A Study of Jazz Piano Pedagogy in Malaysia and Taiwan

Transcription

1 Graduate School of Music National Taichung University of Education Master s Thesis Advisor: Professor Jessie H. S. Chen A Study of Jazz Piano Pedagogy in and Taiwan Graduate Student: Low Ee Kee May 2014

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research had been a real growth experiences and the resulting study was my greatest achievement and something of which I was very proud of during the two and a half year study life in Taiwan. First of all, I would like to thank Prof. Jessie Chen for her guidance and insight. She had always pointed me into the right direction and my study wouldn t have been completed without her. Second, I would like to thank my parents for their wonderful upbringing that shaped me into who I am today. To my four lovely siblings and in-laws for being there for me and went through all the hardship with me, being supportive and care. Tanny, thanks for pampering me. Third, I would like to thank my classmate, Double, Winnie, Tzu Yun, Jenny, Rosanne, Lucy and Win for assisting me all along. Knowing them was the happiest moment of my entire study life in Taiwan. To all of the influential music teachers that I have ever had in my life, Cher Siang, Justin, Juan, Alex, Adil for introducing me the joy of playing jazz music. I will never forget the piano jury and the crazy modern band exam. Finally, to PohSoon, thank you. Your love sustained me. I could not have seen this through without you.

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4 摘要 近年來的爵士音樂之地位在學術界中逐漸受到重視, 因此對音樂教育者來說, 深入了解爵士音樂教育亦成為一個重要的課題 雖然許多爵士音樂教育家和音樂家對現今的爵士音樂教育提供了個人的批判和哲學概念的反思, 但仍少有人能針對其爵士音樂不同的教學模式及方法作進一步的探究 相較於美國, 爵士音樂在馬來西亞及臺灣並非主流音樂 而馬來西亞及臺灣這兩個國家之人民皆由不同的種族 宗教和文化組成, 因此其爵士音樂教育的概念呈現上也會有所不同 本研究的目的為比較馬來西亞和臺灣的爵士鋼琴教學, 採文獻分析及訪談, 針對六位馬來西亞和臺灣之爵士鋼琴教師進行研究 研究對象皆為當地之傑出教師及演奏者, 並成功的建立了良好聲譽 本研究的结果如下 : 1. 兩國之爵士風氣皆為盛行, 每年舉辦爵士音樂節 另外, 兩國皆有爵士酒吧, 其部份酒吧提供 live jamming sessions, 為爵士音樂家互相交流的平台 2. 研究對象認為和聲, 和弦, 音階, 調式和即興在爵士音樂學習中是相當重要之音樂技能, 並鼓勵學生参加爵士樂隊和現場即興演奏 但因即興演奏無法事先準備, 對其爵士樂鋼琴家來說是一項挑戰 3. 馬來西亞老師主要運用 The Real Book 作為爵士鋼琴之教材 臺灣老師大多使用自編教材, 同時也運用本土音樂素材, 通常選用爵士編曲的華語經典歌曲 最後, 研究者根據研究結果提出建議, 以提供後續研究及爵士鋼琴教學者參考 關鍵字 : 爵士樂, 爵士鋼琴教學 i

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6 ABSTRACT Nowadays, jazz had gained a foothold in academia; so the need for a critical understanding of the subject had become a primary concern. While many jazz educators and musicians had called for the rethinking of jazz education through both personal critique and philosophical re-conceptualizing of current pedagogical trends, few had actually explored alternatives through the creation and exploration of varied pedagogical models. Jazz music was not as widely accepted as a part of mainstream music in and Taiwan as compared to the United States. The people of both and Taiwan were made up of different races, religions and cultures, their concepts in jazz music might be different from each other or other countries. This study aimed to examine the jazz scenes, jazz piano pedagogy and jazz learning in and Taiwan. This research was a comparative case study employed analysis of literature and interviews. Six prominent teachers from and Taiwan were recruited as research participants in this study. The teachers had established a reputation as successful teachers as well as performers. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. The jazz scene was vibrant in both countries. There were a few jazz festivals each year. Jazz bars could be easily found in both countries and some of the jazz bars provided jazz jamming sessions as a platform for jazz musicians to perform. 2. The research participants stated that harmony, chord tones, scales, modes and improvisation were found important in jazz music learning. They encouraged iii

7 students to join jazz ensemble and live jam session. Jamming session was an important activity where jazz pianists were trained to improvise and accompany without preparation. 3. used mostly The Real Book as teaching materials. The teachers in Taiwan used self-developed materials and also local Chinese oldies and pop songs books with jazz rearrangement. Finally, recommendations were made accordingly to the results in order to provide reference for relative researchers and jazz piano teachers. Keywords: Jazz, Jazz piano pedagogy iv

8 Table of Contents 中文摘要...i Abstract.....iii Table of Contents.....v List of Tables...vii List of Figures.... x Chapter I Introduction... 1 Background of the Study... 1 Purpose of the Study... 2 Delimitation and Limitation... 2 Definition of Terminology... 3 Chapter II Review of Literature... 5 Jazz Music... 5 The Origins of Jazz Music... 5 The structure of Jazz... 9 Jazz Education Importance of Jazz Education..15 Abilities Required in Jazz Pedagogy of Jazz Chapter III Methodology Research method Research Participants Research Instruments Data Collection and Analysis..42 v

