Strategy Plan

 

The IASJ Strategy Plan 2006-2008

In general

The IASJ reflects the past, present and future of the developments in jazz education around the world. The IASJ is a membership driven organization. It is a network of schools of jazz of high quality and standing. The IASJ is also concerned with the jazz as a living art form which is maintained, shaped and developed by its members. The IASJ promotes cultural diversity and does not discriminate towards nationality, religion, gender or age.

The Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting

The main activity of the IASJ is the promoting and co-producing with IASJ Member Schools of the Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting. The meeting is held in a different country each year. The goal is to bring students, teachers and administrators together to enrich and further cross cultural communication. The IASJ Jazz Meeting achieves this through daily activities including ensemble, jam sessions, lectures and master classes as well as the Ongoing Dialogues, where teachers and administrators exchange ideas on relevant topics.

The IASJ Jazz Meeting has become such an important factor in jazz education worldwide that several meetings are already assured for the future. The question remains as to how the Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting can be further improved.

• The Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting Guidelines should be re-conceived in such a way that it encourages future host schools to re-invent the formula. Input from local musicians is welcomed. Most attention rightly goes to the students: combo’s, master classes, jam sessions and performances make part of the schedule. For the teachers and representatives an increase of activities could be established. The Ongoing Dialogues can increase in the variety of topics and different forms of chairing should be considered. Hands-on workshops for teachers and representatives can enrich the activities.

• The position of the Host School Coordinator during IASJ Jazz Meetings should be strengthened. The Host School can invite one or more Artists in Residence to take part in the IASJ Jazz Meeting. An Artist in Residence can act next to the Artistic Director of the IASJ who might present at the meeting. An Artist in Residence should be a specialist of high standing who can conduct workshops for the students, discuss educational issues with the teachers and who is willing to convene with the representatives to discuss managerial matters.

• The concept of an ongoing IASJ Student Band consisting of the best students who visited the meetings will be considered with proposed performances at festivals and at member schools. Collaborations with other organizations must be considered.

• The IASJ Jazz Meetings should be wider known in the jazz community. Every year one or more internationally known jazz journalist should be invited, travel costs and hotel cost paid for by the IASJ. Also, the host school should make a report on the meeting in a printed version, and in a web-based version.

The Bi-Annual IASJ Jazz Education Conference

The 1st IASJ Jazz Education Conference was instituted in 2003. A formula for instituting a conference alternating or parallel to the meetings should is now worked out. The IASJ Jazz Education Conferences has two main points of attention. One is a summary of what has been reached and achieved in jazz education. The other point will be the focus on new streams in jazz education and in jazz in general. The IASJ Jazz Education Conference is the ‘research and development’ activity of the IASJ.

The IASJ Newsletter

The main function of the IASJ Newsletter reflects the activities happening in the association as well as in jazz education in general. The main field of interest is higher professional music education: academies, conservatories and universities. Also general music education at high schools, music education for younger students and jazz appreciation to non-professionals can be topics in the newsletter. A series of articles on jazz research should be an integral part of the IASJ Newsletter.

In the future an editor of the IASJ Newsletter will work under the guidance of the IASJ Executive Director. At the present state both functions are executed by one person. The Membership Communication Officer connected to the IASJ Service Bureau will assist in collecting data for the newsletter and function as co-editor.

The IASJ Service Bureau

The Royal Conservatory cannot and whishes not to be the only member school to sustain the entire IASJ Service Bureau. Certain functions of the IASJ Service Bureau could be relocated:

• bookkeeping: collecting membership fee; financial administration; financial controlling.
• primary communication: answering e-mails, telephone and mails.
• membership communication: co-editing the IASJ Newsletter, producing the IASJ Membership List, updating the website, coordination the Fact Sheets and other questionnaires.
• project support: administrational and content support of projects such as The History of Jazz in Europe.

