connecting jazz education world-wide                                                                                                                                                                                       

HomeOrganizationIASJ Documents

International Association of Schools of Jazz

IASJ Strategy Plan

The IASJ Strategy Plan 2012-2014
 
General statement
The IASJ reflects the past, present and future of the developments in jazz education around the world. The IASJ is a membership driven organization comprised of a network of schools of jazz which represent the highest quality and reputation. The organization concerns itself with jazz as a living art form to be maintained as well as shaped into the future accommodating new developments, both from the musical and pedagogical standpoints.
As a statement of policy 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 the Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting with IASJ Member Schools 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 these goals through the 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 is recognized worldwide as an important force in jazz education. Proposed sites for future meetings are already in place for several years into the future, evidencing the enthusiasm from the membership to be a Host School. The following are some suggested points concerning 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. For example, input from local musicians should be encouraged. As most attention goes to the students and their activities which include combos, master classes, jam sessions and performances, an increase of activities for the teachers and representatives should be established. At the same time, more diverse topics as well as potential "chairs" of the Ongoing Dialogues should be encouraged. Also, hand on workshops for teachers and representatives can enrich the meeting and offer new ideas as well as resources for improved teaching techniques.
 
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 alongside the Artistic Director of the IASJ who depending upon circumstances may or may not be 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 administrative matters.
 
The concept of an ongoing IASJ Student Band consisting of the best students who have attended a meeting should be considered with proposed performances at festivals and at member schools. Collaborations with other organizations must be encouraged to bring these performance possibilities about.
 
The IASJ Jazz Meetings should be wider known in the jazz community. Every year one or more internationally known jazz journalists should be invited with travel and hotel cost paid for by the IASJ. Also, the host school should make a report on the meeting in both a printed and  a web-based version shortly after the meeting takes place..
 
The IASJ Jazz Education Conference
The 1st IASJ Jazz Education Conference was instituted in 2003. The 2nd one took place in 2010. A formula for instituting a conference alternating or parallel to the meetings should be considered. The IASJ Jazz Education Conferences has two main points of interest. One is a summary of what has been reached and achieved in jazz education up to that time with an emphasis on a specific area for example like outreach activities or grading systems, etc. The choice of topics can be in any area meaning performance, administrative, historical and more. The goal is to focus on new streams in both the music itself and jazz education. The IASJ Jazz Education Conference represents the "research and development" activity of the IASJ.
 
The IASJ Newsletter
The main function of the IASJ Newsletter is to reflect the activities of the association as well as jazz education in general. The institutions that are targeted to receive the newsletter and encourage membership in the IASJ are higher educational and professional academies, conservatories and universities. As well, the IASJ wants to encourage general music education at high schools and elementary level for younger students (K-12) as well as jazz appreciation to non-professionals. The IASJ considers educating the public, both younger and older as basic for maintaining some sense of popular support for jazz. 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 both functions are executed by one person. The Communication Officer connected to the IASJ Service Bureau assists in collecting data for the newsletter and functions as co-editor.
 
The IASJ Service Bureau
The Royal Conservatory, The Hague, The Netherlands, cannot and wishes not to be the only member school to sustain the entire IASJ Service Bureau. Certain functions of the IASJ Service Bureau should be relocated as in the following possibilities:
bookkeeping: collecting membership fee; financial administration; financial controlling.primary communication: answering e-mails, telephone and  regular mail.membership communication: co-editing the IASJ Newsletter, updating the IASJ Membership List and website, coordinating the Fact Sheets and other questionnaires that may appear.project support: administrational and content support of projects such as the ongoing project-History of Jazz in Europe.
These and other functions can be executed at more than one location. An IASJ member school can take over certain functions meaning space and human resources could be hired from existing administrative offices. For the membership at large, the IASJ Service Bureau should appear to continue to exist virtually as one office. In general, administrative functions can easily be spread among member school using the technology available from the internet and e mail, etc.
 
The IASJ Website (www.iasj.com) and the Bulletin Board (IASJlist@yahoo groups.com)
The website serves primarily as a tool of promotion for the IASJ to attract new members while the bulletin board informs the membership on a day to day basis about activities occurring in and between member schools. Also on the web site is a directory of pertinent information for each member school, the Fact Sheet, which is useful for prospective students 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 from leading schools of jazz around the world. The diversity of the IASJ is reflected in the board. The rotating roster of 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 and is the official representative of the IASJ in all circumstances, while reporting to the Daily Board on a regular basis. He is also in close contact with the Artistic Director.
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 depending upon circumstances surrounding each meeting.
 
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 extended support of several member schools will continue to be solicited. The financial basis has to be broadened to include potential sponsors without the loss of artistic and organizational freedom.
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 EMC, the IMC, the ICIM, the JEN, 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. Joint projects should be initiated and encouraged in order to reach this goal.
 
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. Growth of the IASJ should be encouraged but always with an awareness of the disadvantages as well as advantages of a larger membership.
 
One of the means to expand membership is to produce an IASJ master "Directory of Qualified Schools of Jazz." Representatives of member schools should approach potential new 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 dependent on a school or individual's situation.
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 pointed towards 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 performance and jazz education in both general and amateur music education. This includes encouraging, supporting and promoting the inclusion of jazz education principles like improvisation, swing, etc. in all music education. 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. Additional areas of research, as yet unidentified will be supported on a one by one basis.
 
Walter Turkenburg, IASJ Executive Director
David Liebman, IASJ Artistic Director

IASJ: do not miss...

  • priority to IASJ Jazz Meetings and IASJ Conferences
  • participation in various social jazz networks world wide
  • webspace on the IASJ website
  • visibilty for possible students
  • international collaboration for jazz teachers
  • exchange of knowledge and experiences for staff
  • IASJ Membership List
  • IASJ Newsletters
  • all other IASJ publications, audio-visual releases, etc.

Fill out your IASJ Membership Application to become a member of the International Association of Schools of Jazz.

Go to top