9 Chapter IV Data Analysis and Results Status of Jazz in and Taiwan 47 Pedagogy of Jazz Jazz Learning. 119 Chapter V Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions Recommendations 127 References vi

10 List of Tables Table 1 Chords Types Table 2 Numeric Voicings Chart. 11 Table 3 Professionals on interview outline validity checking...40 Table 4 Coding for interview..43 Table 5 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 6 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 7 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 8 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 9 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 10 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 11 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 12 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for Table 13 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 14 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 15 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 16 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 17 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 18 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 19 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 20 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for Table 21 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for Table 22 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for vii

11 Table 23 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for Table 24 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for Table 25 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for Table 26 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for Table 27 KILJF Ticketing Table 28 Performers list of KL International Jazz Festival for Table 29 Performers list of KL International Jazz Festival for Table 30 Michael Veerapen's Discography...72 Table 31 Tay Cher Siang's Discograpy 73 Table 32 ABRSM Certificate Jazz Piano Assessment Fees.77 Table 33 ABRSM Certificate Jazz Ensemble Assessment Fees...77 Table 34 ABRSM Certificate Jazz Performance Assessment Fees..77 Table 35 Rock School Certificate Piano Assessment Fees...78 Table 36 Rock School Certificate Ensemble Assessment Fees...78 Table 37 Taipei International Summer Jazz Academy Events...80 Table 38 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 39 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 40 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 41 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 42 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 43 Performers list of Taipei International Jazz Festival for Table 44 Performers list of Taichung Jazz Festival for Table 45 Performers list of Taichung Jazz Festival for Table 46 Performers list of Taichung Jazz Festival for Table 47 Performers list of Taichung Jazz Festival for Table 48 Performers list of Taichung Jazz Festival for viii

12 Table 49 Gold Prague Musical Instruments Co., LTD Jazz Piano Assessment Fees.. 92 Table 50 ChenSong Certificate Pop/Jazz Piano Assessment Fees.93 Table 51 Song list of Pop/Jazz Piano Assessment..94 Table 52 Jazz Related Program in 's Higher Education Institutions...99 Table 53 Jazz Related Program in Taiwan's Higher Education Institutions 103 ix

13 List of Figures Figure 1. Ionion 12 Figure 2. Dorian...12 Figure 3. Phrygian...12 Figure 4. Lydian...13 Figure 5. Mixolydian 13 Figure 6. Aeonian.13 Figure 7. Locrian..13 Figure 8. Blues.13 Figure 9. Structure of the Study...36 Figure 10. Procedure of the Study...37 Figure 11. Triangulation...45 Figure 12. Borneo International Jazz Festival.48 Figure 13. Rhythm Pattern of Chaal 52 Figure 14. Dhol...52 Figure 15. Sitar.52 Figure 16. Tumbi..52 Figure 17. Sarangi 52 Figure 18. Penang Island Jazz Festival 53 Figure 19. Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival...61 Figure 20. KL International Jazz Festival...65 Figure 21. Seating Plan of KLIJF.66 Figure 22. Jazz Piano Certification Programs in and Taiwan.105 x

14 Chapter I Introduction I. Background of the study Jazz had been described as music with syncopation, improvisation, interpretation, elaboration, and interpolation. A history of jazz had been a constant mixture of musical traditions derived from diverse cultural contributions (Kuzmich & Bash, 1984). Over recent years, jazz as an academic discipline had grown in volume. Jazz studies now play a significant role in a number of higher education music programs within universities. The proliferation of jazz education programs had brought about the publications of specific pedagogical methodologies; from the development of jazz examinations to the widespread dissemination of Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Jazz Examination, Rock School and so on. In an article published over 20 years ago, former NAJE Research Chairman Charles Brown (1988) said that while jazz research was expanding in a number of areas, there was little organizational logic about the overall direction of this research. The development of such an organizational structure in the field of jazz pedagogy research was especially important because it was only through the collected findings of multiple studies that explanations of educational phenomena can be understood (Duke, 2000). As the study of jazz gained increased legitimacy in academic circles, jazz educators need to become more critically aware. Traditionally, the narrative of jazz, including textbooks, biographies and documentaries, was very limited, with the 1

15 history of the music being defined in terms of names, dates and anecdote. As jazz had gained a foothold in academia, the need for a critical understanding of the subject had become a primary concern. While many jazz educators and musicians had called for the rethinking of jazz education through both personal critique and philosophical re-conceptualizing of current pedagogical trends, few have actually explored alternatives through the creation and exploration of varied pedagogical models. This study aimed to examine the different concepts of jazz piano pedagogy and professional s suggestions which might to open up the field of study to broader cultural analysis. II. Purpose of the Study The purposes of this study were threefold. The first purpose was to compare the status of jazz in and Taiwan; the second was to compare jazz pedagogy between two different countries and the third was the students jazz learning. With the suggested alternative strategies, it was with the hope that other jazz educator may consider these when examining and constructing their own respective pedagogy. III. Delimitation and Limitation Six prominent jazz piano teachers from and Taiwan were the research participants. All of them were active members of the professional jazz scene. They had all established themselves as reputable teachers and performers nationally. Some participants might have held back in their sharing of their teaching strategies and the focus of the interview might shift from time to time. This may 2

