Date:	22-Dec-1998 15:40:01
From:	Stephen (djangorhinehart@yahoo.com)
	The best way to introduce young people to jazz is by exposing them to it. Just be careful to start with what they will find cool. Not every one likes Live in Seatle so you should probobly start with some new swing or salsa. Stuf like the sound track to When Harry Met Sally and Brian Setzer are a great place to start. Then as the young person developes expose them to more and more outside stuf. Before you know it thell be thinking Ornithology is the hepest thing since Jelly Roll.

 

Date:	23-Dec-1998 02:50:48
From:	jon (edwin@iswt.com)
	Stephen, your e mail address is more interesting than the body of your message.. imagine.......djangorheinhart@yahoo.com i have collected Django records for many many years. back to about 1952. he was the greatest. and say.....have you heard the small group from austin texas.....names....(8 1/2)...they are great...see them in person if you can......they have a french guitar player that sounds exactly like Django....they have been signed by RCA recently and maybe more people will hear them. as to getting young people interested in jazz......ah now thats difficult. i think it has to be one of gentle exposure....too much or our preaching about it will only discourage them... when you are talking to a young man/woman they are mostly interested in themselves...in the course of the conversation if they talk about some life crisis or problem or some related interest...(dancing,,,,singing) we can tell of how a certain jazz record seemed to help yourself be it anger at parents,,,,school,,,,girls,,,,,boys,,,,society,, race issues....ect. this being able to tell how you feel; will open the young person up to perhaps thinking this jazz record or maybe just one cut....can help me too. then maybe they will hear something again and again to where they can feel the music. its a slow process. now in a school situation the teacher can work in these feeling about the music in an educational way....but in a one to one situation...its very hard to do. i have loved jazz for over 50 years....(dinosir)...and looking back i will have to say jazz is a very lonely hobby.....few will share your interests even if they like jazz...... but i would not trade this experience for any other i have tried......ie......classical.....opera....rock and roll.....ect ect. i believe for a lot of young people they associate music with their early romantic yearnings....of course later in life its takes on other feelings....anger,rage,beauty, spiritual qualities,....i really hope these new swing experiments will bring the kids back to jazz....you see having fun and dancing ,,,,they get it all....the ear for jazz....the rhythm.....and its fun. for give the length of this post. jon

 

Date:	23-Dec-1998 07:20:21
From:	Chris Genzel (stamil@t-online.de)
	Jazz should get prohibited, so that it's illegal to listen to it. Or at least start large campaign about how dangerous this music is. You wouldn't believe how many youths would suddenly find jazz hip. Honestly, I guess there's little hope to turn on a lot of young people to jazz - it's a music for outsiders, and youths are regarded as outsiders by other youths when they are listening to jazz. I know that because I experienced it myself. I do agree that they should be led very casually towards jazz; give them the "Get Shorty" soundtrack by John Lurie or explain to them where US3 stole all these wonderful melodies and ideas from. Then let them proceed with "Doo-Bop" or "Dis Is Da Drum" or whatever. Herbie Hancock & Bennie Maupin discographies at: http://home.t-online.de/home/stamil/

 

Date:	23-Dec-1998 15:40:37
From:	Peter Kenyon (kenyonp@cbs.curtin.edu.au)
	I know it is corny and the purists would turn their noses up in disdain, but good compilation CDs work - "Mellow Miles", the "Best of Blue Note" etc. I have (a few) young friends who have heard something like Miles doing Round Midnight and have very quickly progressed to the 65-68 Quintet and then on to Coltrane, Dolphy etc. But realistically, most kids just don't get it! Similarly with classical music. Try getting kids to listen to good chamber music. It's the same with good jazz. basically, these are difficult genres of music as they require you to LISTEN and not just have the music there as background sound. Jazz (and classical) are simply never going to be popular.

 

Date:	28-Dec-1998 20:45:46
From:	David Kurtz (kurtz@liquidaudio.com)
	I stand by the notion that jazz is best experienced live. The electricity generated by seeing a jazz ensemble work together is infinitely more exciting to the untrained ear than sitting through Miles solos in your living room. Live jazz has an organic feeling that connects the listener to the culture of jazz that other live music does not. After sitting through a Joshua Redman set at Yoshi's or the Vanguard, no arena rock show can compare, as a whole experience. Live jazz is the best way to introduce the culture of jazz.

 

Date:	29-Dec-1998 06:02:11
From:	Chris Genzel (stamil@t-online.de)
	I agree that a live jazz experience is more likely to turn somebody on to the genre (my sister is now a jazz fan after seeing Herbie Hancock live), but the problem is that you may have serious problems bringing someone who doesn't like (or know) jazz to spend money for a concert (s)he doesn't want to see. This person already has to be more open-minded. I guess this is not that much of a problem in America, you probably have several jazz clubs where you don't have to pay much in order to be able to hear a concert. Herbie Hancock & Bennie Maupin discographies at: http://home.t-online.de/home/stamil

 

Date:	01-Jan-1999 05:20:04
From:	israel (esroh@juno.com)
	I believe that in most cases it usually takes some kind of pre-meditated motive or a more in-depth reason for a pop influenced young person (I assume we're talking about teenagers) to become at least somewhat interested in jazz. The nature of this "pre-meditated motive" will vary individually and is usually accompanied by a transitional phase as well. For example, I used to listen to allot of alternative rock as an early teen. At 17, I got so tired of alternative and the silly trends it set at school, that I turned to classic rock. Initially, I started listening to classic rock just to try to stick out and be different (something most all teenagers try to pull every now and then) but soon I started to enjoy it for what it was worth. A year later, at the age of 18, I was growing sick of classic rock and miraculously started a light interest in jazz. And, like before, my initial purpose for getting into jazz was again to be a "non-conformist" by finding something new and different (little did I know what was coming to me). And so, at the time of my initial interest in jazz, my "pre-meditated motive" was to be a non-conformist and the "transitional phase" which made my adaptation to jazz possible was a short interest in classic rock. Soon after discovering jazz, though, I quickly realized the true importance of this great art form and soon began to recognize the huge contrast that exists between it and pop music/pop culture. This contrast being that pop music, of any kind, has one primary purpose: to merely entertain its listeners--whereas one of the primary purposes of jazz is to provide its audience with intellectual, spontaneous, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences which will never be exactly duplicated but which can always be remembered.

