Maine Motif Issue 3, Vol. II (Spring 2018) | Page 19

I believe in training students to not only openly accept constructive criticism, but to actively seek it out. They come to crave and depend upon it. When praise is given, it needs to be meaningful, not gratuitous. This will instill a direct and honest correlation between effort and achievement. Aspiring singer/songwriter Adam Mendonca (‘06) writes that it’s this specific and direct critique that keeps him in touch. Reflecting on his high school festival experiences he says, “I remember…asking the adjudicators for feedback after we would perform and I would always get the same phrase thrown back at me, ‘keep doing what you're doing.’ … it often left me confused and empty.” Creating Independent Learners Student ownership of the learning process is key. Bard College pianist Cooper Slack (‘15) admits, “I wasn't provided with the option to coast through the program and stay on the periphery of the stage as I probably would have liked at the time… I would have to invest myself on a level that took more than attendance alone. This was the first time in my academic life that I felt like I was being pushed by the intrinsic value of a subject.” A solid foundation in jazz theory, style, history, and ear training is non-negotiable. However, it’s imperative that we preserve the traditional ways of learning jazz through listening, emulation, and experiences. Teachers need to dissolve the notion that we are dispensers of information, and instill our position as facilitators of independent learning. I rely heavily on a Socratic approach in my teaching. If students know they can get an answer from us, that’s where they will turn. It’s quick and easy, but it’s lazy. Mendonca articulates this point well: “What made Schumacher and his program so effective was that he would lead us to water, but it was up to us to do the work and drink up the material. That often used to drive me crazy because I just wanted to know the answer to a question right way, and he would only give me clues in the right direction. The older I get I realize how beneficial that is, not only as a student of the music, but a student of life. That is where the real learning takes place.” Students should be provided opportunities to exercise their independence as an integral part of their experience in the program. For instance, my Jazz Combo students are largely responsible for organizing their own gigs, building set lists, and arranging our songs. I play no active role in their performances beyond a basic introduction. They are expected to announce tunes, discuss historical context, and otherwise engage the audience. In the classroom, independence is exercised through the transcription of chord progressions, melodies, and grooves for our tunes. As they know, no music will be allowed on the bandstand. NEC grad and NYC-based trumpeter/composer Bobby Spellman (‘06) echoes, “There are no shortcuts to artistic achievement.”