JOE VIERA
Jazz education started with modern jazz. Before, jazz musicians were in most cases self-taught; if they had any education as musicians, it was a short one and not specialized in jazz. What they needed to play good jazz, they learned almost exclusively by practising and by experience.
Things changed with modern jazz. The music became more and more complicated and at the same time interest to explore jazz theoretically, increased. In 1945 Lawrence Berk founded the "Berklee School of Music" in Boston. Lennie Tri-stano started in 1951 his own Jazz School in New York. These two events can nowadays be considered as milestones in the history of jazz education. Meanwhile numerous attempts, some very successful, were made in Europe to teach jazz. Also attempts, some successful, were made to speak about jazz during regular music lessons in public schools. The methods of teaching may, and must be different, but the program must in all cases consider the same main points:
1. Rhythm patterns.
Rhythm is not something which happens incidentally when a melody is played. It is rather a self-acting element, especially in jazz.
2. Harmonic patterns.
They are, up to free jazz, a basic element for improvisation.
3. Improvisation and arrangement. Both belong together. Every piece consists of a certain percentage of arange-ment, i.e. planned things, and of a certain percentage of improvisation,i.e. spontaneous additions to the planned things.
4. The blues.
The principles of the blues can be found everywhere in jazz, particularly in melodies, but also in chord structures.
5. Sounds.
Jazz has its special sounds. One must know them, otherwise one will not understand jazz.
6. History.
Knowledge of jazz history excludes
onesidedness and errors. The knowledge of jazz elements and historical events is today essential to anyone who claims to be quite at home in contemporary music. And contemporary music, as a part of contemporary culture, is a must for everybody, who claims to live in the 20th century. It is not necessary for all people to become jazz fans and to listen to great musicians every day for four hours without any fun or special interest. But everybody must at least know the most important facts and must accept them. If one is a musician, regardless of style, one should know more. Otherwise there will be great trouble, if one is asked to play music influenced by jazz. The quantity of such music increases stedily, and so more musicians are needed to play it. One thing about the methods of jazz education is very important: everything learn-able is also teachable. All great musicians had to learn many things before they became great. They learned these things in quite different ways. So the teacher must use quite different methods,

and in those cases, when he has not enough time, he must teach the student how to work on without a teacher. The methods must be always closely connected with jazz life, and that means: the more experience the teacher has as a musician, the better. He should never forget, that practice and theory are two sides of the same problem. Also, the teacher must use unequivocal and exact language. And he has not only to show a way but also to teach his students how to find and follow their own path. Jazz education is still in its beginnings. Much work is yet to be done before all possibilities are utilized. There are institutions for instruction of musicians in some countries of Western and Eastern Europe. Several of these institutions conform to the way the "Berklee School of Music" works, others have developed their own methods. Jazz has also gained in some countries a place within the music education in public schools. It is necessary to combine all these efforts by creating a coordinating centre. Exchange of materials, experience and results will help not only those who are interested in jazz education but in music at all. This will also improve the quality of jazz critique and will give suggestions to other types of contemporary music. So an EJF Education Center must be founded, and be in good contact with the EJF Library Center (Robert Fernet) in Brussels. Its work has to take into consideration the following points:
1. Maintenance of contact with everybody in Europe who works in jazz education. Exchange of materials, experience, results and ideas.
2. Collection of all types of instruction material (scores, books, special records etc.) in cooperation with the EJF Library Center.
3. Development of new methods of teaching.
Publishing of new instruction material (scores, books, tapes etc.).
4. Organizing of instruction courses, not only for musicians, but also for teachers. This could lead to a regularly working jazz school.
5. Contact with jazz critics.
6. Cooperation with all contests for jazz musicians, arrangers and composers.
7. Providing of scholarships for talented young musicians.
8. Study of connections with ,,new music" and with other forms of contemporary music.
9. Answering of all questions about jazz education.
10. One thing should not be forgotten: as many contacts as possible should be maintained with first class jazz musicians. They make the music, so their views must be heard whenever possible.
The Europen Jazz Federation has a good chance to become a model for all similar institutions. Let's use this chance!
Joe Viera