16 inevitably affect the outcome and was not within the control of the researcher. Besides that, some of the participants taught with other instruments. The researcher had to lead the participants effectively by not asking questions that were irrelevant. The purposes of this study were to compare the method and perspective of jazz pedagogy between two different countries, so issues other than this would not be considered useful and relevant. IV. Definition of Terminology i. Jazz A musical tradition rooted in performing conventions that was introduced and developed early in the 20 th century by African Americans, characterized by syncopation, melodic and harmonic elements derived from the blues, cyclical formal structures and a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing known as swing. (Mark & Travis, 2013). The jazz mentioned in this study was different music style from the 19 th century to 20 th century as in swing, bebop, cool jazz and so on. ii. Piano pedagogy The art or study of teaching piano can include a study of composers, piano literature, learning theories, methods and materials, technical concerns of the instrument, as well as other musical or non-musical aspects which may inform piano teaching (Slawsky, 2011). The piano pedagogy mentioned in this study referred to teaching method, teacher talk, teacher demonstration and so on. 3

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18 Chapter II Review of Literature I. Jazz Music i. The Origins of Jazz Music Put it in this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom In its beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of freedom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country. -Duke Ellington Slavery, colonialism, and exploitation were significant and uncomfortable elements in the development of African-American music (Shipton, 2001). It appeared that jazz came into being around 1900, by the combination of different kind of existing popular musical styles, primarily ragtime and the blues (Townsend, 2000). From 1890 onwards, ragtime had reached a high level of popularity in all places of America. Ragtime was a rhythmically lively style of solo piano performance which consist a lot of patterns of syncopation (Townsend, 2000). A lot of ragtime music was written down and played without improvisation. However, there was evidence that improvisation was an element in the musical culture surrounding ragtime and it was an important characteristic of African-American music in other musical and non-musical activities (Townsend, 2000). 5

19 In the late 19 th century, the blues came in with a simpler, looser, primarily vocal idiom. It was based on a three-line verse form, with a simple repeated harmonic sequence. It allowed the performers to write their own words or melodies with wide range of vocal and instrumental effects and variations. As ragtime and blues drifted towards jazz, there was a new form of style. It combined the musical discipline and complexity of ragtime, the individualized and improvisatory property of the blues and the musical materials of both forms. A third component was the more formal and European brass-band tradition which influenced the instrumentation and the repertoire of early jazz (Townsend, 2000). Until the middle of the World War I, alongside sex and alcohol, music was in demand as an entertainment. The strong and ethnically diverse musical traditions of various cities produced large numbers of performers who were able to supply that demand. Jazz originated specifically in New Orleans. Mu-Sung Nam (2006) stated that colonial war occurred during 17 to 18 centuries. For this reason, a mixture of Spanish, French, British, and also black and white mixed race, makes New Orleans like a personal kind of display area. So compared New Orleans to the other cities in the United State, New Orleans was a city surrounded by more diverse kind of people and cultures. The New Orleans jazz style was initially polyphonic based on collective improvisation by front line instruments, namely trumpet, trombone and clarinet, supported by three rhythm players which were piano/guitar, bass and drums. Jazz music evidentially became commercialized at the end of the World War I. From mid-1930s, jazz achieved a new higher level of popularity and became the mainstream of popular music in the United States led by large and organized ensemble (Townsend, 2000). That was the big band period and the generic term for 6

20 the music associated with that period was swing. The style of the large ensembles of the period was highly organized, but an important place was left for the improvising soloist (Townsend, 2000). The big band declined rapidly from the mid-1940s onwards. There was a group of young musicians who brought out a new influential jazz style. The new style was Bebop. Bebop was a music style with a higher standard of technique, new asymmetry of rhythm and phrasing, and it greatly advanced the complexity of jazz harmony. The late 1950s, musicians began to use modal forms. The harmonies which soloists improvised with had become simpler. Soloists improvised for long spells within a single scale of notes instead of improvising on changing chords. The use of modal forms enabled jazz to draw closer to rock (Townsend, 2000). In the 1970s, there was this movement came to be called jazz-rock of fusion, and it provided jazz musicians to gain access to a popular music (Townsend, 2000). Townsend (2002) stated that the period of jazz history since the early 1980s had been variously described as one of the conservatism, pluralism or fragmentation. During that period, a number of younger musicians espoused a disciplined, tradition-conscious re-examination of older musical styles, and this aspect of the scene was presented as the most prominent public image of the music. The variety of styles of music being performed under the title of jazz was wider in 1990s than ever before (Townsend, 2000). The development of jazz seemed likely to propel the idea of jazz as an American music in a long run. So, musicians of other traditions and nationalities started to add different elements to their own folk music. At the same time, the full range of old and new jazz styles continued to be played 7

21 throughout USA and in other industrialized societies. Large groups of musicians trying to recreate and keep alive all the past styles of jazz, from turn of the century ragtime to jazz-fusion. Among these, there were many renowned professional players, musicians whose non-professional, non-institutional, practical involvement with the music helped to maintain the past styles of jazz as active musical idioms at the end of the century (Newton, 1961). Szwed (2000) divided jazz music styles into: 1. Pre jazz: : ragtime, vaudeville 2. Early jazz: : New Orleans Jazz 3. Swing: Bebop: Cool jazz/west Coast: Hard bop: Soul/Funk: Modal jazz: Third stream: Free Jazz: Fusion/ Jazz rock: Neo-traditionalism: Whereas Taiwanese jazz player Chipin and Kaiya divided jazz styles development into: 1. Origin and bloom: New Orleans and swing: 1920, The beginning of modern jazz: Bebop:

