Council for Research in Music Education

Jazz and Academia: Street Music in the Ivory Tower

Author(s): Bill Dobbins
Source: Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 96, Research in Jazz
Education II (Spring, 1988), pp. 30-41
Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Council for Research in Music
Education
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40318208
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^I^TOKH Z^TTD©!,!

Jazz and Academia:

Street Music in the Ivory Tower

Bill Dobbins
Eastman School of Music

Before the late 1960's the words "jazz" and "academia" were
generally assumed to be mutually exclusive. My own experience as a
student at Kent State University between 1964 and 1970 was, for the
most part, a constant struggle against just such an attitude. Those of
us who formed the school's first ongoing jazz ensemble were thrown
out of practice rooms, prohibited from signing out school instruments
to play jazz and, in general, strongly discouraged from having anything
to do with America's greatest musical contribution to world culture.
Only when the ensemble continued to receive highly visible praise and
support from university student and administrative organizations did
the school of music involve itself, taking credit for musical
developments which they had aggressively fought at every turn. In-
deed, many of our institutions had no thought of developing a jazz cur-
riculum until such a move showed a decided potential for attracting
larger numbers of students to music schools where both enrollment
and talent were on a steady decline. Yet, however suspect the motives
may have been, it seems clear that the study, composition, and perfor-
mance of jazz in academic institutions is now a relatively normal state
of affairs, and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. It
seems imperative, therefore, that we begin to search for ways in
which the attitudes and aesthetics of jazz and the academic musical
environment can constructively complement and stimulate each
other.

The relationship between jazz and the traditional conservatory or

music school reveals telling similarities to the relationship between
black and white American culture. White Americans generally feel no
great need to know about the culture of black America, since such

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 Bill Dobbins 31

knowledge gen
advantage or upward social mobility: quite the contrary, since
elements of black culture which differ appreciably from white culture
are still often considered to be inferior or, at least, backward. Black
Americans, on the other hand, have always had to know a great deal
about the culture of white America simply in order to survive. Where
participation in white society was actively sought, a still deeper
assimilation of white culture was necessary.

Similarly, Americans who are primarily involved in music with Euro-

pean or symphonic roots generally feel no great need to know about
jazz, even though it has evolved within their own country and is, so far,
the most remarkable musical phenomenon of our century. Jazz musi-
cians are still often considered inferior or, at least, lowbrow. The term
"jazzer", perhaps the musical equivalent of "nigger", is still common
currency even in institutions where jazz itself is believed to have at-
tained true respectability. It is worth noting, in this regard, that even
most black students in American conservatories and music schools
are primarily involved in the study of "legitimate" music rather than
jazz. Jazz musicians, on the other hand, have generally been quite
knowledgeable about other musics, including the European
"classical" tradition. This interest has been partly practical, both in
terms of increasing the potential for employment and achieving
greater credibility in the world of "high culture". It has also stemmed,
however, from an insatiable curiosity about all musics, even those
with which one is not actively involved. This creative curiosity is prob-
ably one of the main factors which led to the development of the
earliest jazz, as well as its many subsequent stylistic variants and
hybrids.

Since musical academia has, so far, been somewhat reluctant to

venture into the world of jazz, we should begin by discussing several
aspects of the jazz musician's discipline which are of great practical
value to all aspiring musicians, regardless of their stylistic specializa-
tion. Among the most important of these are the ability to maintain a
strict tempo with a deep physical pulse, the ability to make practical
use of the basic principles and vocabulary of traditional music theory
and harmony, the application of music as a creatively interdependent
relationship between the individual and the group, and the integration
of the musical experience into everyday life.

The most fundamental element of all musics, including jazz, is

rhythm. The drum is the instrument which most easily captures the
essence of jazz. The best jazz springs from a strong rhythmic founda-
tion, whether or not it is actually combined with dance. The feeling or
regular pulse also corresponds to such basic human activities as

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 32 Jazz and Academia

walking, skipping, and r

as breathing and heartb
rhythms supported by a
music throughout the wo
paved with concrete and
connects all human being

The concepts of rubato

symphonic music that it
can really maintain a s
ductors, even for relativ
not helped to improve th
lectively on the pulse
generate a powerful f
focussed creative energy
control is an invaluable asset to any performer, regardless of the
musical idiom involved.