 

Date:	03-Jan-1999 23:40:45
From:	Michael Ricci (mricci@visionx.com)
	Someone should ask 10 year-old Ben Kincaid of Wichita, KS. Check out his website at http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/5121/.

 

Date:	04-Jan-1999 13:12:49
From:	Linn Kincaid (Ben's dad) (JazzLvr103@aol.com)
	Hey Michael, Thanks for the comment on my son Ben and his success with jazz. I think that a child must be introduced to music ... any music - from the very earliest stages of development. Ben responded to nursery rhyme music in cassette and video format. This, combined with jazz played around the house may have been the catalyst for him - but I cannot be sure. Through the ages (2, 3, 4 and on), we took Ben to every music production, festival, and concert that we could - and used little earplugs for those loud occasions. We have always made music a fun thing, and encouraged Ben to "dance" and "sing" before he could even walk and praised him for having so much fun with us. But again, jazz was always in the background - as wakeup music, dinner music, car-music, and bed-time music. We also have many friends who are jazz-musicians, friends who Ben loves and respects as "uncles". Ben has two younger brothers that respond the same way, so we can only hope for the same results. My goal was never to "create" a musician, but only to instill a love of music. Jazz just happens to be our choice of music at home, where everything begins. I have often wondered if we were country or classical fans if the results would have been the same. As far as older children (post-toddler) and developing a jazz interest, there are so many variables to consider. Once a young jazzer comes to surface, they lead a lonely life because it doesn't seem to be a natural thing for most. Other kids do not understand or appreciate, which is (sadly) reflective of society. As Ben (now 11) continues to thrive on Dizzy, Bird, Miles and Trane - his peers seem to outcast him and his world in favor of Hanson, Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys. Most of Ben's classmates think he is "strange" because he is a jazz musician - and this in itself can be discouraging for a 5th grader. The only thing that keeps Ben going is positive reinforcement at home, and through the old timers and mentors who continue to recognize, appreciate, and praise his interest and efforts. I believe that the only way to reach most children with jazz would be to somehow make it a "cool" thing, where peer-pressure would would be a driving force ... and in the process, perhaps a handful might continue to appreciate it throughout life. The sad truth is that jazz represents only 3% of CD sales in America - and these CD's are bought by adults. Children live what they learn, so take it from there. Parents, educators and mentors - take heed, and know that your efforts and encouragement are all that we have in keeping jazz alive!

 

Date:	04-Jan-1999 21:21:30
From:	Flurin Capaul (giachen@hotmail.com)
	I am 20yrs old and consider my self a jazzfan. I think if you get someone to like blues, sooner or later they'll grow to like jazz. I like blues for about 10yrs or so and suddenly about 4 yrs ago I started listening to Miller, Ellington & Basie. From there on I gradually expanded my horizon. A couple of mails earlier someone suggested that you should take young people to live concerts. That's true but the atmosphere has to be right. If I would have been forced to Carnegie hall for an intimate session of some Duett, I would have hated jazz. Young people need action, take them to one of the shadier bars, buy them a couple of beers and a pack of cigarettes, they'll love jazz in no time and'll grow up to like the more civilized intimate sessions.

 

Date:	13-Jan-1999 05:22:03
From:	Christobel Llewellyn (kidsjazz@zeta.org.au)
	It's so interesting to even be considering children's introduction to jazz. I am a professional musician and mother of three and was concerned about the lack of any live entertainment in the children's market. I am too aware that so called "live on stage" shows use actors in costurmes plus a backing tape (played as loud as possible). Technology has taken over live music and replaced it with something all too plastic for our children, with everywhere from shopping malls to lifts being swamped with music piped from speaker systems in a never ending dribble. Instead of simply complaining I decided to do something about it. I started a 10 piece swing band for children under 8yrs old. No - it does not consist of children playing, but some of the best jazz musicians in Australia. We have sold out every concert we have ever done in the last 12 months and have proved that nothing and I mean NOTHING replaces the sound of a human voice or a real person playing an acoustic instrument. Children as young as 3 yrs old hear in 10 piece and go home singing the harmonies or the various improvised solos. With 3 saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, double bass, drums and two singers KINDERJAZZ is real. We have produced two CD's which have been enormously successfull. Not only are we giving the next generation our very rich acoustic heritage, but we are also supporting 10 talented jazz artists with regular work and it's growing by the minute. I really feel the only way to introduce children to jazz is live exposure and plenty of it. Jazz is such a creative medium it should not be for the especially talented few. It is very much a part of our humanity and should be promoted as such.

 

Date:	17-Jan-1999 15:20:35
From:	Anna-Lisa (alskirby@earthlink.net)
	I think the best way is to play them some of the classics like Miles, Kind Of Blue. Give them a little history about where jazz comes from. I think a kid should hear rhe real thing when being introduced to Jazz, not some watered-down- wanna-be-hip modern day swing band like the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Also, take a kid to see a live concert at a club, intoduce them to the musicians. You will find that most Jazz musicians are very approachable and more than willing to hip a young person to the music. Great Vocals is another way. Some Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughn for a young first time listner might help eas

 

Date:	26-Jan-1999 17:36:42
From:	Mike C. (funkifized@aol.com)
	"Kind Of Blue" is equally my suggestion, for listening. But I think live is the way to go. Pat Metheny's shows are good for this type of thing, and when I brought my musically-impaired (now ex-)girlfriend to see John McLaughlin's Free Spirits, with Dennis Chambers and Joey DeFrancesco, she was so knocked out by the interplay between the musicians, she didn't even notice that she didn't know or understand any of the music. Live is definitely the way to go.

