2001 NACTMUS Conference
Byron Bay: June 30- July 2, 2001
Creating Musical Futures:
Challenges to Music Education in the 21st Century
Abstracts of papers
Byron Bay: June 30- July 2, 2001
Creating Musical Futures:
Challenges to Music Education in the 21st Century
Jazz was the first 20th Century music to be taken seriously by Academia - is it's future in our education institutions under threat in Australia?
The music has always struggled for a place in the music spectrum, battling for acceptance and recognition as a serious art form since the early part of the twentieth century . American shipboard musicians introduced the music to an enthusiastic Australian audience only a few years after the Original Dixieland Jazzband recorded the famous (first) recording in 1917 in the U.S.
Finally accepted into Tertiary curricula offerings in the 1970's with considerable foreboding and opposition from the firmly ensconced classical genre, it wasn't very long before courses at the undergraduate level began to proliferate around the country and attract a high calibre of creative student who went on to graduate as artists accepted and successful at the international level. However, just as the acceptance and success is well recognised and the music no longer needs to justify its standing as an art form in this country we begin to witness a technological revolution and traditional areas of employment for jazz musicians diminishing and disappearing. Big bands now largely only exist in Universities (a worldwide phenomenon) and jingles and recordings being almost exclusively the domain of the electronic musician. The jazz artist does not enjoy the employment opportunities afforded classical musicians in large orchestras and many jazz performances are poorly paid and an unreliable source of income.
Music curricula in the university sector are also increasingly required to be vocationally and financially responsible, therefore is it realistic and even responsible, to prepare students for a career as a jazz artist?
This last statement might seem somewhat extreme and possibly coming from the economic rationalist from hell. However in the university environment students are now 'clients' and strategic planning is market driven and 'business speak' is the order of the day. It could be argued that this draconian rationalisation might well apply to other artistic disciplines and other genres of music, however as the subject of this paper is restricted to the jazz idiom and jazz education, we will concentrate on what might apply in that case alone.
Certainly jazz educators and those responsible for jazz programs in the tertiary sector cannot afford to ignore the possibility that they may well need to defend their programs from just such a rationalisation and therefore perhaps, need to be very well prepared in this regard.
It is also pertinent to note that Professor de-Haan in a paper at the Create Conference in 1998 suggested that:
"With decreased government funding and a higher level of accountability driven by a "user pay" systems students will be looking for reassurance as to the career prospects that they may expect when they graduate"É (De-Haan p.2)
The possibility of voucher systems for tertiary education where students may choose an institution of their own choice may add further pressure on jazz programs which in the future may struggle for the all important numbers to make their programs viable.
As the Australian representative to the Board of the International Association for Jazz Education for some 12 years I have also observed that these disturbing trends are evident on a global scale. Graham Collier noted composer, author and a past director of the Jazz Programme at The Royal Academy of Music in London noted at a Conference on Rhythmic Music Education in Denmark in 1997:
ÉIn my own case, after being around for six years, successfully building up a course within agreed parameters, I was summarily told that the jazz provision in our 500 strong Academy would be cut from the proposed 36 to 24. This was to be a phased reduction over several years but was nevertheless a totally unwelcome bolt from the blue. The reason was related to a limit on the number of funded students we are allowed by the government and the Academy's then large continuous deficit. As one of the more recent additions to the Academy, we were looked at as a possible blight on the continuing development of the 'core' subjects that is- things that had been taught for over one hundred years." (Collier 1997 p.9)
The American situation differs from the European Conservatoire model of professional music training.