The hypnotic rhythmic call of Louis Armstrong, the Count Basie and
Duke Ellington orchestras, the Ahmad Jamal trio and countless other
legendary jazz groups, has reached an audience which crosses all
racial, ethnic, and political boundaries. Furthermore, it has enriched
the lives of this audience with a music of great emotional and spiritual
depth which, at the same time, maintains a clear connection to folk
and popular music. I do not mean to imply here that either jazz or sym-
phonic music is inherently of greater aesthetic value than folk or
popular music. Rather, I wish to invite at least a little suspicion of
music which is devoid of folk roots, particularly in cases where such
music fails to move a sincerely interested listener, even if that listener
has no formal music education. The use of periodic rhythm and folk
melodies has, intentionally or not, provided an unspecialized audience
with a real access to the music of Bartok and Stravinsky as well as
Basie and Ellington.

In addition to the sharpening of rhythmic skills, experience and

training in jazz, more than any other music, offers a practical applica-
tion of all the basic skills and technics studied in traditional music
theory and harmony courses. If jazz did not exist, the musical
vocabularies and dialects which evolved in European music from 1650
to 1950 would be, in a practical sense, as dead as the Latin language.
A language, whether verbal or musical, is only truly alive as long as
people use it as a mode of basic communication in everyday life. With
the exception of organists, who are sometimes still trained in the art of
improvisation, improvisation has played no significant role in sym-
phonic or chamber music for more than a century. Consequently,
most musicians who do not play jazz forget anything to do with theory,

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 Bill Dobbins 33

harmony and an
pleted. Outside o
which these skil
tenance of mere functional musical competence. It is certain,
however, that if symphonic musicians had a greater interest in the for-
mal, harmonic and conversational roles of their individual parts in an
orchestral work, they would experience and perform the music quite
differently.

Just as important as the process of improvisation itself is the jazz

musician's constant use and development of aural skills and sensitivi-
ty. Even though there is a steadily growing library of important im-
provised solos, compositions, and arrangements which are available
in published form, it is still unlikely that jazz students will be able to ob-
tain printed scores of most pieces which they wish to study. This
means, of course, that the music must be painstakingly transcribed
from recordings. While this is an extremely laborious process, it en-
sures the necessity for students to develop their ears in order to ac-
curately recognize specific musical vocabulary. In traditions of im-
provised music one must personally earn the privilege of receiving the
repertoire. Nothing of real importance can simply be given to the stu-
dent with the exception of technical guidance and constructive
criticism. It is hoped that the repertoire of jazz will never become as
easily accessible as the repertoire of the European musical tradition.
Imagine how much higher the level of aural sensitivity would be in our
conservatories and music schools if everyone had to personally
transcribe the music of Bach, Chopin, Ravel, or even Schoenberg
from recordings in order to study and perform it. The music would
mean much more to everyone, and only the most sincerely devoted
would survive such rigorous discipline. In India the study of music is
considered a life's devotion, and is not to be taken at all casually
Master classes may go on for ten to twelve hours. In modern
technological societies, however, the study of music tends more and
more to be packaged in easily digestible fifty-minute segments in
which convenience is valued more highly than passion.

Another invaluable aspect of the jazz experience is the creatively in-

terdependent integration of the individual and the group. This is also
an important characteristic of many traditional African societies. With
few exceptions, the most important and lasting contributions to jazz
have been made by regularly working groups or through collabora-
tions of two or more musicians toward the achievement of a common
artistic goal. The big bands and small groups of Count Basie, Duke Ell-
ington, Ahmad Jamal, Gerry Mulligan, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy
Gillespie, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, George
Russell, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Omette Col-

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 34 Jazz and Academia

eman, Keith Jarrett, S

Chicago have been a far
day than the efforts o
being Louis Armstrong
Evans with Miles Davis
ton with Thelonious M
tributions. Of course, t
of jazz was that of Bill