22 3. The improvement of bebop: Cool jazz and hard bop 4. The middle path of jazz music: Modal jazz and post-bop 5. Liberation: Free jazz. 6. Resolution: Combination of jazz and folk music (Lin, 2009). According to the analysis above, educators generally divided jazz styles into swing, bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and free jazz. ii. The structure of Jazz The structure of jazz had three principal components which were rhythm, form, and harmony (Smith, 2008). The rhythm component dictated fixed rhythmic relationships among the participating instruments. The form component was based largely on song forms, and the harmony component was governed by a relatively small number of types of chord progressions (Smith, 2008). Rhythm The unique rhythmic character of jazz was generated in different styles. This rhythm was an interpretation by different performers and not notated in jazz lead sheets, scores, or parts (Smith, 2008). Jazz music borrowed many things from European musical traditions (major/minor harmonic systems, scales and pitch sets, instruments) but had drawn much of its rhythmic heritage from the African culture (Bert, 2001). Bert (2001) stated that the rhythm in jazz can be categorized into polyrhythm, swing eighth notes, accents & articulation and syncopation. 9

23 Form Jazz inherited much of its formal structure from earlier music (Smith, 2008). In jazz music, the form was the sum of the rhythmic and harmonic content in a tune, and usually included at least two contrasting sections with repeated A section. By far, the most common used form was AABA along with ABAC, ABCD and ternary (ABC) as variation. Harmony Jazz harmony was the theory and practice of how chords were used in jazz music. There were certain similarities in harmony by looking at the western earlier music (Smith, 2008). (See Table 1) Rob Mullins (2002) stated that jazz piano voicings were all about the most colorful chord sounds with the least amount of movement in chord progression. Table 1 Chord Types Type Major 6 Minor 6 Minor 7 Minor 7b5 Dominant 7 Diminished 7 Major 7 Symbol b5 7 7 Maj 7 Formula 1,3,5,6 1, b 3,5,6 1, b 3,5, b 7 1, b 3, b 5, b 7 1,3,5, b 7 1, b 3, b 5, bb 7 1,3,5, 7 Note. From Berklee Jazz Piano (p.1), by Ray Santisi, 2009, USA: Berklee Press. Copyright 2009 by Berklee Press. Other than basic chord types, Corozine (2002) said that voicing was the manner in which one distributes, or spaces, notes and chords among the various instruments. Chord voicing were important for jazz pianist. Voicing referred to the way chord tones were deployed (Smith, 2008). There were many approaches to chord voicing. 10

24 The choice of which approach to use was partly a matter of what kind of musical group was involved, such as solo keyboard, piano trio, big band, vocal jazz ensemble and so on. Musicians who had had training in classical harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration were likely to use more sophisticated voicing techniques, while musicians with less classical training were more likely to use automatic techniques based on the mechanical application of a few voicing rules (Smith, 2008). See Table 2. Table 2 Numeric Voicings Chart Major 1 st position root,3,5,6,9 Diminished 7 1 st position root, b 3, b 5,6,9 Major 2 nd position root,6,9,3,5 Diminished 7 2 nd position root,6,9, b 3, b 5 Major 3 rd position root,3,5,6,9,5,1 Diminished 7 3 rd position root, b 3, b 5,6,9, b 5,7,9 Dominant 7 1 st position root,3,6, b 7,9 11 th 1 st position root,4,6, b 7,9 Dominant 7 2 nd position root, b 7,9,3,6 11 th 2 nd position root, b 7,9,4,6(13) Dominant 7 3 rd position root,3,6, b 7,9,5,1 11 th 3 rd position root,4,6, b 7,9,5,1 Minor 7 1 st position root, b 3,5, b 7, st position root, b 3, # 4( + 11), b 7,9 Minor 7 2 nd position root, b 7,9, b 3, nd position root, b 7,3, + 11,6(13) Minor 7 3 rd position root, b 3,5, b 7,9,5, rd position root,3, # 4( + 11),6(13), b 7,6(13),1 Minor 7b5 1 st position root, b 3, b 5, b 7, st position root, b 3, + 5, b 7, + 9 Minor 7b5 2 nd position root, b 7,9, b 3, b nd position root, b 7, + 9,3, + 5 Minor 7b5 3 rd position root, b 3, b 5, b 7,9,11, b rd position root,3, + 5, b 7, + 9, + 5,1 Note. From Jazz Piano Voicings (p.3), by Rob Mullins, 2002, Hal. Leonard. Copyright 2002 by Rob Mullins Publishing. 11

25 Scales Other than harmony, scales were also important in jazz music. In classical music, diatonic, harmonic, melodic and pentatonic scales were always being used. Meanwhile modal scales and blues scale were commonly used in jazz music. Modal Scales Modal scales were found in various forms. Plainchant, the traditional music of the Catholic liturgy, makes use of eight modes, the church modes, with names derived from very different, earlier Greek modes (SFCV, 2014). During the 1950 s Miles Davis was the first person who applied modes in jazz music (Lin, 2009). There were seven kind of modal scales that included Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeonian, and Locrian that showed below. Figure 1. Ionian Figure 2. Dorian Figure 3. Phrygian 12

