Chord Changes on the Chalkboard (eBook)

How Public School Teachers Shaped Jazz and the Music of New Orleans

Al Kennedy (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2005
248 Seiten
Scarecrow Press (Verlag)
978-1-4616-5746-0 (ISBN)

Infos

Using over 90 original interviews, as well as his extensive research in a variety of New Orleans' archives, Dr. Kennedy deftly explores the role public school teachers had in the formative years of jazz, as well as the influence they continue to have on the musical life of one of America's foremost musical cities. As jazz and music mentors, these teachers employed creativity, innovation, and dedication in propelling some of the world's finest musicians forward into brilliant careers. Chord Changes on the Chalkboard includes a foreword by jazz legend Ellis Marsalis, Jr., and is a must for jazz fans and historians, music libraries, and for collections supporting the study of popular culture and African-American history.

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The world's fascination with New Orleans stems from the allure of the music of the city_music that owes its origins and development to many sources. Until now, popular and scholarly books, dissertations, and articles that attempt to explain these sources have failed to recognize the unsung heroes of the New Orleans jazz scene: the teachers in its public schools. Through more than 90 original interviews and extensive research in New Orleans' historical collections, Dr. Kennedy documents ways that public school teachers pushed an often unwilling urban institution to become an important structure that transmitted jazz and the other musical traditions of the city to future musicians. Music legends from Louis Armstrong to Ellis Marsalis Jr._who also provides the foreword_are just two of the many well-known former students of the New Orleans public schools. Chord Changes on the Chalkboard shows that, particularly after the 1920s, public school students benefited not only from the study of instrumental music and theory, but also from direct exposure to musicians, many of whom were invited to perform for the students. The impact the teachers had on generations of musicians and music fans is undeniable, yet their teaching techniques are only part of the story. In addition to the successes enjoyed with their students, the teachers' own musical experiences, recordings, and performances are also examined. The interaction between teachers and students in New Orleans public school classrooms opens a new field of research for music historians, and this book is the first to document ways in which public school teachers acted as mentors to shape the future of jazz and the music of New Orleans. An important addition to its field, Chord Changes on a Chalkboard will provide invaluable information for jazz fans and historians, music scholars and students, and it is also useful reading for any public school teacher. A must for any music library, it should also be a welcome addition to any collection supporting African-American history or popular culture.

Autor

Al Kennedy worked as a communications coordinator in the public information office of the New Orleans Public Schools for 21 years. During this period, he began a series of interviews with retired teachers, principals, and superintendents. Much of his research has focused on the lives of music teachers who taught in the city's public schools and on the history of public education in New Orleans. Kennedy has conducted additional research through UNO's Ethel and Herman L. Midlo International Center for New Orleans Studies, and he has taught as a member of the part-time history faculty at Dillard University and UNO.

Inhalt

Chapter 1 ForewordChapter 2 AcknowledgmentsChapter 3 IntroductionChapter 4 Chapter 1. From Teachers to Jazz Mentors: On the Periphery of New MusicChapter 5 Chapter 2. Clyde Kerr Sr.: From Student to Jazz MentorChapter 6 Chapter 3. Yvonne Busch: Shaping New Orleans MusicChapter 7 Chapter 4. The New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts: From Jazz Mentors to a Jazz InstitutionChapter 8 Chapter 5. The Community Comes into the School: Celebrating the Music Traditions of New Orleans within a ClassroomChapter 9 Chapter 6. Conclusion: The Current Renaissance is No AccidentChapter 10 Appendix 1. Clyde Kerr Sr.: A Link in the Public School Musical NetworkChapter 11 Appendix 2. Musical Influences: Yvonne BuschChapter 12 Appendix 3. Musical Influences: Dr. Bert BraudChapter 13 Appendix 4. Musical Influences: Ellis Marsalis Jr.Chapter 14 Appendix 5: Musical Influences: Clyde Kerr Jr.Chapter 15 Sources and BibliographyChapter 16 IndexChapter 17 About the Author

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 20.10.2005
• Reihe/Serie: Studies in Jazz
• Vorwort: Ellis Marsalis
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Musik ► Jazz / Blues
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Geschichte / Politik ► 20. Jahrhundert bis 1945
• Themenwelt: Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Neuzeit (bis 1918)
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik
• ISBN-10: 1-4616-5746-6 / 1461657466
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4616-5746-0 / 9781461657460