The creative process of jazz stems from free and spontaneous

musical interaction among musicians who share a common artistic vi-
sion. In fact, it is this musical, emotional, and spiritual interaction,
perhaps even more than the technical content itself, which inspires
and mystifies an attentive audience. There are only two important
prerequisites for the successful development of group improvisation:
recognition and consideration of both the strengths and weaknesses
of each individual (both technical and stylistic) and the understanding
that listening to the contributions of the other musicians in the group is
just as important as making one's own contributions. If these general
ground rules were expressed in socio-political terms they would sound
like blueprints for a Utopian society. The full meaning of each musi-
cian's contribution can only be assessed in relation to the creative
goals of the group, while the musical identity of the group and the
quality of its product depend, in turn, on the contribution of each
member. The experience of such a relationship is greatly intensified in
improvised music. In a classical string quartet the composer has
decided how much information is needed in each part and precisely
when that information should appear. In jazz, however, the player's
theoretically unlimited freedom must be ever sensitive to the respon-
sibility of making such decisions in the moment. Since such instan-
taneous response is only possible on an intuitive level, each player
must personally earn whatever degree of freedom he or she wishes to
attain through the most rigorous musical discipline. By playing
together regularly over a period of several years, a group of im-
provisers may develop an even higher level of creative freedom and
sympathetic interaction. While many such groups may never attain
their highest potential, it is certainly a goal which is well worth striving
for. If it is true that the greatest possible freedom is achieved only
through the greatest possible discipline, then this is especially true in
improvised music, where the level of discipline determines not only
the quality of expression of the content, but even the content itself.

The most disappointing trend in jazz during the past twenty years
has been the focus on media superstars rather than on working
groups. Apart from the groups of Sun Ra, Phil Woods, and the Art
Ensemble of Chicago, there are virtually no American jazz groups

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Bill Dobbins 35

which have bee

more than a yea
and the monopol
porations are tw
factors have, in
tion of home vi
1940's there wer
professional mu
music with a hig
jazz ensembles w
form the music
employment as
music to regain
most productive
greatest contri
development of
development o
facilitates the f
most talented y

Possibly the mo
tegration of the
have not only de
through which
by-product, ex
these instrumen
the saxophones,
use of plunger,
pizzicato bass t
piano are some o
cian music is not
As with the true
only a very few s
impossible, to kn
tually chose the
however, is th
Count Basie, Du
Omette Coleman
tistic inspiration.

The word "spiri

for several reaso
even more of its
Further, the liv
John Coltrane,
been sustained a

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 36 Jazz and Academia

the dedication to somet

sorely needed, not only
society at large. The pur
full creative potential is its own reward. The distraction and
discouragement from such aims is, equally, its own punishment.

Having examined some important aspects of the jazz tradition

which have the potential to revitalize our musical culture, it is equally
important to focus attention on several aspects of musical academia
which are indispensable in the development and sustenance of a
healthy musical environment. The most important of these are the
development of effective and finely tuned verbal skills, a healthy
respect for tradition and the artistic contributions of previous genera-
tions, and a healthy disrespect for commerce and its manifestations in
the commercial music business. The tenacious assumption that
"legitimate" musicians command superior technic and mastery of in-
tonation is both highly prejudicial and generally unfounded. An impar-
tial observer would most likely find audiences of all stylistic persua-
sions to be equally tolerant or intolerant of obvious musical deficien-
cies, given a comparable level of education and cultural exposure.

The need for a masterful command of verbal skills has become ever
more acute during the past twenty years. This is particularly true in
relation to jazz. Before 1960 most jazz musicians were trained and
educated in a largely informal environment. Learning from older musi-
cians "on the job", developing close friendships with experienced
musical mentors and peers, and the study of classic recordings were
among the most common methods of continuing the ongoing process
of musical maturation. Since there was little serious mention of jazz
within the structured environment of musical academia, aspiring jazz
musicians sought out the music in the environment where it was lived
and performed: night clubs, theatres, and dance halls. These
establishments, as well as nearby restaurants, coffee houses, and the
apartments or lofts of the musicians themselves, functioned as the
studios, classrooms, and lecture halls of the earliest jazz education.
From the point of view of immediate and close contact between stu-
dent and master the situation was, in many ways, preferable to that of
today's formally structured jazz education. Practical aspects of the
discipline and the relationship between the artists and the audience
were clearly visible, and knowledge about specific technics or con-
cepts could be obtained directly from the source. In such a fertile and
incessantly active environment there was no need for elaborate verbal
explanation or clarification, since direct observation and even par-
ticipation were usually within easy access.

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 Bill Dobbins 27

Since the demise of

ing demand for live
changed. The role of
will be dealt with in a moment. Whatever the causes, however, the
result has been the gradual transplanting of jazz education from the
streets to academic institutions. The marvel is that the music even
survived at all. It is truly a testimony to the magnetism and spiritual
power of the music that young jazz musicians who had no encourage-
ment from the society at large took such an interest that musical in-
stitutions were eventually compelled to make a space for jazz studies,
even if only to increase their own potential for economic survival.