 

Date:	18-Feb-1999 10:33:35
From:	John Wade (john.wade@virgin.net)
	In the U.K where i live there is hardly any trad. of listening to jazz. I run a small jazz band at school and i have found that the most successful way of introducing the kids to this music is from what they already know. That is, something funky of rock based. I did introduce a group of 11 yr. olds to Coltrane and that worked really well-pobably 'cos they were new to the school. I find the younger children are more receptive to things 'new' or anything not in their accepted way of lookin' at things.

 

Date:	19-Feb-1999 03:33:41
From:	Paul Abella (Pabella3@aol.com)
	The best way to lure someone into the world of jazz is to see what they're listening to NOW. If they dig hip hop, find tunes that were sampled by hip hop artists and start there. (Howlin for Judy by Jeremy Steig, Cataloupe Island by Herbie Hancock both come to mind) if they dig pseudo funky metal groups (Korn, Rage Against the Machine) give them some Live/Evil. (I turned a whole party onto Miles over the summer with a one two punch of Bitches Brew and Live/Evil) For the girly rock types, (Sarah McLaughlin, Jewel) who better to hit them with than Billie Holiday? Or Holly Cole for that matter? For the kids who are into Phish, the Dead or Allman Bros, try jazz albums that those guys appeared on. When people start digging stuff close to their element, (and it's much easier to make them say "wow!! THAT'S JAZZ?? Than to try to make them say, This is jazz, and I really like it) then throw Kind of Blue and Mingus Ah Um their way. Not beforehand.

 

Date:	22-Feb-1999 02:14:49
From:	kathy (cowgirl52@aol.com)
	Great topic. I'm 20 -- I'll be 21 in May, which will legally make me eligible to go to most jazz clubs -- too bad we don't have hardly any around here! Three years ago, I took an Intro to American Music class during my second semester at my local community college. Nothing during the class intrigued and moved me like the overviews of the blues and jazz! During those sections, I heard some names that were vaguely familiar: Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker,Thelonius Monk, etc. I started out with a purchase of a greatest hits album of John Lee Hooker... which somehow led me to Ellington! I can't remember how, either. So I checked out records from the college library and spun some old Ellington on my trusty turntable. I can't tell you of the epiphany I experienced when I first connected the title, "Prelude to a Kiss", to the actual song... when I really listened to the story it told... when I concentrated on that concentrated desire snaking from the saxophone. Add to that the natural textures on the record itself... it was amazing. This was not the verse-chorus-verse I was accustomed to. So I became hooked on a whole new kind of music through Ellington. Would I have listened to jazz any earlier, say, in high school? I don't know. I was growing into a love of classic rock and classical music, among a couple other types, at that time. I think I definitely had to grow into jazz. It fit my life at the time, this new music... I was trying on this college thing, trying to make the jump. How do we introduce younger folks to jazz? For many, we may just have to wait. For the record, I am still the only one among my friends who listens to jazz and seeks out live jazz as a weekend endeavor. My best friend has branched into swing and funk, two areas I'm investigating. I made her listen to "Prelude" last year for the first time, simply telling her the title of the song. When it was over, she had tears running down her face. "You were right... that's exactly what it sounds like."

 

Date:	08-Mar-1999 16:36:02
From:	Maureen (maureenc@globalnet.co.uk)
	Getting youngsters interested in jazz? Difficult task, I am 50 and have only been interested for two years but have a growing collection. I am head of year 11 at a local comprehensive and I believe in constant low level exposure. During lunch time I play jazz in my office and next door is a study room so that pupils studying can hear it. Okay I get 'miss shut that noise up' but on odd occasions some pupils ask me what it is. I will keep going.

 

Date:	12-Apr-1999 04:46:46
From:	james britt (brittj1@citrine.indstate.edu)
	I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO ADD THAT JAZZ IS THE ONLY TRUE AMERICAN ART IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY. IT IS VERY ESSENTIAL WHEN INTRODUCING SOMEONE TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT IS BEST TO EDUCATE THAT PERSON ON WHAT YOU ARE INTRODUCING THEM TOO. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS VERY MUCH MIS-INFORMED. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT JAZZ IS ABOUT A CONSCIOUS AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION. MOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY ARE VERY MUCH UNCONSCIOUS OF WHO THEY ARE, SO HOW CAN THEY COMPREHEND THE INTELLECTUAL MEANING OF JAZZ THAT HAS EXPRESSED THE JOY'S AND SORROWS OF FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND NOW ALL AMERICANS. IF I WERE INTRODUCING SOMEONE TO JAZZ FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WOULD TRY TO LEARN WHAT CONSCIOUS LEVEL THAT PERSON WAS ON. THEN I WOULD EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT ERA'S OF JAZZ THAT EXIST AND LET THAT PERSON LISTEN. MOST IMPORTANT EXPRESSING TO THAT PERSON THAT WITH JAZZ THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR YOUR OWN INTERPRETATION BASED ON YOUR CAPACITY OF UNDERSTANDING. THIS IS WHAT MAKES JAZZ SO ENERGIZING, RELEVANT, WARM, EMOTIONAL, AND WARM-SPIRITED.