26 Figure 4. Lydian Figure 5. Mixolydian Figure 6. Aeonian Figure 7. Locrian Blues scales Blues scale can always been found in jazz and rock music. Unlike other scales, blues scales consisted of only six notes as illustrated below: Figure 8. Blues 13

27 II. Jazz Education The profound connection and... disconnection between formal education and culture is a problematic one. It is hardly controversial to state that most classroom teachers abide by a select compendium that represents our culture s best ideas and greatest works. Disagreements occur when the education we receive serves to reinforce one greater culture or heritage at the expense of another. Thus, differing voices who wish to compete in this landscape must argue that their culture s best works are valid and worth engaging in (Allsup, 2003). Not everyone had subscribed to the idea that all people can learn to play jazz. Ake (2002) said that since the time of the earliest accounts of the music, many writers and audiences had perceived jazz as a natural expression of the performers rather than as learned and practiced behaviors. Many believe that America s most significant and original contribution to the world of music was jazz (Dunscomb, 2002). Dunscomb asserted that it was important that music programs included the music of many cultures in their selection process but it was essential that we also include the music of our own culture and that music, in his mind, was jazz. Jazz education was about teaching students skills in the art of improvisation, helping them to acquire knowledge in the jazz idiom ( history, theory, arranging, composition etc.), and leading them to understand the fusion of cultures and music traditions that made and continue to make jazz a reflection of the diversity in America (Dunscomb, 2002). During the 1960s, jazz education saw a significant increase in activities in school music programs. David Baker (1965), a leading figure in the history of jazz education, 14

28 wrote in his 1965 Downbeat Magazine article entitled Jazz: The Academy s Neglected Stepchild of the legitimate need for the creation of jazz curriculum at the university level. In the article, he described the needs, weaknesses and inadequacies of jazz education and the difficulties of teaching improvisation. His perspective helped to establish the legitimacy of jazz education at the university level. At the beginning of the decade, 40 colleges offered one or more jazz related courses, and by the end of the decade that number grew to 300, 135 of which offered courses for credit (Carter, 1986). There were ten universities offered a complete jazz program in and this number had been increasing continuously. The dramatic growth in jazz education in higher education also created a rise in the number of important pedagogical leaders who became influential in designing concepts in jazz education, many of which were still used by jazz educators the world over. Most influential among those pedagogical leaders were Jerry Coker, David Baker, and Jamey Abersold from Indiana University, Bob McDonald from Los Angeles City College, Bob Share and Lawrence Berk from Berklee College of Music, and Gene Hall from North Texas State University (Carter,1986). i. Importance of Jazz Education Hill (2002) stated that jazz study introduced students to something exciting about this country (USA) and about its history; he thought that jazz study had tremendous value for young people. He also asserted that some music educators believed that jazz classes embodied the prefect environment in which to teach all of the National Standards for Music Education. In jazz classes, students had to become keen listeners as well as good readers; they had to have excellent performance skills, good rhythmic 15

29 sense, and great intonation; and must be able to improvise and play in a variety of styles. Yet, Barr (1974) summarized the four major points most often cited by educators in defense of jazz as an acceptable part of students musical training which were as follows: i) Jazz contained much that was of immediate value to the theoretical and technical growth of the young musician and was highly relevant to the musical dialect of 20 th century America. ii) Jazz was the only truly indigenous American musical idiom, containing a high degree of complex formal scheme and format. iii) Jazz was a musical art requiring a continually growing array of skills as demanding in their own way as those in classical music, and jazz contained unique musical skills to be learned which were not to be found in other types of music. iv) Jazz in the curriculum would upgrade rather than disintegrate music standards. Baker (1965) argued that jazz deserves the dignity and status afforded other serious music. He also stated that all music schools ultimately should at least include a full jazz curriculum and not just a token offering of subjects. Collier (1975) pointed out that the main advantage of having jazz as a part of the curriculum in higher education had been the opportunity it provided students to learn from the experiences of others. Such experiences helped to stimulate the student s mind and examine and explore new ideas. Coker (1989) provides another example for the role of the university in jazz education. He was one of the pioneers in jazz education and personally developed comprehensive jazz studies programs at four different universities in United States. The formal setting of a university, according to Coker (1989), offers students facilities, 16

30 equipment, and spaces dedicated to their learning needs, time for practice, and most importantly, the opportunities to interact socially with peers in a musical setting. Coker s point was of great importance in establishing legitimacy for the need of continued jazz education programs in higher learning. Perhaps jazz programs can continue to be the place where young developing musicians learn from each other and from older, more experienced professionals their professors. In the spring of 1967, the Music Education National Conference (MENC) held a symposium at the Tanglewood Institute in western Massachusetts to discuss questions like How can we better serve? and What do we need to do in order to make music education more useful to the American society of today and tomorrow? (Mark & Gary, 1999). In response to these questions, the members of the symposium agreed on eight key points. The most important point related to jazz education was music of all periods, styles and forms and cultures belong in the curriculum. The musical repertory should be expanded to involve music of our time in its rich variety, including currently popular teen-age music and avant-garde music, American folk music, and the music of other cultures. It can be concluded from the above that jazz education was necessary and important. ii. Abilities Required in Jazz Listening Famous educator and motivator Tony Robbins often talks about how people only learn new ideas by connecting them to things they already know. He stated that by listening to music, people were simply expanding the number of things people already know. He thought that one of the beautiful things about music was one 17

