; um, and our groups definitely rank pretty highly, um, with
the sight-reading just because of that cause we do it all the time.

I: Thats great. Um, if thats it for your answer, then thats the end of the interview.

P: Okay.

124



I played in jazz bands through high school and studied jazz drum and vibes in
college. I do not have extensive performing experience in jazz, but I have played
countless gigs as a drum set player- mostly musicals and for years in rock and
wedding bands. As a teacher I've taught jazz at multiple levels - from 5th grade
through high school, but always in the public school setting. I've taught it as a
club after school and as a curricular ensemble during the day.

time?

When I taught middle school, I maintained a performance schedule (mostly
classical/ pop/ percussion ensemble) but have done very limited performing since
2009, when I took over at my current position (DeKalb HS).


During the first semester we work out of a style and articulation method
book. The book has eleven units and we spend 5-10 minutes of class using it to
warm up. On average we go through one unit a week. After that's complete we
start every class with an easy tune from the folders as a warm up. We don't
rehearse it much as its primary focus is to keep the repertoire of the ensemble
healthy and promote reading skills. After that we'll get into working on whatever
is planned for rehearsal that day. Some days we spend more time listening and
discussing, other days are focused more on rehearsing. On some occasions, the
group will be given sectional time during class.

setting?

I have a rubric that I fill out for students at each quarter for each individual in the
ensemble. It is used for grading them and showing them where they need to grow
as a musician. The rubric is divided into 3 parts: accuracy (how often they play
right notes), tone and style/improvisation (how well they swing and improvise).


Other than the "Daily Warm Ups for Jazz Ensemble Vol, II" our most heavily
used tool is original recordings.

125

what are they?)

I didn't gain any "new" techniques per say, but I did gain a much deeper level of
understanding of the techniques I'd already been using, as well as an
understanding of how far students can be driven when motivated and educated
properly.


We send a recording to EE every year. We use the recording as their final project
for first semester. It's very simple to integrate EE in the goals of the ensemble as
we'd be performing lots of Ellington's music with or without the program (as we
believe his repertoire to be among the most important to the curriculum).


All of the students understand that it is their job to get the other members of their
section playing up to the standards of the band. Students run their own sectionals
and hold high expectations for one another.


We actually almost never perform in school. Our regular concerts are held at a
local cafe, which houses jazz throughout the year. We always start the year with
one concert per semester scheduled, and everything else is filled up through
requests. We typically get 4-10 requests for additional performances and book as
many as we can handle.


serious
humorous
modest


All of my college professors (particularly Robert Chappell, Rich Holly and Ron
Carter - NIU, James Petercsak, Timothy Topolewski and Scott LaVine - SUNY
Potsdam) as well as my private teachers and band directors growing up. I think
126

my family and friends and the values I have in regard to musical performance are
also very important.

the students?

I give them lead sheets and we create digital recordings of rhythm sections
playing the changes to practice with. I only teach chord reading in small settings -
rarely in the full ensemble.


The only thing not mentioned already would be a metronome and a tuner


No.


Very involved in high school (phoenix AZ) Attended various jazz camps, but no
real formal education. I have learned how to work with jazz bands from attending
competitions, festivals, Midwest, having clinicians work with my students. For
the past 5 years I recently play in a professional jazz combo during the summer
months on a local jazz cruise line. We do some extra playing...if the price is right.
I am a classically trained trumpet player who loves jazz, and I listen to recordings
all the time.
time?
I play regularly at my church. We are a contemporary Lutheran service. I also
play at weddings...mostly for my former students or close friends. See #1. BUT
teaching full time is my gig, and I have little extra time to perform.
127

Listening, to recordings...ours and professional recordings. During our block
rehearsal (Wednesday) we do about an hour sectional time. I roam between the
sections and make sure the kids are on track! The other rehearsals, we discuss the
goal for each rehearsal, and the students are expected to comment and assess the
rehearsals.
setting?
Individual playing. I have the rhythm section play and each student plays a
selection. I also record rehearsals, and they offer written comments.
Jamey Aebersold, you tube, iTunes. I do not have any "Jazz Books" Its about
listening!!!!
what are they?)
Affirmation, and positive reinforcement, know the history of each tune!
7. Do you ever have your ensemble(s) participate in the annual Essentially
Ellington program? If so, how do you integrate that into your other goals for the
ensemble throughout the academic year?
If you can play Ellington, everything else becomes easier. The attention to detail
is paramount with this music, and the students read, prepare, and focus much
better. We participate in other state festivals, and host a number of concerts.
Most important. We have a 7/8 grade honor band that I expect my section leaders
to coach the younger students. I also expect the more experienced students to help
the younger bands. We all hang out together for pep band, and football band, we
form a bond!
Most are out of the school day. But on the average the top band does 20
performances and the younger bands, 10-15. WE give 4 concerts at the school.
128

Intense, creative, high-expectations.
Ron Carter, Bob Lark, Denis DiBlasio, Jeff Hamilton, Bob Baca and other guest
artists. We also attend local state festivals where people come work with
us. Constant listening.
the students?
Using the digits...1,3.5,7.9 etc. I have them out line the skeleton of the
progression, while the rhythm section plays.
???
I suppose I am old school. I do not really use books other than choosing good
music. Stuff that is also available on recordings. I raise the bar with the music.
Gordon Goodwin, Basie, Ellington, etc...all are available on recordings. For
combo stuff, I insist on Jamey Aebersold. Some of his books include
theory. Theory, comes from what the kids seem to respond to...the blues
progression, rhythm changes. THEN understanding the chord progressions. C
7

etc. What does that mean....and they pretty much know.....by now!

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