 

Date:	20-Apr-1999 14:03:43
From:	B_Badenov (diba@warwick.net)
	I'm not sure I know the "best" way to do anything, but... What I tried with my kids when they were little was to keep it simple. They responded to simple. They liked milk and peanut butter; they did not like pate de foie gras. They liked Mr. Rogers; they got nothing out of The Glass Menagerie. I played different records and watched to see what they reacted to. That was in the pre-CD days and they used to like to watch the turntable spin and would bounce in time to the music. For that reason, I guess, they liked the 78s better than the LPs, more action. I think you've got to start with swing or traditional so they can pick up on a beat and a melody. My oldest loved Benny Goodman's King Porter Stomp so much he tried to flip the record over and broke it. Oh well. Of course, when they like something, they want to hear it over and over until they can sing along with it. I took them to a live jazz picnic. They played catch and ran around and seemingly weren't overly conscious of the music. Then, they became teenagers, a period I don't want to discuss. I didn't suggest anything then; that would have been the kiss of death for it. Now, they are adults and two out of three like jazz. The third one still listens to Eddie Van Halen. Go figure. I try not to lose any sleep over it. Good luck to all parents. You'll need a lot of it and not just with trying to interest them in jazz.

 

Date:	21-Apr-1999 18:42:56
From:	Danielle (DRabbat@hotmail.com)
	I am a young person who is interested in jazz. I have been interested in for the past 6 years or so, (since I was about 13). The movie, "Swing Kids," did it for me. Now swing is becoming more and more popular with young people as hep new bands emerge such as The Cherry Poppin' Daddies, The Brian Setzer Orchestra and The Squirrel Nut Zippers. I started with the Swing Kids CD and now I have over 20 CD's in my swing collection, including CD's by artists such as: Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington etc. I also have compilation CD's. I highly recommended, "Jump, Jive and Wail." Don't worry, with the Gap Khakis commercial, interest in dancing and a need for an alternative to alternative, jazz seems to be coming back in full swing ;) Oh, and if you know a young person who like dancing but doesn't know too much about swing, but them some swing dance lessons. That might do it!

 

Date:	03-May-1999 14:08:23
From:	Matthew Dunkle
	From my experience, the only way to truly appreciate Jazz you must eat and breathe it. I started playing jazz in the 9th grade, I'm now in the 10th grade and that is all I can think about. I don't think I would love jazz as much as I do if I didn't play it. So for a child to get in to jazz they have to pick up a trumpet or a sax and just see how hard it is to play like Freddie Hubbard or Tom Harrel, Wayne Shorter or James Spaulding. They will then realize how hard it is and if they have the drive they will woodshed until they are an adequit musician.

 

Date:	02-Jun-1999 23:00:09
From:	B!
	I think the best way to introduce a young person to jazz is to instill in them an appreciation of music in general at an early age. I'm 20 years old now, and my tastes run the gamut from jazz to hip-hop to death metal. I was taught an appreciation for all kinds of music when I was young, but I think most young people were like me at that age in that some music is just too out there to comprehend for a young person, whether it be Coltrane or Carcass. Just give them some time and hope they'll come around. I'm glad I did!

 

Date:	03-Jun-1999 13:36:08
From:	Kippi Wood (CountessBasie@webtv.net)
	Being 16, I find that the best way to introduce young people to jazz depends on the person. For me, I was first introduced to the history of jazz. I thought it was a beautiful story. The movie "Swing Kids" is definitely a great way too. I am now an All-State jazz pianist and find that jazz is a great escape from the daily difficulties of being a teenager. Being an outsider is not really a problem...although I can relate to jazzers better than others, I have kept up with opular music too, and therefore have been able to be classified as semi-normal at least. Luckily for me, I am not the only person in my school that loves jazz. In fact, my boyfriend of three years is a great arranger, and an All-State bari sax player. He has a huge jazz selection of music, which helps me feel more comfortable about my love of the music. This love of jazz also creates a stronger bond between us. As I said earlier, for some, it may be necessary to start the kids out on the Brian Setzer Orchestra. As for me, I still am not fond of "A Kind of Blue." Had I been started out on that, I probably would hate jazz! Thanks for listening to my opinion, and I hope to have helped someone.

 

Date:	22-Jul-1999 21:48:17
From:	Sax Chick (hepcat_22@hotmail.com)
	A story of a young jazz cat. Being 15 years old and a jazz fan and musician, I can give a first hand account of how a punk rock lovin' teenager came to love jazz so much. It all started about a year ago when, suprizingly enough, on my now abandoned MTV, I heard the Squirrel Nut Zippers song "Hell". The Squirrel Nut Zippers are not a swing band, but are labeled as so by an ignorrant generation of "homies". I liked it. I bought the album. Later on I was listening to the popular alternative station in my area, KROQ, and I heard the overhyped neo-swing band Cherry Poppin' Daddies hit "Zoot Suit Riot." I loved the rythm, the horns, and the non-yelling (like in punk) vocals. This inspired me to hit the swing scene. Not the cliche, tennybopper trend, but the real nostalgia. I took dance lessons where I learned the real swing dancing, not the Gap commercial kind everyone was rushing to. Then I went to a club with a live big band. I was in love! The music that was once pop in the youth of my grandparents was new and fresh to me. So I continued to not only go dancing, but see live neo-swing bands, big bands, orchestras, and jazz gigs. I built a huge CD collection of swing- mostly the original recordings by the likes of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Basie, Ellington, etc. Then, in Febuary of this year I went to my school band director's office with out any experience and told him that I just HAD to play tenor. He gave me an axe and a had cat teach me how, and a month later I joined the symphonic band (where we unfortunately play classical, but it's the most advanced band at my school) and I played better than many of the members already, even though I'm the most unexperienced player in the band. Seeing that I had serious potential, I began looking for influences. Knowing nothing about jazz other than swing, I bought a compilation entitled "Saxophone Anthology". From there I found the styles and performers that I like most (not just on saxophone), and started studying them. Now I'm addicted and spend hours a day on my tenor and my new Conn alto, and double on clarinet and am learning trumpet and piano. Sometimes I even get out my old guitar. I put on a jazz CD and read about its history and study its theory. I transpose solos. I am currently teaching two people how to play, and my friends, who I got hooked on swing by taking to a dance club, are now starting to take interest in jazz. So anyway, if you are reading this from somewhere out there and want to get a young person into into jazz, start with swing- if they can dance they'll FEEL the music, or playing an instrument- it will instill an appreciation for it. Good luck cats! -Sax Chick

