BY TIFFANY LIAO
The strains of jazz music are growing stronger on the Swarthmore campus due to a number of new opportunities for jazz on campus. Thanks in part to a petition drafted and signed by Jazz Ensemble members, the traditionally classical music department is reforming in response to the growing numbers of jazz music students in recent years.
“Jazz band has been much larger in the past few years than it has ever been and is overwhelmingly freshmen and sophomores," Jazz Ensemble member Madeleine Case '09 said.
Also noticeable is the recent upsurge in potential music majors who consider themselves jazz musicians.
Many members of Jazz Ensemble were unhappy that opportunities offered on campus did not reflect the large number of students pursuing jazz and sought reform.
To remedy this situation, in the last weeks of the past semester, Jazz Ensemble member Dan Perelstein '09 drafted a petition to cultivate the presence of jazz in the “unilaterally classical" curriculum and also in extracurricular activities and campus events.
Although the music department has been open to proposals concerning jazz in the past, Perelstein felt that it was insufficient, especially for students who are not necessarily music students but are interested in jazz.
“There's a big enough demand for jazz. We shouldn't have to ask for more classes and more lectures or master classes," Perelstein said. “Until now, students interested in jazz have had to specifically push for things that they have wanted instead of just being able to sign up for offerings that are already available."
“We were pushing for a permanent faculty member who focuses on jazz," Case said. “Also, [we were pushing for] expanding the curriculum to include jazz history and theory and bringing more jazz events to campus."
After creating the petition, Perelstein asked for print signatures from Jazz Ensemble members. A notice on Reserved Students Digest garnered electronic signatures from students who wanted to see more of jazz on campus.
Perelstein ended up with 58 electronic and 45 print signatures before submitting the petition to Department Chair Gerald Levinson, who received it welcomingly.
Continue...
The strains of jazz music are growing stronger on the Swarthmore campus due to a number of new opportunities for jazz on campus. Thanks in part to a petition drafted and signed by Jazz Ensemble members, the traditionally classical music department is reforming in response to the growing numbers of jazz music students in recent years.
“Jazz band has been much larger in the past few years than it has ever been and is overwhelmingly freshmen and sophomores," Jazz Ensemble member Madeleine Case '09 said.
Also noticeable is the recent upsurge in potential music majors who consider themselves jazz musicians.
Many members of Jazz Ensemble were unhappy that opportunities offered on campus did not reflect the large number of students pursuing jazz and sought reform.
To remedy this situation, in the last weeks of the past semester, Jazz Ensemble member Dan Perelstein '09 drafted a petition to cultivate the presence of jazz in the “unilaterally classical" curriculum and also in extracurricular activities and campus events.
Although the music department has been open to proposals concerning jazz in the past, Perelstein felt that it was insufficient, especially for students who are not necessarily music students but are interested in jazz.
“There's a big enough demand for jazz. We shouldn't have to ask for more classes and more lectures or master classes," Perelstein said. “Until now, students interested in jazz have had to specifically push for things that they have wanted instead of just being able to sign up for offerings that are already available."
“We were pushing for a permanent faculty member who focuses on jazz," Case said. “Also, [we were pushing for] expanding the curriculum to include jazz history and theory and bringing more jazz events to campus."
After creating the petition, Perelstein asked for print signatures from Jazz Ensemble members. A notice on Reserved Students Digest garnered electronic signatures from students who wanted to see more of jazz on campus.
Perelstein ended up with 58 electronic and 45 print signatures before submitting the petition to Department Chair Gerald Levinson, who received it welcomingly.
Continue...
For more information contact All About Jazz.
