Jazz: More than Music
What students are really learning
Louis Armstrong, the iconic jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer, once famously said, "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." Today, jazz musicians create music that often seems perplexing to a casual listener. For musicians, jazz performance demands technical prowess, a strong knowledge of harmony and theory, and an ability to navigate complex musical structures. While pop songs are often succinct and built around simple hooks, jazz recordings tend to be more intricate and require listeners to invest time and energy into the experience. Yet, for those who engage with it, jazz uniquely combines playfulness, raw emotional energy, and intellectual stimulation.
Like other artists, jazz musicians continually question their motivations and goals. They ask the same existential questions as other musicians:
What is the purpose of music?
What motivates us to create music?
Is music solely entertainment, or should it carry a message?
Does our music represent ourselves, our culture, or something beyond that?
Does our privilege enable us to pursue an artistic path?
Would our art have deeper meaning if it directly addressed societal issues?
Should we allow ourselves to create celebratory music when society is in crisis?
Is the audience truly hearing our music in the way we intend?
Pondering existential questions
Jazz in School
Students are learning jazz in many schools today. My students learn traditional repertoire as well as phrasing, idiomatic style, form navigation, harmonic comprehension, and other abstract concepts central to jazz performance. Many of these students will carry music with them throughout their lives in meaningful ways. But what skills, developed through jazz (or other arts) education, translate into tangible life skills?
Teamwork
One valuable skill I witness daily is students' ability to work collaboratively. Teamwork in music mirrors the dynamics of athletics in terms of mutual accountability, but in an ensemble, each student’s role is unique and irreplaceable. If the drummer is absent, there is no groove; if the horn player is missing, the melody could be lost. This unique form of accountability fosters a commitment to showing up—not just for oneself, but for the group.
Embracing Mistakes
Mistakes are an inevitable and necessary part of learning music. No musician can be expected to perform a piece flawlessly upon first hearing, nor can a band play in sync without rehearsal. In jazz, improvisation requires the courage to take risks, much like a student in an English or history class sharing a deeply personal or unique perspective. While risk-taking involves vulnerability, it also facilitates growth. Great artists embrace mistakes, and this mindset can be invaluable in any future endeavor.
Problem-Solving, Self-Assessment, and Creativity
These three concepts are deeply intertwined in a jazz education. To the listener, an improvised jazz solo is a seamless musical narrative, but for the musician, it is a series of choices within a structured framework—key, tempo, rhythmic feel, and form. Beyond these parameters, musicians navigate their own technical abilities, familiarity with the repertoire, and musical instincts. Self-assessment is central to practice, as students set short- and long-term goals, refine their technique, and prepare for performances. The ability to problem-solve creatively, a key component of jazz, translates to critical thinking in all aspects of life.
Discipline
Success in any field requires discipline, and jazz is no exception. Learning an instrument and mastering a musical style demands patience and persistence. These qualities extend beyond music, equipping students with the resilience needed to tackle challenges in other areas of life.
Valuing the Process as Much as the Result
One of the greatest lessons the arts teach us is that the journey matters as much as the outcome. Musicians learn to appreciate the daily practice, the "grind," and the struggles inherent in learning. A successful music class is not only about the final concert but also about the process of reaching that moment. Just as Beethoven’s sketches for his Tenth Symphony hold more artistic weight than the AI-generated completion of Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, the act of creating and refining music holds its own intrinsic value.
Learning How to Learn
While students learn in all academic disciplines, jazz is unique because it is experiential, combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. Jazz students study lead sheets, dissect recordings, and develop an intuitive understanding of style through deep listening. Moreover, the study of jazz repertoire and artists reflects broader cultural narratives, from slavery and the blues to the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and today’s technological transformations in music. The holistic study of jazz education greatly reflects the depths of understanding subject material.
Empathy
Perhaps the most valuable life lesson in jazz is empathy. Jazz education honors the pioneers of swing and bebop, many of whom faced discrimination. By celebrating this music, we acknowledge their humanity and struggles. This level of empathy fosters greater acceptance of people from different backgrounds and belief systems, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive society. Dr. Martin King, Jr. contributed an essay to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival and wrote, "God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy.” It has been stated that jazz was the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement as the acceptance of jazz into the mainstream was a reflection of the Black musicians who created this music. Our students possess a tolerance and admiration for others from varied backgrounds and nationalities and this empathy is a positive attribute that will shine on their future.
More than Music
Jazz students are learning more than just notes and rhythms. I hope every one of my students continues performing music in the future. However, even if they step away from music-making, I am confident that the lessons they learn through jazz will lead them toward success and fulfillment in whatever path they choose.