These and other functions can be executed on more than one location. If IASJ member school do not whish or can take over certain functions, space and human resources must be hired from existing administration offices. For the membership the IASJ Service Bureau should appear to continue to exist virtually as one office. 

The IASJ Website: www.iasj.com

The IASJ Website has several functions. It is primarily a tool of promotion for the IASJ to attract new members. The site also informs the IASJ membership on a day to day basis by highlighting what activities occur in and between member schools. A directory of pertinent information for each member school, The Fact Sheet will be available for prospective students to view as an aid in making decisions of where to study. The website also functions as a tool for documentation of the past activities of the IASJ.

The IASJ Board, the Executive Director, and the Artistic Director.

The IASJ Board consists of representatives of the leading schools of jazz around the world. The diversity of the IASJ is reflected in the board. The rotating roster of the board members assures that it truly reflects the geographical and artistic broadness of the IASJ membership. The IASJ Board governs the IASJ and leaves the responsibilities for the regular business to the Daily Board.

The Executive Director of the IASJ is also the Director of the IASJ Service Bureau. The Executive Director is the official representative of the IASJ in all circumstances and reports to the Daily Board on a regular basis. He is also in close contact with the Artistic Director of the IASJ.

The Artistic Director is chosen by the IASJ Board for a longer period of time. He has proven to have skills both as a performer and as an educator. The main function of the Artistic Director is to advise the IASJ Board and the IASJ Executive Director. The Artistic Director can act as the Artist in Residence during IASJ Jazz Meetings.

The IASJ Financial Basis

The membership fees of the IASJ members form the financial basis of the IASJ. In order to pay for the expenses of the IASJ additional financial support is needed. As in the past the extended support of a several member schools will continue to be solicited. The financial basis has to be broadened without lost of artistic and organizational freedom to include potential sponsors.

The IASJ will seek funding and grants to establish a permanent IASJ center where concerts, workshops and conferences can occur on a regular basis.

The IASJ Partnerships

The IASJ will continue its cooperation with organizations like the IAJE, the EMC, the IMC, the ICIM, the EBU, the EYJO, the JMI and the AEC towards the goal of promoting jazz as a legitimate art form. The principles of jazz should be a permanent part of any music education. Therefore joint projects should be initiated in order to reach the goal. Investments should be done if on the mid or long term the financial lost will be compensated.

The IASJ Membership

At any given moment there are potentially many schools and developing situations around the world for which membership in the IASJ would be a positive step. An appropriate policy should be instituted to encourage joining the association.

One of the means to expand membership is to produce the IASJ Directory of Qualified Schools of Jazz. Representatives of member schools should approach possible member schools listed in this directory on a personal level.

The membership fee should never be a barrier for joining the association. The IASJ Executive Director should have the freedom to determine a reasonable fee.

The IASJ will reach out to countries where jazz education is minimal or not present and encourage participation at the Annual Jazz Meeting.

Outreach

The IASJ will encourage student and teacher ensembles of member schools to perform and educate in their local community for target groups such as disadvantaged children, handicapped and senior citizens. 

Encouraging, Supporting and Promoting Jazz Education

The IASJ will play a leading role in the movement towards furthering jazz and jazz education in general music education and in amateur music education. This includes encouraging, supporting and promoting the inclusion of jazz education principles like improvisation, swing, etc. in all music education. Cooperating and partnering with the International Association of Jazz Educators towards this goal will be encouraged.

The IASJ will lobby local and national governments to support such programs. Participation at the Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting for young musicians should be instituted in the future whenever plausible.

The IASJ will promote pedagogical approaches that emphasize a balance between the practical (vocational) aspects of being a jazz musician in balance with the aesthetic and philosophical realm.

The IASJ will promote the broadening of jazz research to include an ontological approach which would survey aspects such as how the process of decision making occurs in jazz improvisation, the way time and space are experienced, the transpersonal and spiritual ramifications and more.

Walter Turkenburg, IASJ Executive Director

David Liebman, IASJ Artistic Director

September 2006