 

Date:	02-Sep-1999 16:16:39
From:	ladyboop
	Just let them hear it.

 

Date:	10-Sep-1999 22:48:23
From:	angela
	Play it! Play it all the time! Expose them early! Sing to them! Make them laugh! Scat in their faces! Whistle. Whistle. That's it. It's the whistling. These are my suggestions. Don't let your children grow up without it and eventually they too will begin to like it, or at least appreciate it, or at least...maybe even wanna go to a concert someday. My parents indoctrinated me with Dave Brubeck, Errol Garner, Lambert Hendricks & Ross and The Manhattan Transfer. Oh and a little Brasil '66 and Wes Montgomery thrown in the mix. Oh, and who can FORGET the early morning whines of my brother singing "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione in the shower??? (hey, it was the 70's what can I say?) But of course, we never knew we were being indoctrinated. It was just there. It's like with everything in life. If you want them to understand it, ya gotta live it. So go figure.

 

Date:	19-Oct-1999 19:27:15
From:	Allen
	I think that since most young people are essentially brain damaged by prolonged television viewing, you can't expect their ability to concentrate/sustain focus to be age appropriate. Short, superficial attention spans are the norm. So, if you are talking to an 18 year old you have to realize that developmentally he's probably about 13 years old, and may never develop beyond about 15 years old. MTV is evidence of the situation. Self-inflicted brain damage is a horrible thing, but it is a cultural norm. When introducing young people to jazz you have to take into consideration the extent of brain damage and choose music in light of your estimate/assessment.

 

Date:	31-Oct-1999 21:18:54
From:	Bobby
	Mr. Allen no is fare to yung people. I watch TV all time - I'm smart as all my frends. Bobby

 

Date:	13-Nov-1999 10:34:10
From:	Sam
	Onward, please. The last one wasn't funny, if it was meant to be a joke. Back to the topic?

 

Date:	19-Nov-1999 18:53:28
From:	Melinda
	What does the person listen to in the more popular realm and take off from there.

 

Date:	07-Dec-1999 16:04:32
From:	Richard Woodling (richard_woodling@rwoodling.freeserve.co.uk)
	Exposure to the music is key. My son has listened to me playing Sax (badly) and has taken to it like a duck to water. You should also make sure they never come across the Banjo! :-)

 

Date:	08-Dec-1999 10:55:09
From:	Marin (Marin.Gross@mail.ee)
	Youn people don't really know much about music but if you wanna listen to jazz you schoul have a little knowledge of music. I think it's very important to educate young people and then let them to discover jazz because I know it is really interesting to discover it.

 

Date:	08-Dec-1999 10:57:53
From:	Marin (Marin.Gross@mail.ee)
	Young people don't really know much about music but if you wanna listen to jazz you schould have a little knowledge of music. I think it's very important to educate young people and then let them to discover jazz because I know it is really interesting to discover it. Marin Gross form Estonia (age 17)

 

Date:	29-Dec-1999 02:58:22
From:	me
	The best way to get into some new music is through crossover forms. Nine Inch Nails got a lot of people into industrial music, Beastie Boys into rap, etc. I got into jazz in much the same way. I was a big fan of Peter Gabriel, so I started listening to early Genesis, and then got into early King Crimson, and then got into Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane and such. Anybody who shows no interest in expanding their musical horizons is unlikely to be swayed. But, by listening to things further and further from one's main interests, you can attune your ear to what the music is trying to do and begin to understand it. The problem with all the young people that many of you complain about is precisely the same as the problem with a lot of you old people: ignorance. I think it's great when someone my age gets into stuff like Herbie Hancock, but it's just as great when someone 30 years my senior gets into something like Underworld.

 

Date:	27-Jan-2000 19:57:11
From:	Hanton7
	I grew up in the era when adult house parties played the big bands ie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Erskine Hawkins,Lionel Hampton,Jimmie Lunceford,Cab Calloway.Les Brown,Lucky Millender and others. The premiere saxaphonist was Coleman Hawkins,following "Bean" was Lester"prez" Young.then Ben Webster,Others were Chuberry,Charlie Ventura. Ventura.I mention these great artists because of the great influence they had on me,they prepared me for my deep "bop" encounter with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray battil.ling it out on "the chase". Man the stuff these two cats were blowing was unimaginable for my young mind. One must listen to what was being played to be able to dig what one is now hearing.Listen, discuss listen and discuss soe more.

 

Date:	05-Feb-2000 16:33:18
From:	A new jazz student
	I am now 15, I'll be 16 soon. I being a young person and really new to the jazz world would like to say most people are on the right track with exposure to jazz. The girl who said she learned about it through Cherry Poppin Daddies and Squirrel Nut Zippers seems kinda like me... Anyway, I think the best way is let them discover it for themselves and let them WANT to learn, isn't that how jazz started?? Once they want to learn, just be helpful and supportive, and have a few good jazz licks for them to mearn on hand. Now if you all will excuse me, I have a jazz band audition in a few days and I just got the music yesterday. I am going to practice.

