Klarinet Archive - Posting 000132.txt from 1996/06

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: jazz clarinet
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 15:21:02 -0400

On Mon, 10 Jun 1996, Peter Stoll wrote:

> In response to Ed Lacy's post, I agree that flaming band dir's isn't so
> helpful to students, but jazz surely is more a musical language than an
> instrumentation (classical pieces transcribed remain classical, albeit in
> a slightly altered format). I regret being denied the opportunity to
> experience jazz in the same way and at the same stage as my peers in high
> school; playing along to Aebersold can't equal the social experience of
> playing with friends in a live group. Jazz should be made open/available to
> all.

Since I seem to have started something here, let me explain my position a
little further.

I have taught at a summer music camp in this area, and was asked to
direct a "jazz ensemble." I found that what I had was a group of about
15 or 16 players, which included some of the traditional instruments of the
jazz band, but also clarinets, flutes, an oboe, a French horn, a euphonium,
a couple of violins and a viola, and a harp! None of the students had ever
played jazz before. I had two weeks (a total of 10 hours rehearsal time) to
prepare them to present a 20 minute segment on the camp's final concert.
So, we learned a few blues scales and about 3 modal scales in a few
keys. We also learned by rote a couple of simple blues heads and a
couple of modal ones. And, we presented a concert in which every student
played two improvised solos. Their improvisations were certainly not
professional, but they did improvise. At no time in the two weeks did
the students have any written music before them, which was another new
experience.

Needless to say, the parents of the students were amazed and delighted. The
students enjoyed it immensely, and I believe that at least some of them were
motivated to try to continue playing and listening to jazz.

However, when they went back to their home schools, the players on the
instruments I listed above had no real outlet for playing jazz. The
approach I used worked for our limited purposes, but if you want to have
a band with standard instrumentation, there is no satisfactory way to
incorporate instruments at random. You could conceivably transpose a
trombone or low trumpet part for French horn, or a saxophone part for
clarinet. Obviously, the effect would not be the same as for the
original instrument.

I also believe that jazz should be available to anyone, but if the
intention is to have a standard jazz ensemble, it just won't work to
substitute non-standard instruments (non-standard for jazz, that is).

If I wanted to play in a concert band, or an orchestra, or a kazoo
ensemble, I would try to learn an instrument which would work for that
instrumentation. Why shouldn't the same apply to jazz?

Ed Lacy
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Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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