Collier describes it thus:
Many of the jazz schools in America cater for demand. This comes from two separate areas. The first caters for what one could call the gifted amateur, those students who take some music courses for credit towards an entirely different degree. The second caters for those students who wish to become professional musicians with some jazz skills. These demands have created a substantial jazz education industryÉ (Collier p.4)
Collier goes onto say that there are fewer institutions in America training the professional jazz performer or composer than would clearly satisfy the aesthetic argument as he puts itÉ"Is it as worthy of study, as Mozart?" (Collier p.4). It is my observation, however, that in recent years American institutions that train professional jazz musicians are on the increase. The University of Miami is a case in point where the liberal arts model at the undergraduate level has been adjusted to accommodate students aiming towards a career in jazz. Allowances are provided for students with heavy rehearsal and performance commitments and music training is based on a high standard of aesthetics. Hence the postgraduate programs at this institution have an awesome reputation when students get to fully concentrate on their chosen discipline.
Unusual for American institutions, this is all done largely independent of the University's Classical Department while maintaining an excellent and equal relationship with that department.
America has it's own problems with jazz education related to the sociological situation surrounding jazz itself and the well documented racial issues emanating from its origins. While jazz education began in the US with the establishment of a small private college in 1947- Berklee College of Music, jazz education did not take hold in American universities until at least the 1960's.
American Saxophonist and jazz educator David Liebman suggests:
It's hard to say who the original founder of jazz education was. In the 1940's a few places started up and quite quickly by the 1950's the Berklee College of Music in Boston became synonymous with jazz education. But really the growth of jazz education began in the 1970's. And in Europe-although we did have some schools earlier &endash; really in the 1970's and 1980's.(Liebman 1997 p.1)
What is interesting here is that Australian jazz education in the tertiary sector began in 1972 with the establishment of the Jazz Studies Course at the Sydney Conservatorium by Rex Hobcroft and Don Burrows. Coinciding with the emergence of American and European jazz education, Arguably American and European jazz education is perhaps no further advanced than it is here in Australia.
It is also interesting to note that the International Association of Jazz Educators is active in providing professional development courses for high school teachers in the U.S. that address the same or similar problems that we face with secondary music education here in Australia. That is to say&endash; shortcomings with teacher training which seems to produce teachers who are ill prepared to teach jazz and contemporary music in the classroom.
Recently there has been a worldwide increase in demand for studies in contemporary and popular music and music technology. There is also a synergy between jazz and popular music of the twentieth century in that they both come from an aural tradition of music making and have their roots mostly, in a common history. Perhaps also jazz educators need to consider their philosophy with regard to the contemporary electronic revolution which is impacting on music, the music industry and music education as a whole. 'Ignore it at your peril' might be worthwhile advice as there would seem to be less professional opportunities for specialist musical skills as music styles and idioms converge and meld
De-Hann sees it this way:
The world order is being radically transformed. In the last five years alone, we have possibly seen more social, economic and political changes than in any previous five year period. "Music making" is in a similar state of change as demonstrated by the emergence of a diverse musical culture with a level of interdependence and range of aesthetic and musical attitudes unprecedented in the entire history of Western music. (de-Hann p. 1)
He goes on to comment directly on contemporary music:
Contemporary music making now incorporates a multitude of musical forms, from Western art music and jazz, to popular music, music theatre, world music, music technology, music for film, multi media and various related interdisciplinary idioms. In addition, other fields of professional musical activity, including pedagogy, music therapy, arts management, music production and software design, are all being viewed as serious and alternative professional options by practicing musicians. For the Conservatoire to adequately respond to these changes, it must move from its current position of an institution of high specialisation, to that as a musical and educational community which can embrace the 'plurality' of musical approaches.(De Hann p2)
Jazz musicians and Educators need to be careful not to demonstrate the same short sightedness in relation to other music such as popular music, that the musical establishment did with jazz not so long ago. That is, that Western Art Music was somehow superior and worthy, while jazz and popular music were somehow subordinate- indeed, inferior.
In a paper on Sound, Sociality, and Music Bowman explores the issues. He maintains:
Great music, by definition, is that which transcends the mundane social world. It is independent of, impervious to, and untainted by social or political concerns. Still, even enlightened Western Societies take remarkable pains to preserve and perpetuate music they consider desirable and worry openly about the potentially pernicious effects of music they find unsavoury or objectionable. (Bowman p.54)
Perhaps more importantly Bowman's argument suggests that arguments as to 'serious' music's presumed superiority centres around mistaken differences in value.