 

Date:	27-Jun-2000 00:31:02
From:	Chris LaRoche (cronoss@sclegacy.com)
	I'm 17 and a huge jazz fan. I've - with the help of Mp3's and a lot of money - managed to build a large collection of well over 200 albums from Jazz greats in just a few short years. I've scoured the internet, librairies - everything - to find out as much as I can about this genre. I can help but feel that I've 'missed it all', since in my reading I pretty much find that the people who made Jazz what it is today are all dead. I became introduced to jazz through playing it. Like any kid, I loved pop music, and played the trumpet... so Classical simply didn't satify me :) Playing Jazz was the closest thing to pop music as I could find, so I joined some combos and that when I was in grade 7. At this point I was playing tunes like Blue Monk, So What, Au Privave, Ornithology, Desafinado - all sorts of classic tunes - without any knowledge of Jazz whatsoever.. In essense, I knew what all the chord changes to All Blues was, but I had no idea who Miles Davis was. Pretty much the only guy I'd ever heard of was Louis Armstrong. Now, as I began to play more and more, I began to like the music BETTER than pop. That's when I decided to research the subject, to find out all I could. Now Jazz is my favorite type of music to play, and to listen to. Many of my friends - well, most of em - are non Musicians. Thus they never were exposed to Jazz like I was, and do not understand the music, do not care for it, nor do they understand my complete fascination-bordering-on-obsession with the music. The only ones who do are the fellow jazz players. I believe the key to introducing Jazz to young people is to begin with Jazz that is VERY close to what they listen to, and pound it into to their skull until it BECOMES the music they listen to... then start to divulge, so on and so on, until they become Jazz Fanatics. I've tried - with some success - to get some of my groupied into Jazz through people like Brian Setzer, Johnny Favorite, and other pop-like swing bands. I've also tried with MUCH success to get rock fans into jazz through Miles Davis. Using some of his PRINCE and SANTANA recordings (of which most are bootleg), and Bitches Brew, I slowly brought more and more miles upon them until I hit Birth of the Cool - at which point I began to move to other Jazz greats. This worked about 50/50... the hardest part is 'bringing it upon them' - you have to some way to get them to listen to this stuff. I played most of it while holding weekly pool 'tournaments' with friends in my basement. Oh, and a tip - stay AWAY from Kenny G at ALL costs.

 

Date:	14-Aug-2000 13:37:54
From:	Chang, Won (subpop@nownuri.net)
	I am a 20-year-old collegean living in South Korea. Since I was about 14 years or so I've never lost my interest in a thing called music, and I've been trying to listen to music as much as possible. Mostly i am into indie rock/electronica/underground hiphop/avant-pop - sorta things. And as I became a collegean and had some more leisure time than in highschool, I started to involve myself with playing guitar and bass, which was great turning point to me. As I learn to play'em, strange to say, i found myself getting into genres that I previously almost ignored - jazz and classic. This was very interesting experience and thesedays I am having much inspired days(nice timing - 'cause indie rock and techno stuffs started to feel like kind of stereotypes to me). And it is another new fun that I hang around on weekends at some jazz clubs(there're some nice jazz clubs in my country, not many to my regret). Anyway, my conclusions is this: if you want to introduce a young person to jazz, teach him or her how to deal with a instrument(preferably one of guitar, bass and drums). As the young person grows good at it, he or she will realize how jazz is striking, intelligent, enormous and full of beauty. warning : this is also possible that he or she makes a hardcore-satanic-shock-crazy heavy metal band or something, depening on what kind of person he or she is.

 

Date:	14-Aug-2000 13:44:13
From:	Chang, Won (subpop@nownuri.net)
	I am a 20-year-old collegean living in South Korea. Since I was about 14 years or so I've never lost my interest in a thing called music, and I've been trying to listen to music as much as possible. Mostly i am into indie rock/electronica/underground hiphop/avant-pop - sorta things. And as I became a collegean and had some more leisure time than in highschool, I started to involve myself with playing guitar and bass, which was great turning point to me. As I learn to play'em, strange to say, i found myself getting into genres that I previously almost ignored - jazz and classic. This was very interesting experience and thesedays I am having much inspired days(nice timing - 'cause indie rock and techno stuffs started to feel like kind of stereotypes to me). And it is another new fun that I hang around on weekends at some jazz clubs(there're some nice jazz clubs in my country, not many to my regret). Anyway, my conclusions is this: if you want to introduce a young person to jazz, teach him or her how to deal with a instrument(preferably one of guitar, bass and drums). As the young person grows good at it, he or she will realize how jazz is striking, intelligent, enormous and full of beauty. warning : this is also possible that he or she makes a hardcore-satanic-shock-crazy heavy metal band or something, depening on what kind of person he or she is.

 

Date:	25-Aug-2000 20:26:15
From:	Stu Simpson! (nsimpson@vtown.com.au)
	Jazz is no Joke plus Patrick is a Loser!

 

Date:	30-Aug-2000 22:34:48
From:	God
	Stu, Patrick is a wonderful, fallible human being, just like you. Don't ruffle my feathers.

 

Date:	01-Oct-2000 19:32:53
From:	Lisa
	I think the best way is to let them hear jazz, ask them to try it.

 

Date:	22-Oct-2000 06:51:18
From:	Sugar Shane (3penny@axionet.com)
	I just finished playing a wedding for some relatives(distant ones) with my quartet..during every song my oldest son(9) kept saying "when are u going to stop playing?" my youngest son(6)..was just grooving to the sounds of me doing the Chet Baker thing.....i am a working professional....kids are so different right from inception so my advice is to throw up your hands(between solos ) and say"hey it makes sense to meeeee....."