31 could absorb so much of it passively, just by listening to it and immersing oneself in it (Dittert, 2010). Dunscomb (2002) stated that as many languages, music was learned through a process of hearing it first, followed by practicing and perfecting speaking and communication skills. Playing jazz by reading strictly what was indicated on the printed music would result in very square, non-jazz sounding music. On the other hand, consistent listening to jazz recordings would illuminate how one can interpret the written notes correctly and brought the music to life. Nam (2010) thought that it was virtually impossible to teach or perform jazz music without having listened to it. She stated that jazz music was different from other genres. Students need to comprehend which musical traits make the unique sound of jazz. Most of the jazz musicians learned jazz music by listening and imitating other musicians live performances or recordings first (Yoshizawa, 1999). Other than that, Kit (1998) also mentioned that listening to examples of good and precise music and performance were the best way to learn music. Therefore, it was important for beginning pianist to identify the characteristic concepts of jazz by listening in order to identify musical concepts of a tune, comparing its musical style with other styles was an effective approach (Nam, 2010). Ake (2002) asserted that records and CDs were not only act as the physical texts of jazz; they also serve as the pre-eminent textbooks of the music and provided study materials for virtually all players. Listening to many different styles and genre of jazz was essential (Arriale, 2009). Ake (2002) said that the repeatability of recordings enables musicians to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the general sound of the music. In order to figure out different style of jazz music, undeniably listening was the prior. 18

32 Improvisation In jazz, improvisation isn t a matter of just making any ol thing up. Jazz, like any language, has its own grammar and vocabulary. There s no right or wrong, just some choices that are better than others. -Wynton Marsalis Hill (2002) asserted that the essence of jazz was improvisation. Improvisation was the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune. In the National Standards for Music Education, improvisation was Content Standard Three described as Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniment. Other than that, Carl Czerny ( ), one of the foremost music pedagogues of the nineteenth century, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven ( ), and the teacher of Franz Liszt ( ), defined improvisation as follows:... The talent and the art of improvising consist in the spinning out, during the very performance, on the spur of the moment, and without special immediate preparation, of each original or even borrowed idea into a sort of musical composition which, albeit in much freer form than a written work, nevertheless must be fashioned into an organized totality as far as is necessary to remain comprehensible and interesting (Mitchell, 1983). The Orff approach was one of the several developmental approaches including Kodaly, Dalcroze and Suzuki; and improvisation was the heart of the Orff approach. In Orff, there were improvisation in speech, in movement, in melody, in instrumental play, and not least, in the art of teaching. Carl Orff ( ) himself noted this emphasis on improvisation as a unique characteristic of his way of teaching music, an essential part of the process of learning and making music. Apart from this, Abraham 19

33 Maslow ( ) said that in an age of rapid change, children needed to learn flexibility, independence of thought, faith in their own ideas, and the courage to try, fail, adjust and change until satisfactory solutions were found. There was no surer way than through regular lessons in improvisation. Lastly, Nam stated that the typical form of jazz performance composed of three parts: a statement of the melody, the improvisation, and the re-statement of the melody. The improvisational was a key feature of jazz and played over the harmonic structure of the original tune. Learning to improvise was similar to learning a foreign language: people can more easily speak what they had heard (Dunscomb, 2002). Hill (2002) indicated that jazz musicians improvised by using musical ideas from their collected memory. The results from most of the researches showed that challenging young instrumentalist to improvise music allowed them to acquire higher-order music thinking skills. Two beneficial results were meaningful creative performance and performance of music from notation with greater recognition and understanding of music structure. This can be demonstrated through accurate and precise performance. Improvising may be an effective method by which beginning instrumental music students could acquire the music thinking skills necessary to perform notation with greater understanding (Azzara, 1993). Thus, pianists need to listen, memorize and internalize many musical ideas before improvising. The Qualities of Improvisation Cherie Hung (1998) pointed out that improvisation included four qualities. They were i) an on the spot composition performance, ii) The difference in the thought process of an improvisation and score reading performances, iii) Improvisation fully 20

34 showed out the personality of the improviser, and iv) It was a reflection musical activity rather than an instinct musical activity. i) On the Spot Schwartz (2001) said that improvisation and composition were not all that different form one another. He stated that they were both intensely focused and single minded creative acts. Cherie Hung (1998) indicated that improvisation meant the performer had to play a new melody on the spot without preparation. The differences between a composer and improviser were the composers had time to plan their composition and correct them but improviser had to produce music in a shorter time. Schwartz (2001) thought that the difference between improvisation and composition was that improvisation happened in real time while composition happened in frozen time. Music improvisation was flexible and full of surprises and this can attract audiences. ii) Thought process Thomas (1991) stated that improvisation was to experience a most prevalent form of musicianship, a major factor in the creative process of the real world of music making, and that type of experience was considered vital in establishing a sense of authenticity and relevance in education. He also stated that when improvisers were improvising, they exercise skills very different from those employed in reading notes or performing a familiar tune. First they must direct their thought toward the creation of a musical idea. When the idea was formulated, their attention shifts to the specific sounds that would communicate that idea and finally to the performance technique 21