In support of this Bowman goes on to say that the European traditions prioritize harmonic and structural complexity which are realised in the written score &endash; and are also amenable for rational analysis. The African and Caribbean musical traditions on the other hand -which have strongly influenced much popular music are predominantly aural, achieving their musicality reliant on aural modes of transmission and retention including timbral colour and inflection, antiphonal small scale repetition and improvisation. Structure is incidental it only exists as a vehicle within to make the music. Music making in this context centres around a creative personal endeavour (Bowman p.57.)
Bowman rounds out the argument by suggesting that "Art music's superiority is maintained by declaring its particular values universal and ultimate and by expropriating "serious" music's perspective to all musical styles. (Bowman p.58)
Schuller seems to also confirm this view:
Jazz has always expected to measure and defend itself against the prevailing white, essentially European, establishments and concepts of music. If we are going to discuss the influence of jazz on the history and developments of concert music, that is, classical music, then I for one can only carry on that discussion in terms of artistic and social equality. Jazz is a music as capable of greatness as any other music tradition. Jazz can claim its own venerable traditions and distinctive artistic accomplishments. It can be argued that jazz and its derivatives have exerted a more powerful, penetrating, worldwide influence than any other music in human history. (Schuller p.12)
One would be remiss if it was not also noted that Jazz itself is changing as it continually reinvents itself (as it always has done) and it is conceivable that jazz will eventually be absorbed into an amorphous collection of improvised music. Paul Grabowsky's point of view would seem to reflect this:
It is time to accept that the word [jazz] may no longer be up to the task of adequately representing much of the music which is performed by improvisers, and that it might be useful to look at the whole improvised music scene as one fertile field in which musical languages flow freely (Grabowsky p. 1)
So how to balance the need for artistic integrity and credence and the need to embrace technology and prepare the student for an ever changing and increasingly diverse musical environment? All the above and remain strong and viable in the present financially uncomfortable and ever changing university environment?
The smart Australian jazz educator will perhaps embrace technology and the popular music forms indeed all music in the improvised and rhythmic tradition as valid 20th Century musical forms (some already have-I may add). They will develop a symbiotic arrangement that strengthens the department profile and at the same time open up opportunities for a broader funding base and broader performance and graduate opportunities for students. It would also seem that over the last decade, governments and hence university administrations, open the coffers a little easier when the "T " word is included as they rush to embrace technology almost indiscriminately it would seem.
So perhaps we can find a way to pay the bills and stay viable but this does not address the second half of the dilemma that is: is it realistic and even responsible, to prepare students for a vocation and career as a jazz artist?
Graham Collier on this subject quotes respected American jazz educator Bill Dobbins
We should not be concerned, nor should any art school or university &endash; about the job prospects. There has been a detrimental trend to force universities into becoming trade schools. People should go to university to become educated, not just to get a job. The politicians have been redefining university, and the original meaning has been forgotten. Even music school people should realise that they [the students] are there to get a broader education, not just to learn how to play louder, higher, faster (Collier p.8)
Well, I can relate to that! This statement resonates rather sympathetically with the situation in Australian Tertiary Education in 2001 perhaps. I believe, however, that an effective jazz programme can equip students with a range of options other than the coveted but almost unattainable Australian professional jazz-performing career. Standards set by institutions and achieved by students in those institutions teaching jazz performance may need to be moderated to an international professional standard, as career opportunities require students to look outside Australia for career prospects.
