Jazz From The Start

Many music teachers don’t feel comfortable with jazz, or maybe they have never played or studied jazz. Many music programs are not large enough to have a separate jazz band, yet don’t those students deserve to study jazz as well? Jazz is part of our heritage. It’s America’s only original art form. It developed when people of many nationalities, many ethnicities, many music styles converged in New Orleans and created something totally new.  This curriculum might be for you if… You want to teach jazz to everybody as part of your own music curriculum You don’t have a jazz band (and probably won’t have one) You do have a jazz band and want to start them improvising more You teach elementary students who are just starting on their instruments You teach middle school students who have 1-3 years experience You teach high school students and want to get them outside their comfort zones This curriculum has been field tested with several classes of my own students. I named it Jazz From The Sta