Probably the single most important task for the jazz musician deal-
ing with this new environment is the development of verbal skills
which are capable of communicating the mechanics and aesthetics of
an essentially aural musical tradition. That such a task can be ac-
complished is amply illustrated by the tradition of eastern Indian
music. The fact that Indian master musicians can speak in a detailed
and highly sophisticated manner about the technics and vocabulary of
their tradition of improvisation has in no way unveiled the music's
mysteries nor sapped its creative vitality. While experience is always
the best teacher, a student can gain much more from that experience
if the teacher has clearly explained and demonstrated the skills and at-
titudes necessary for the creation of a high quality performance.

It is not only older, self-educated jazz musicians who sometimes

have difficulty in verbally expressing their musical ideas. All too often,
jazz students who are aspiring to become professional performers or
writers are so obsessed with technical skills that they lose sight of the
value of an ability to communicate their knowledge to others, if and
when they become involved in teaching. The fact that an ever increas-
ing number of seasoned professionals are now earning at least part of
their living from teaching further demonstrates the importance of the
development of communication skills. A veteran performer can often
communicate a great deal simply by playing. Young teachers who are
still mastering basic improvisational skills, however, undoubtedly need
a strong command of verbal language in order to help students to ap-
preciate the history, aesthetics, and practice of jazz concepts which
cannot yet be fully demonstrated by the teachers themselves. In-
sightful commentary on classic jazz recordings, the analysis of
transcribed solos, compositions, and arrangements, and discussion of
the relationship between art and life are only several of many ex-
amples which come to mind.

The most important reason for the necessity of verbally articulate

educators, however, is the calculated precision with which the media

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 38 Jazz and Academia

uses words for purely m

tion in which we are bei
creative or spiritual, inc
creative music. The insti
remaining force with b
alternatives to TV culture. Their success or failure in this endeavor is
the sole consideration from which their true social and cultural value
must be assessed.

In addition to teaching a firm command of verbal communication

skills, academia has traditionally encouraged a healthy respect fo
tradition and the cultural contributions of previous generations. If
musical academia often carries this respect for tradition to absurd ex
tremes, the jazz world has just as often been guilty of an obsession
with novelty for its own sake. In order to go either further or deepe
within the vocabulary of a particular tradition, a thorough working
knowledge of that vocabulary is essential. This is all the more true i
abstraction, allusion or parody are involved.

The jazz world could only become increasingly enriched if the

music of Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ell-
ington, and other giants were appreciated and understood to th
degree that the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, and Bar
tok is appreciated and understood in our conservatories and music
schools. In fact, to award our students degrees in jazz studies withou
fostering pride and enthusiasm for the music of our great soloists,
composers, and arrangers is to make them victims of an inexcusable
educational swindle. At the same time, an important lesson must be
learned from the current state of musical academia: our reverence for
the past must not be allowed to become so rigidly canonized that it
stifles the creation and performance of new music, however ex-
perimental it may be. Once again, Indian music offers a more balanc-
ed mixture of respect for tradition, the contribution of the individual
and the study and assimilation of the musics of other cultures.

The most valuable aspect of musical academia is the provision of a

laboratory environment in which young creative musicians can
develop their craft and imagination, free from the constraints of the
commercial marketplace. The original function of the university was
primarily that of a center for learning and research, not a stepping
stone to a commercially lucrative career. To the degree that we
respect that function our societies will thrive creatively and spiritually.
To the degree that this function is eroded by purely material con-
siderations, the human spirit will be eroded as well.

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 Bill Dobbins 39

Throughout ou
able to survive o
leges. It is high
part time positi
siderable contrib
these artists go
our obsession with cultural fads. The involvement of local creative
musicians in our musical institutions and educational organizations
would lend real credibility to the whole concept of jazz education,
while conferring on these musicians the respect and encouragement
which they well deserve. The advantages to all parties involved would
be incalculable. The obscurity and relative poverty in which such im-
portant figures as Ben Webster and Don Byas ended their lives is a na-
tional disgrace. We apparently have learned nothing from such
historic precedents as Mozart and Bartok.