Teaching is an option where opportunities for jazz graduates with skills in the area of improvisation and rhythmic music are becoming highly sought after. Positions in the private sector of secondary education in Western Australia now openly advertise positions requiring those skills. I am also on an advisory committee for the Western Australian Education Department's School of Instrumental Music that recognises that present teacher training is not delivering the necessary skills in this area. The new world of technology offers new opportunities and there are associated and related industries that provide ongoing opportunities for jazz graduates. The reality is of course, that in the 21 century jazz graduates will need to develop a wide range of skills to work across all music disciplines and will probably work in a combination of occupations apart from a singular performance career per sec.
This brings me to other larger issues outside the university environment that are directly and indirectly adversely affecting jazz education. Firstly advocacy for jazz itself has always been and continues to be a problem where jazz does not seem to register with the Australian national consciousness and little constructive advocacy is evident at the political level or within the public or private business sector. Other music and art forms seem to be somewhat ahead of us on this one. My time with the IAJE Board also provided me with insight into the American approach to advocacy albeit in a highly powered capitalist environment where advocacy skills are synonymous with survival skills.
Williams states in an article - Recognition, Prestige and Respect: "The Kennedy Center is not there because Schumann wrote some excellent music, but because everybody knows Schumann wrote some excellent music". (Williams p114)
We now have a new National strategic plan for Jazz development developed by the National Jazz Development office in New South Wales at least recognises that there is a problem with support and resources, but seems to only propose inconclusive and vague solutions, without addressing a meaningful action plan for advocacy.
The introduction to the plan states:
The official support for jazz has increased over the 80's and 90's, but still falls short of the recognition accorded to other expressive forms musical, or otherwise. Consequently there is little infrastructure support to jazz in Australia. By way of comparison, while classical music has an elaborate infrastructure of orchestras, opera companies, entrepreneurs, touring organisations, the continuing infrastructure in support of jazz performance has only one full time employee, the national Jazz Development Officer-Eric Myers. (Myers p.7)
And the proposed solution is inconclusive:
Apart from urging jazz administrators to inform themselves of existing research, this plan seeks to generate documented information regarding the situation of jazz in relation to Australian arts and society. Parameters would be selected in particular to test the effectiveness of this strategy. (Myers p9)
It is perhaps an indictment of the National Jazz Development Office that after twenty years existence little basic research has been done. But then again the jazz community didn't insist on it or give the necessary direction so perhaps we have only ourselves to blame. In completing research for this paper, I found that existing research relating to statistical information on jazz and jazz education is extremely thin on the ground. Research recently released by the Australia Council in 'Australians and the Arts' provides useful big picture information but gives little detailed information for the jazz community. What is needed is research on the scale undertaken by the American National Endowment for the Arts as commissioned by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in the 1980's. The statistical quality of this survey was high and the probability sample of American adults was large by usual [American] standards. Important relevant information was explored including:
The size of the jazz audience in the U.S. &endash; (in 1982 it was (54 million individuals or nearly 1/3rd of all American adults). And the break down of that participation, -(20% listened to recordings 29% listened to jazz radio or television and 10% went to live performances).
Other statistics were forthcoming on:
Statistical data such as this is required to reinforce jazz advocacy in Australia. Detailed data from our university music departments on jazz graduate enrolments, graduate destinations, completions, subsequent career paths and other information will help us plan the road ahead and provide statistical information to back up informed decisions.
It was interesting to note in the paper given by Graham Collier on 'Jazz Education on a Conservatory Level' Erik Moseholm from the Rhythmic Conservatory in Denmark remarked that they had done some research into what their students did after graduation. They found that only 5% of graduates made a living exclusively as musicians and just
2 % went on to be music teachers exclusively. The remaining 93% did a combination of these careers. Consequently they took the decision to only allow 20% of their students to be educated only as musicians. The research also showed that 30% of their graduates did a combination of playing and composing. Consequently, they have started advanced courses in composition (Collier p.10).
We need to address the current lack of research here in Australia as a matter of urgency, and universities should shoulder that responsibility in the first instance.
