The IASJ, The Global Jazz Network

By Walter Turkenburg

In the last quarter of the twentieth century major universities, conservatories and music academies around the world established jazz departments. Seasoned jazz musicians have in this period devoted themselves to turning their experience into successful jazz curricula. This wild music called jazz that for decades seemed to be unexplainable has now become a source of study for thousands of young students around the world. The teaching of jazz on an academic level emphasizes the point that jazz as a musical tradition is equal to the other musical genres: classical, popular and world music. Jazz as a living art form both distinguishes itself from the others as well as interacts with them. Many notable institutions for higher musical education are providing a positive environment for the exciting interaction between jazz and classical, world and popular music.

Looking back, it is no wonder that around 1990 the need was felt for an umbrella organization, an international forum for the increased activities in jazz education. The International Association of Schools of Jazz, the IASJ, became the embodiment of the new movement in jazz education. From the start it became clear that in every country in the world there is a different tradition in jazz. All these different ideas about jazz were mirrored in the way jazz education at the universities, academies and conservatories in these countries were set up. During the Annual IASJ Jazz Meetings, which have been held since 1990 in a different country every year, heads of jazz departments representing their school, meet in a number of sessions labeled the Ongoing Dialogues. In these sessions it often turns out that what might seem logical to teach in Japan, does not work in Australia, may be done differently in South America, could have a long tradition in North America and is unacceptable in Europe. Therefore the teaching of jazz is also the teaching of cultural diversity. However varied the ideas on teaching jazz are, when in comes to playing, students from all over the world, often hardly being able to communicate through spoken language, find their commonality when they play their music.

Although by now firmly established in academia around the world, the musical genre called jazz still leads to all kinds of misunderstandings. Many people, especially outside the world of jazz, still struggle with the meaning and the content of what it really is. As Chairman of the IASJ in collaboration with IASJ Artistic Director, jazz saxophonist David Liebman, I have been deeply involved in the organization of every Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting from the start over a decade ago. I have seen and heard approximately 750 young jazz professionals, met with nearly 500 jazz teachers and representatives from around the world and been involved in numerous discussions concerning the many explanations of what jazz is. What I can distill from all my encounters is that jazz is a living art form in which improvisation and swing play dominant roles. The rhythmical phenomenon of swing instigates an emotional response while listening to jazz. Rhythmical layers interact in such a way that a feeling of momentum, of forward motion occurs while listening to it. Improvisation is a universal language in music which in jazz has its own vocabulary and grammar. The proof that jazz is indeed a living art form in shown by the fact that it is hard to determine what the style of today really is. Only after one and in most cases two decades, does it become clear what the appropriate name for a style of a certain period was. The most often heard label for jazz of nowadays is "Eclectic Jazz". It is a misnomer because jazz has always been eclectic and will continue to be so. The jazz world wrestles with definitions and labels.

It is my strong belief that jazz and jazz education will continue to grow. Scientific research into the structure and history of the musical aspects of improvisation and swing in jazz has only just begun. The teaching of jazz in elementary and high schools still is in its infancy.

Jazz and jazz education depends on collaboration between likeminded individuals. I have had the honor to discover in the noted jazz musician David Liebman a companion and collaborator who has devoted a large part of his energy and time to the development of jazz, jazz education and the organization of the IASJ. What jazz is, means and how jazz is related to arts in general is expressed by David Liebman