35 required to produce those sounds. In the other hands, in reading music, one s attention was focused on the specified notes and then on the physical acts involved in producing the sounds indicated by those notes (Thomas, 1991). Cherie Hung (1998) thought that improviser had to express themselves through music. Campbell (1991) stated that improvisation was the musical response to an unpredictable impulse or feeling. It was the intricate balance of performance and compositions, all at once. It deserved of its air of mystery its magic to empower both performers and listeners and its status as a quality whose skills may be acquired by the performer through informal listening, observation and experimentation and through formal training. Improvisations differed from traditional notated musical forms because they introduced the elements of spontaneity into not only the interpretive facets of the performance but also the music itself (Hinz, 1995). Every facet of the music dynamics, articulation, phrasing, harmony, rhythm, melody, and form was directly under the control of the improviser (Hinz, 1995). A performance of a notated composition on the other hand, involved the performer in trying to render an ideal expression of the work of the circumstances. Except for some minor adjustments as a change in pedaling to compensate for greater or lesser amounts of hall reverberation in a piano performance, the piece was played as it was rehearsed (Hinz, 1995). iii) Personality of improviser Each improviser used their own way to deliver their thoughts during their performances. Each improviser performed differently and fully showed up their strong personality. With their unpredictable performances always brought surprises to the audiences. 22

36 iv) Reflection Improvisation skill was actually a reflection rather than an instinct. Improvisers had to improvise with their musical knowledge, techniques, and their experiences. Cherie Hung (1998) asserted that improvise was not only based on inspiration, but improvisers had to have a strong music background to improvise well and to be convincing. Improvisation was about using past experience and immediate attentiveness to the sounds around and creates music in real time (Custodero, 2008). Improviser used the sounds of music as language much as people used language to formulate and express personal thoughts. Improvisation was an on the spot activity as it looked; a player must have good technique, harmony and musical knowledge to be convincing. 23

37 III. Pedagogy of Jazz In order for jazz to become a legitimate subject of higher education and to exist in the educational system, jazz educators were required to create a finite definition of a single jazz style and related skills. If jazz was to be taught, then it had to be definable and consequently for both practical and theoretical. Jazz educators had to slowly develop an explicit pedagogical system for its teaching and adjudicating (Ake, 2002b; Nicholson, 2005). To insure that jazz received the academic respect and financial support that its advocates sought, many educators and authors alike have openly promoted the ideology that jazz has all the things that classical music has (Ake, 2002b; Cooke, 2002). While this ideology did much to advance jazz education s cause within the academy, it simultaneously disregarded many of the unique characteristics of jazz that contradict conservatory standards of excellence, most notably the oral tradition of African American culture (Ake, 2002b), and its evolving nature. Herzig (1997) stated that imagination, expressiveness and social interaction were often neglected in jazz pedagogy. Jazz piano pedagogy was most effective as a combination of applied lessons, interacting with peers, and learning from method books, she said. Because there weren t much research of jazz piano pedagogy, so based on the instruments pedagogy, existing research had investigated certain aspects of instrument teaching such as modeling, teacher talk, questioning and practicing (Zhukov, 2012). Speer (1994) reported that student playing occupied the greatest part of piano lessons, followed by verbal teacher comments and modeling (Zhukov, 2012). 24

38 i. Modeling Teacher demonstration was an important component of an instrumental music lesson (Lehmann, Sloboda, & Woody 2007). In instruments teaching, students could absorb better with teacher s practical demonstration. ii. Teacher talk Pallister (1995) investigated the piano studio teaching context and found that teacher talk consisted of task statement, feedback and questioning. Teacher praise and criticism can have a significant impact on student s motivation. Research showed that positive teacher statements had a greater motivating effect on students playing than negative statements (Bartholomew, 1993). iii. Questioning While teacher modeling, feedback and directives comprise a large part of instrumental lesson, little is known about what role teacher questions and answers play in learning (Zhokov, 2012).Research showed that effective use of questioning can had a positive impact on students achievement (Single, 1991). iv. Learning Jazz Improvisation Jazz improvisation = Jazz vocabulary and aural skills (Hill, 2002). Hill (2002) asserted that the ultimate goal for a jazz improviser was to play effortlessly what was heard in mind. He thought that the finest, most successful and well-established jazz players not only continuously practice on their instruments to maintain technical facility but constantly seek to improve their jazz vocabulary. The ability to improvise jazz depended on learning the tools of the trade (chords, scales, and repertoire), applying the tools to actuals musical situations, phrasing and 25