 

Date:	05-Feb-2001 17:52:47
From:	Pam Birley
	Kids need to be able to listen to jazz. They never hear it. 'Music' to them means pop groups. They don't hear jazz on the radio or TV or in the supermarket. Our love of jazz as a couple of English 'seniors!' grew from the dancehalls, big bands, Earl Bostic, George Shearing, Ted Heath, Stan Kenton. Later we had visits from Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and the Allstars and an unforgettable concert by Duke Ellington. Jazz in UK has to be sought out. Our grandson Jamie, aged 8, asks Grandpa to 'put your jazz on'. He loves it. He is learning to play piano and we will continue to indoctrinate him with Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Benny Green, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Geoff Keezer, Cedar Walton, Marian McPartland, Gene Harris, Monty Alexander, etc. etc. whenever he comes to stay and hope that he will continue to develop his interest in both classical and jazz and get as much pleasure out of it as we have over the years.

 

Date:	06-Feb-2001 20:16:53
From:	Andreas
	Jon Hendricks' "Evolution of the Blues" ought to be part of the school curriculum, as both music and history.

 

Date:	08-Feb-2001 17:05:57
From:	Dawn Jacobson (dtjacobson@yahoo.com)
	Optimally, start 'em off young--the younger the better. For teenagers (at least in the SF Bay Area), the new swing groups (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, etc.) are interesting to them, and provide a way to lead them on to the original swing bands, and thence down the garden path to harder, more improvisational stuff. I've done this with my high school students (no, I don't teach music; computer science), and every year, a few more of them really start getting into jazz. I also try to give them as many biographical details as they are interested in (frequently, the more lurid, the better!); I think they are comparing jazz musicians with their hip-hop and rap favorites, to see who is "badder."

 

Date:	09-Feb-2001 11:49:10
From:	Adam Lozo (adam@thecia.net)
	The best way for young people to learn jazz is start listening to what they are familiar with already. Take the most recent top 40 list, bring together jazz musicians and have them play these same tunes, but jazzed up. Bring in the Britney Spears of the world to sing (they need to relate and this ties into the familiarity) and soon these versions of their favorite songs will get air play. The problem with hitting this mass market is that jazz has failed miserably to recognize and incorporate the 'popular artist'. Sure, Britney has a lousy voice. I'd rather hear Jane Monheit sing. But Jane can't/won't wear the low cut, hip outfits of today. How can we blame these kids?

 

Date:	21-Feb-2001 06:40:40
From:	Dario Birindelli (Barking_Pumpkin@excite.com)
	Do you want to introduce Jazz to teens or college students as a 'cooler-than-thou' music? Easy:first,have a look at what's the rage at the moment,and it seems to me that very loud rock is currently sweeping the nation-or should I say the globe. So:we have music which is very loud,and bursting with energy. Wait: did someone say 'late John Coltrane Quartet' there at the back of the classroom? Make them listen to LIVING SPACE or SUN SHIPS to name but a few,watch their reaction and start from there. What? No Heavy Rock aficionados available? Only Phish Phans or Deadheads?(Or any other JamBand fans)? Easy-Peasy:Scofield, Electric Miles, or even Jimmy Smith should do the trick. DON'T let them know that Jazz is heavy on Ballads and melanchony and sadness. Not at the beginning though. AND then,when they're hooked... Ciao!

 

Date:	23-Feb-2001 10:21:27
From:	Mudd (muddums@collegeclub.com)
	My older brother worked for the Jazz Heritage Society, and one day he brought home "The Gentle Side of John Coltrane" and played it in the morning when I was hung over. I loved the way it made me feel, and now jazz replaces my "James Taylor's Greatest Hits" cd for the relaxing moods. I have since become a devoted member of Jazz Heritage Society, and I don't regret a penny spent. Granted, most kids are not into relaxing or being hung over, but exposure to it in the morning can have a profound effect for the rest of the day.

 

Date:	26-Feb-2001 19:29:04
From:	Andreas
	I haven't had a hangover in many years, personally, but Mudd hits up on the subject of another thread here, the spiritual / transcendental nature of jazz, and of music in general. Some people meditate in the morning to get them in the right frame of mind to tackle the day. I put on a CD for the same purpose. Music hits places in your soul that words can never reach - hung over or not.

 

Date:	25-Mar-2001 22:38:09
From:	Miguel (mfalcic@uol.com.br)
	As a young jazz fan, I can say that Miles Davis would certainly change teens minds, just as he did to me. I truly believe that Doo Bop could slowly lead teenagers from Hip Hop to Jazz. How I dare saying such a thing? Curiosity guides us, that's why one who "falls in love" for the Doo Bop sound will try to find out something more about Miles.

 

Date:	07-Apr-2001 18:15:10
From:	David Burnett (thejazzguy37@netscape.net)
	Hi, I'm 14 and I love jazz. I don't listen to much else. I play the Alto Sax, go to jam sessions, etc. Actually LISTENING to jazz has made me a better player. I wouldn't try to force jazz on anyone. I would just let them find that music which suits them best. I tend to lean toward Cool Jazz, Miles Davis, Brubeck, etc. A real fast paced kind of kid might appreciate bop. Have them listen to something like KoKo. If they think that rock is fast, let them hear some Charlie Parker. I wouldn't recommend John Coltrane, though. :o)

 

