The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop is a short yet substantial educational opportunity for students and/or lovers of jazz music. Here is my top 4 takeaways from my time as a Music Journalism/Jazz History student:
- There is ample opportunity to hear live jazz music performed by talented faculty and musicians.
The UNC Music Department organized a list of skilled musicians for evening performances. The musicians played a variety of different jazz styles like swing, fusion, Spanish-style, classical jazz and more. Take a look at my twitter feed for highlights from Wednesday, June 23rd’s performance of La Fiesta Jazz Band ft. Juan Álamo!
2. It offers students an easy and fun way to earn an Experiential Education (EE) credit with minimal workload.
3. You learn the history of jazz from the beginning of the 20th century to present day.
Professor Dan Davis is awesome at bringing you through the history of jazz. My favorite aspect to the class is watching videos of performances from legends such as Louie Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and Pat Metheny.
4. You will gain a stronger appreciation of the music learning process.
You get to be a fly on the wall as a Music Journalism student while you observe jazz lessons and group combos take place. During these sessions, you’ll see the teaching of Jazz music theory and gain a sense of how much practice goes into the creation of a skilled jazz performer. Kudos to all the performers and faculty this week for their hard work!