Continue with several other similar exercises. Have stu-


dents write down what they hear in their classroom, or what they hear in the hallway. After a couple of days of general listening activities, transition to music. Select one piece of music that students will listen to for five or more days. It is very important that teachers focus on one work early on and not jump to different pieces of music. This will teach students to develop the skill of listening to one work over and over again until they begin to internalize all of the various aspects of the work. Keep the first selections under five minutes and prefera-


bly under three minutes. This will ensure that you will com- plete the entire selection everyday and will have time for a brief discussion and analysis. If an appropriate work is select- ed, the entire process can be done in about five minutes. Teachers should be very specific on what they want stu-


dents to listen to. Jazz is a very complex art form with many different parts intertwined to create a groove or swing. For instance, have students listen to Little Unhappy Boy performed by Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson. Have students listen to the entire work everyday for two weeks. Each day should include an objective. For instance:


Monday Tuesday


Monday Tuesday


Overall Impressions


Wednesday Bass Line Thursday Friday


Form - Count the Choruses Drums


Piano Comping Vocal Solo Cornet Solo


Wednesday Call and Response with Nancy and Cannonball Thursday Friday


Dynamic Contrasts Overall Impressions


Again, by selecting one work, students will learn to listen


to the music from several different aspects. You will guide them to find the hidden treasures within the music. From here, you can listen to other great works, including versions of the music you will be performing with your ensemble.


3. ROOM ENTRY (Create an atmosphere) Music should be playing as students walk into the room.


Select one piece and listen to it for an entire quarter or semes- ter. Try to find a work that swings hard and creates a great feel for your class. By playing the selection every day for an extended period of time, students will connect with the music and will feel good prior to your rehearsal. Great selections for the start of class are listed below along


with the album and length of each.


Lullaby of Birdland by Ella Fitzgerald; At Newport (2:23) Little Unhappy Boy by Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley; Self Titled (2:16) Pennies from Heaven by Frank Sinatra and Count Basie; An Historic Musical First (3:30) The Land of Ooh Bla Dee by Dizzy Gillespie; Complete RCA Victor Recordings (2:39) Orange Colored Sky by Natalie Cole; Unforgettable: With Love (2:26)


4. ACCESSIBLE LISTENING Many times, students are not motivated to listen because


they have not been exposed to music with which they connect. While the artistic merits of later John Coltrane recordings are unquestionable, young listeners will not be able to connect with music of this depth. Students need to achieve a basic ap- preciation of the music first. An easy way to do this in the class is to play recordings of music that have strong melodies and have a good swing feel. The selections listed for room


entry music are great examples of accessible music. While there is a plethora of amazing music available for students to listen to, below is a small list of suggested works that will en- courage the students to listen to the music.


Student Accessible Listening I Cover the Waterfront Au Privave Blue Skies


Deedle’s Blues Main Stem


Master Works So What


West End Blues A Night in Tunisia Body and Soul Ko-Ko


Black and Tan Fantasy Autumn Leaves Cherokee


Other Favorites Four-in-One Cascades


I Concentrate on You Death Letter


Errand Girl for Rhythm Moody's Mood for Love


Great Albums Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Miles Davis


John Coltrane John Coltrane


Thelonious Monk Wynton Marsalis Branford Marsalis Sonny Rollins


Cannonball Adderley Duke Ellington Duke Ellington


Louis Armstrong Charlie Parker Ella Fitzgerald


Dianne Schuur with Count Basie Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra


Miles Davis


Louis Armstrong Charlie Parker


Coleman Hawkins Duke Ellington Duke Ellington Wynton Marsalis Clifford Brown


Wynton Marsalis Oliver Nelson Sophie Milman


Cassandra Wilson Diana Krall


James Moody


Live in Swing City So What


Giant Steps Blue Train


Monk Plays Ellington Standard Time Vol. 1 Crazy People Music Saxophone Colossus


Cannonball Adderley with Nancy Wilson Jazz Party


Far East Suite


5. GUIDED LISTENING ASSIGNMENT An effective listening assignment is one that is very spe-


cific and will guide students to listen to works multiple times in a week. Keep in mind, this is an abstract assignment be- cause a student can cheat and mark that they have listened to a piece of music when they have not. But, as one teacher says, “If cheating and receiving a high grade is more important to you than your integrity and the betterment of the ensemble, then feel free to cheat.” A typical listening assignment would list the specific sec-


tion that you would want the student to focus on. This could be the entire work or it might be a small portion. Then it will include the number of times you would want the student to listen to the work. Every time they listen to it - including in class - students can cross off one of the numbers. If students complete this assignment, especially if the assigned listening is for a work your ensemble is performing, you will see a radical difference in the style and performance of the work.


Lis tening As signment Ceora


Lee Morg an’s Solo (2:00 - 3:10)


Take Th e A Train En tire Work


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20


SUMMARY Listening is the most important aspect of the education of


any young jazz musician, because this is how they will learn the language and vocabulary of jazz. It will provide them with the tools necessary to interact with other musicians and will create a clear connection between the history and tradition of jazz with your students. Hopefully, these exercises will pro- vide a solid foundation for listening within your daily class- room routine.


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