ATJS Education
Outreach Activities
What is traditional jazz?
Traditional jazz (often known as New Orleans style jazz) is music of substantial historical and artistic significance, yet it has little commercial viability. It is virtually never heard on commercial radio or television, and only occasionally on public radio or television.
Traditional jazz is the only> form which has successfully incorporated collective improvisation. That is, all players are improvising as they work their way through a tune. All players are encouraged to learn chord structures and to improvise within them. The sound of a good traditional jazz band is very pleasing to the ear. Most people find traditional jazz a very accessible form of music.
How does ATJS provide education outreach?
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The Austin Traditional Jazz Society can engage traditional jazz musicians for school programs. One local ensemble, the Silver Creek Jazz Band, played two performances for the Taylor Independent School District After-School Program. School concerts benefit students who might otherwise never hear quality traditional jazz.
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The requested fee per school concert is $450 for a one-hour performance. This fee will provide six competent musicians at $75 each. Concerts allow students to hear a variety of jazz instruments played singly and then formed into an ensemble. The listeners get to hear original improvisation on jazz themes. The early history of jazz as it evolved from the blues, spirituals, ragtime, and other 19th century music forms is discussed. The audience gets to hear classic jazz tunes played in an authentic style.
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Students have opportunities to play traditional jazz. In 2011 ATJS President Dave Stoddard formed the Round Rock Dixieland Project and taught a group of high school musicians to play a short set of traditional jazz tunes. Backed by an experienced rhythm section, these students played a demonstration set prior to the 2011 ATJS All-Star Concert. The Society holds an annual jam session each January. All players who wish to perform are slotted into the ensembles which are created through the course of the afternoon. Numbers of high school and college players have participated.
Examples of Past ATJS Education Outreach Activities
Duck U Students Learn About Jazz
By Martha Stoddard & T.H. Johnson
Duck University Site Coordinator
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-from Taylor Daily Press |
Duck University students at Pasemann Elementary and at T.H. Johnson Elementary schools took a musical trip back in time recently, courtesy of the Silver Leaf Jazz Band of Austin.
Members of the band shared a glimpse into the history of jazz, then played six tunes.
Members of the band were Larmon Maddox on cornet, Jim Ivy on clarinet, John Gill on banjo, Bob Alexius on bass and Dave Stoddard on trombone.
Stoddard told students that jazz began around the turn of the 20th Century in New Orleans. It is an American music which contains many influences, including African rhythms and work chants, hymns and spirituals, marches, dance tunes and ragtime.
When players were introduced, each musician played and described his instrument for students. Between musical selections, Stoddard explained techniques players were using.
Girls and boys, parents, teachers and other school personnel, who were lured by the sounds, enjoyed the concerts. In fact, at the conclusion of the performance at T.H. Johnson, audience calls for "More, more!" prompted the band to play one more song.
Students agreed this was one program that enriched their hearts and minds as well as their hands and feet.
Round Rock Dixieland Project Demonstration Set
June 19, 2011
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CONNECT IT! Austin ISD and Arts Nonprofits Showcase
During the summers of 2013 and 2014, the Austin Independent School District held a meet-and-greet for arts in education at Bowie High School in South Austin. Nonprofit organization representatives had the opportunity at each event to meet approximately 400 district administrators and teachers from arts programs from all over AISD.
ATJS enthusiastically participated with Director Tutty Maixner and Recording Secretary Martha Stoddard at our booth. They passed out several hundred flyers and copies of Frequently Asked Questions and told anyone who would listen about ATJS, how its music can further the arts in schools, and recently published science research which shows how interacting with jazz music and improvisation stimulates the brain in new ways related to language development and learning.
This has been a good event for the Society’s outreach efforts. One hopes that schools will want to schedule traditional jazz concerts (apparently additional school district money is available for arts programs) and that some administrators, teachers, parents, and students will attend some of the Cap City concerts.
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