A truly healthy cultural environment should also be one in which

great cultural diversity is not simply tolerated, but encouraged. In this
respect most contemporary societies certainly have much room for
improvement. The implication of this idea for jazz and symphonic
musicians alike should be to encourage an awareness and understan-
ding of other forms of creative music, including those which happen to
be commercially popular. The challenge for us all is, simply, to
develop our musical creativity to its fullest potential. To the extent that
either our musical institutions or the music business encourages such
development, they should be respected and applauded. To the extent
that they become obstacles or instruments of oppression, they should
be criticized and resisted.

In conclusion, the subject of the media and its effect on all of us

must be considered, since it will undoubtedly play a major role in
determining the survival potential of both jazz and academia in any
true sense of those words. Whether we realize it or not, television has
suddenly wiped out the middle ground between fame and anonymity.
One has only to appear on national television to realize instant star-
dom, yet until such appearance one is a completely unknown com-
modity. The power of the national commercial networks has already
begun to appeciably effect the programming of public television,
which more and more resembles the usual commercial prime time of-
ferings (with fewer commercials, of course). Even the jazz programs
on public television and radio are focussed primarily on nationally
known artists in order to "ensure credibility" with their sponsors.
Thus, there is often little or no information about local artists and
cultural activities.

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40 Jazz and Academia

The diverse street cu

are being increasingly
the prominent capital
(New York and Los An
and cultural issues dom
with those represent
taries which are spon
big business special in
unquestionably well inte
terest in local social, p
paid for by local tax d
tling, that most Amer
ing hundreds and thou
the communities in w

A brief outline of po
of our musical institu
media, particularly at

1. Focus our energies on

Above all, we must stop
American musicians who
North America.

2. Involve local professional jazz musicians in our institutions and

educational organizations. This should include ongoing applications for
matching fund grants from local and national arts organizations toward ex-
tended artist-in-residence projects.

3. Coordinate university public relations personnel with local media, in-

cluding both publicly funded and commercial networks. Strive for maxi-
mum media exposure, particularly in relation to projects or concerts in-
volving guest artists (local or visiting) and the premier performances of
new works.

4. Arrange special concerts or even mini-festivals to focus attention on

either important traditional jazz repertoire (Ellington, Parker, Monk,
Mulligan, etc.) or new jazz directions (George Russel, Anthony Braxton,
Dave Holland, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, etc.). This is extremely impor-
tant in projecting the idea of jazz as an ongoing creative tradition with both
a rich past and a promising future.

5. Try to coordinate projects with groups representing other local

cultural activities such as theatre companies, dance companies,
museums, planetariums, etc.

6. Enlist the aid of all willing and interested organizations outside the
music department or conservatory. This might include local jazz societies,

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 Bill Dobbins 41

black student or c
etc. These groups
greater cultural r
media heros.

7. Support local and national politicans and political organizations which

favor increased aid to both education and jazz.

It goes without saying that the dubious luxury of partisan bickering

among the camps of our great cultural traditions is clearly one which
we can no longer afford, especially if we measure the quality of our
lives by any standard other than mere material possessions. In the
greatest human cultures of the past, one of the most important func-
tions of art was that of inspiring men and women to engage their whole
being in the living of their daily lives and the creation of their common
destiny. If we really wish to regain the level of human dignity which all
great art either reflects or aspires to, we must begin by recognizing
the common bonds which unite great art of all cultures and historic
periods. Without this recognition, the commercial interests of the
media will continue to succeed in the homogenization of human
culture while we continue our trivial speculations and arguments about
which styles of music are truly worthy of academic respectability.

I have sometimes been asked by jazz students whether the serious

study of musical analysis, theory, and academic technics would have
a detrimental effect on their jazz playing. I am sure that classical
studio teachers often experience a similar fear of the influence of jazz
on their private students. My response is simply that the thorough
study of any aspect or style of music can only help one to become a
more complete musician. I sincerely hope that this conclusion will
become incresingly obvious to all music educators in the not too dis-
tant future. In the past, if a self-taught jazz musician was asked
whether or not he could read music, he might answer "not enough to
hurt my playing." It is a primary responsibility of music educators to
convince our students that the development of any musical skill,
whether applied primarily to music reading or improvisation, can only
be a valuable tool for creative musical expression.

The education of our children, music education included, must

become increasingly obvious to all music educators in the not too dis-
tant future. In the past, if a self-taught jazz musician was asked
hope that truly educated men and women of the future may use the
awesome instruments of our technology more wisely than we have.
The challenge is ours, and the fate of both jazz and academia depends
entirely on the quality of our response.

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