Date:	07-Apr-2001 19:44:57
From:	JAZZIZLIFE!
	Witnessing live players is definitely the key. I am 18 years old, and I know tons of people my age who love jazz...don't be surprised, I'm a jazz music student in college. What really got me into it was seeing live performances of people who'd blow like there was no tomorrow. I was always in awe (and still am) when I saw jazz soloists totally engaged in their playing. It seemed like such an intense experience...I think it was Artie Shaw on the Ken Burns documentary who said "It's better than sex!" from then on, I've wanted to explore jazz more than any music. Take teens to concerts. Show them the intensity of it, show them it is a music more true that doesn't find it's meaning in a girl's sexy lips and fake boobs, or a guy's cute face and big muscles, as the commercial music most teens are exposed to does. And I agree 100% with CHRIS LA ROCHE...KEEP THEM FAR, FAR, FAR, FAR AWAY FROM KENNY G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Date:	23-Apr-2001 10:56:49
From:	Cathy (seanachai273@cs.com)
	When I introduce group of young children (kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades) to jazz I use a picture book,"Charlie Parker Played Be Bop" by Chris Raschka. This book comes with a tape that has "A Night In Tunisia" on it. The author also talks a little about jazz. They kids love it and when I go back into a classroom a week later and ask,"Who was Charlie Parker and what did he play?" They all say, "He played bebop, he played alto sax!" They also get a charge out of the story about him eating the chicken killed by the car. (Although that's not in the book.) When I introduce older children,(3rd, 4th, and 5th grades) to jazz I use Vince Guraldi's music because every child recognizes and loves the "Charlie Brown and Peanuts" music. Many of the 3rd graders liked the Charlie Parker book as well. By the end of the class I have a room full of toe tapping, finger snapping, head nodding, future jazz fans.

 

Date:	12-Jun-2001 17:56:17
From:	filip momirovski (filip_filip@www.com)
	I am 20 and live in Macedonia(you might have heard of it since there is a war there. Albanian terorists brutally kill macedonian policemen and soldiers and are trying to divide country.I think of jazz enjoyers as persons with high intelectual capabilities and cosmopolits so it is esential for me to try spread the truth to people worthy of it.Please stand in the side of the ethnic macedonians and other nationalites who want peace and brotherhood.The albanian terorists kill innocent people including albanians who dont want to fight against their neighbours and sponsore their criminal activities(drugs,weapons).The common people just want peace.Please tell this over to a friend, introduce him/her/yourself with the problem,do not fall under the strong terorists propaganda that goes on the internet and even further - on the news media(tv,papers,political talkshows...try imagine that it is not so hard to bribe someone with a lot of money,money made by selling drugs to kids). Please excuse me for using this space and in return I woud like to suggest something from Macedonia- a great jazz guitarist who studied at Berkley.His name- Toni Kitanovski,I promise you pure enjoment listening to both mellow and agresive guitar jazz.Great drums too. The album is called "One 4 Charlie" and among Toni's compsitions you will find other tunes too{"Lonely woman" , "On the stairs"...} I started listening jazz at 17 while listening too rock bands like Ten years after,Jethro Tull,Cream(all of these I still apriciate and listen to}.I think jazz is good where it's at: ezoteric,generally respected,frightend of,pop music is a momentary remembered song,jazz will be kept alive and lived for a long time.Still, I believe it's a ticket to the unexplainable force of art and nature as well(a sound so articulate but so unarticulate- the highpoint of man's creative energy,a circle where the intelect and the savage meet.This can only be done in art).It sholdn't be made popular, it should be left a chalenge to the young man,a test of his human perception and reason.And bravery too, to stand against the common and try find out what the beuty of the human is.We will always need these people since they are(being jazz listeners) regulary provoced by literature,science.These things always go in a package.So there you have it -you can always count a jazz listener has higher emotions and a better understanding of the world, OF YOU.

 

Date:	16-Aug-2001 13:24:36
From:	Vicky (pocahoe3@hotmail.com)
	Im 17 years old from Canada, and I've just started searching jazz music. I luv it! My friends found it really weird and they laughed at me at first. But then I got them to listen to some Duke Ellington and Miles Davis stuff, they can't get enough of it. I guess jazz has become a secret fetish of mine. I just need some help in finding some more classics! If you could help me out and name me a few songs, write me! Thanx!

 

Date:	31-Aug-2001 08:31:55
From:	Holly
	Vicky: Check out the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (5 CD set)- the best of the best. Martin Williams an excellent jazz writer wrote the extensive liner notes which is a great introduction to the history of jazz, jazz styles, and the musicians.

 

Date:	24-Sep-2001 15:53:12
From:	Alan C.
	I think young people today have many good compilation series to choose from that are very good. They're generally well chosen and fancy remastered. Really you can't go very wrong. The Ken Burns series is good, the Jazz Essentials series (Verve, I believe) in which different musicians highlight someone, Herbie Hancock picks his favorite Bill Evans' cuts on Verve etc. etc. is also very good. The Columbia Legacy series, sort of a best of series (Ellington, Basie, etc. etc.) is also very good. I also agree with Smithsonian recordings suggestion.

 

Date:	23-Oct-2001 13:26:34
From:	dnlb199
	I'm a 40 yr old who just started listening to jazz in the last 5 years. I'm now hooked. 150 rock and country albums sit idle. My girls (age 11 and 7) listen and enjoy because I do. They hear it and enjoy it. Not all of it... they have favorites as we all do. But they have Mingus, Ella and Miles songs that they love. One key is to not get the purist attitude I so often run into and read. If you don't play it or "understand it," you aren't enjoying it. Well, I'm not a musician and I'm sure I'm missing some of the finer points (what the heck does "modal" mean anyway?), but I dig the music. It's now the kind of music I hum to myself all day. That's the sign of a man loving his music in my book.

 

Date:	23-Oct-2001 13:49:05
From:	Dan R.
	Hey, the finer points go on forever. If you enjoy it and spend time with it what more do you need? I still find my rock and country records real interesting and enjoyable. Only now the real good stuff is even better - on its own terms, and in its own way. Welcome to jazz.