Perhaps one of the crosses to bear with a living art form such as jazz is the rather painful and public stoushes that have always occurred at the international, national and local level with regard to jazz direction, development, personalities, in fact anything to do or not to do with the art form. I can't help thinking that we continually shoot ourselves in the foot with the discord, destructive factionalism and dissension that surround the art form. In the past it was the progressivists and the 'mouldy figs' and today it is the revisionist camp lead by Wynton Marsarlis versus the rest who want to contribute something of their own generation, and it goes on and on! Perhaps all part of the development of a relatively young art form, but in many ways destructive for advocacy of jazz music.
It is ironic to me that so much division and dissension should rack an art form that relies almost completely on artistic cooperation and aesthetic empathy and interaction to succeed
To sum up then, jazz education in Australia:
Lastly a final comment on why we should train young Australians to become jazz performers, composers and teachers:
Pat Methany in an excellent keynote address at the New York IAJE international Convention hit on a seminal point perhaps when he suggested that each generation of jazz players have something that they need to contribute that reflects their own special place in time. He says:
It seems like somewhere about that time in a musicians life, you can hear the emerging sound of your own generation of musicians. It lives inside you, and often rings loud and clear. And it often sounds like nothing you have heard before. Listen to that as closely as you can. Listen to it with the same attention and curiosity that you reserve for your heroes on records .(Methany p.3)
This may turn out to be the ultimate strength of the artform. Where the individual performer is greater than the whole. The individual has in his grasp the control and freedom to alter, augment, and perhaps even represent a generation of music by vividly reflecting his or her own particular time and place.
Perhaps this is what is special!
Thankyou.
References
Bowman,W (1993) Sound, Sociality, And , Music: Part One. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning Vol 5 number 3 p.50-58.
Collier,G (1997) Jazz Education on a Conservatory Level Available WWW.http://hjem.get2net.dk/jot/imc/r03.htm (6/5/01).
Costantoura, P (2000)) Australians and the Arts - Report for the Australia Council Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney.
De Haan, S, (1998) Educational Processes and Communication Strategies for the Development of the Creative Musician within a Conservatoire Environment Proceedings of the Arts on the Edge Conference (p.2). Perth: Hyatt Hotel.
Grabowsky, P. (2001) Check Out Time Available WWW. http://talk.to/ozjazzforum (8/6/01).
Harowitz, H. (1986) New Perspectives on Jazz. (Baker, D. Ed.) Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Liebman,D, (1997) Jazz and Jazz Education: Its Unique Character Available WWW.http://hjem.get2net.dk/jot/imc/r02.htm (6/5/01).
Methany, P (2001) 2001 IAJE Conference keynote address: Jazz Educators Journal Vol 33 number 6 p.46-50.
Myers, E. (2001 April/May)The National Strategic Plan for Jazz Development. January 3, 2001 Jazzchord 7-9.
Schuller, G. (1986). New Perspectives on Jazz. (Baker, D. Ed.) Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Williams,M. (1986). New Perspectives on Jazz. (Baker, D. Ed.) Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Biographical Note
Associate Professor Patrick Crichton has been head of Jazz and Contemporary music studies at the Western Australian Institute of Music ( WAAPA at Edith Cowan University) for the past 17 years. He has also served as the Australasian Board Representative to the International Association of Jazz Educators for 12 years and has just finished serving that organisation as Strategic Planning Co- chair. He is also Co Chair of their International Curriculum Committee. He also serves on the peer committee for music for the Australia Council and was the Western Australian representative on the National Jazz Coordination Committee for 5 years. He founded the Western Australian Youth Jazz orchestra in 1983 which he lead until 1996 and had professional career in Sydney as a trumpet player and arranger composer for film and television throughout the 70 and early 80's. He played and toured internationally with the Daly Wilson Big Band in the 70's and contributed his compositions and arrangements to that bands' recorded repertoire. He was commissioned by the Bicentennial Authority to compose a new jazz work 'Reflections of Western Australia with along Western Australian composers Mike Nelson and Gary Lee in 1998.