39 articulation, learning to swing, and shaping creativity through structure and design (Meadows, 1991). Hinz (1995) stated that different styles, rhythms, harmonic systems, and the improviser s own musical philosophy determine the nature of the improvisation. Hill (2002) stated that there were 6 steps to learn improvisations. They were listening, practicing, playing, transcribing, copying and analyzing: Listening The language and vocabulary of jazz were most easily grasped through the process of listening, which was been proven through the 100 years of jazz history. Teacher can develop students aural skills and jazz vocabulary by listening to a jazz tune or artiste. Practicing The role of instrumental teachers was to demonstrate different practice strategies to students, set achievable goals and evaluate the results (McPherson & Davidson, 2002). Hallam (1997) described practice as a metacognitive activity and suggested that in addition to developing technique, interpretation, memory and performance skills, students need to think about how they habitually practice. Technical skills were necessary for improvisation. A wide variety of all types of exercise should be practiced to gain technique (Hill, 2002). Provide students a supportive classroom or studio environment for better results (Hinz, 1995) Playing Aspiring improvisers can play along with jazz recordings. Hill (2002) suggested teachers to have their students sing the tune before playing it and the tune must not be something too complex as to discourage the students but rather something accessible, 26

40 realistic, and attainable. Hinz (1995) stated that improvisers often prehear what they improvise. The ability to know what a melody would sound like immediately before it was performed was essential in the art of improvisation and takes time to develop. Students can develop this ability by singing short melodic phrases or by having someone else play these phrases on another instrument and then playing the same phrases on their own instruments. Hill (2002) encouraged students to put on a set of headphones, pop in a CD and try playing along with the radio. This strategy would also get the players accustomed to finding the notes on their instruments without written music. Transcribing Request students to play a jazz phrase (or simple solo) over and over until it can be written down. This exercise would associate hearing the note, finding the note on instrument, and notating it (Hill, 2002). Beginning improvisers often rely on scales and other simple patterns to become familiar with the basic vocabulary of their instruments (Hinz, 1995). Hill (2002) recommended all players, including percussion and rhythm instrument players to participate in this process. This exercise helped students improve their ear and their ability to prehear phrases (Hinz, 1995). This process principally involves aural skill development, but may also involve the application of theoretical knowledge scales, intervals, chords, and so on (Hinz, 1995). Copying The process of playing along with, or mimicking, someone s playing was essential to internalizing the nuances of jazz language. 27

41 Analyzing Students should practice transcribed solos by figuring out why the notes were selected and search for patterns, sequences, scales and the outlining of chords. v. Jazz Ensembles Hodson (2000) stated that good jazz improvisational skills were created by active interplay among players. Dawkins (2002) thought that a group setting provided opportunities for a small group of musicians to interact as soloists, accompanists and ensemble participants. This group allowed participants to strive for a high level of musicianship; developed improvised solo; focus on individual expression as well as group cohesiveness; to perform in public frequently, be self-directed. Thus, a group setting was a useful way for beginning pianists to get familiar with jazz improvisation. William (2012) stated four key elements of operant conditioned learning in jazz ensembles which were: students learning occurs in small successive steps, which each step student DOES something, feedback was immediate and positive reinforcement followed. He also said that students in jazz ensembles not only practice but had to plan specific strategies and tactics for the practice. Bollinger (1979) noted that jazz bands had been accepted as a regular part of many public schools music curriculum and listed the following as foundational elements of jazz band (a) educational value, (b) student interest, (c) functional advantages, (d) public relations value, and (e) additional music challenge and enrichment for talented students. Kowall (1966) stated that jazz ensemble allowed a student to gain immeasurably from being solely responsible for his personal part and school jazz bands helped musicians to improve their playing skills. 28

42 Nam (2010) stated that due to cost and scheduling issues, it was hard to offer group instruction. Thus, in order to solve the problems, she suggested the use of two pianos placed side by side, so that the teacher could easily observed how each student was playing and the student could also interact more. Nam also stated that digital piano was a very beneficial tool for practicing jazz because it usually had a sound simulator of bass or drums, metronome and headphone capabilities for individual practicing in class. Other than jazz ensemble, jazz jam session was also an important activity in jazz music. A jam session was a jazz get-together, where the players improvise in an informal and unstructured way. Ake (2000) stated that jam session was one of the most important educational services. It provided the opportunity for beginning and intermediate musicians to play, or sit in, with their more established colleagues. Sitting in allowed the beginner to experience with group s interaction and felt of an effective swing groove on a bandstand. He also noted that sessions also serve as meeting points where players often make their first professional contacts. He thought that one outstanding performance at a session can lead to a string of gigs which, in turn, could lead to broader playing experience and hopefully a more mature style, as well as an expanding circle of musicians and patrons as a source of future professional engagements. In this chapter, the researcher reviewed literature in an effort to identify the history of jazz, jazz education and jazz pedagogy methods within the world of academia. Jazz learners needed to gain different abilities required in learning jazz music. The researcher also found that jazz music had tremendous value both on theoretical and technical aspects for jazz learner. To compare the information that researcher had collected, six professionals were interviewed to gather their opinions 29

43 and experiences so as to identify the jazz pedagogy model both in and Taiwan. 30

44 Chapter III Methodology I. Research Method The purpose of this study, as expressed in Chapter I, was to investigate the different jazz pedagogical methods in two countries namely and Taiwan. To find out the experiences of the musicians/teachers and to reconnect jazz pedagogy to democratic principles found in its historic pedagogical roots. The study meant to present educational models that other jazz educators might use for rediscovering, reexamining, and reconstructing their own respective pedagogical philosophies. The group of musicians that formed the community for this study consisted of 6 professional university jazz piano teachers and performers, who were active members of the professional jazz scene in and Taiwan. The researcher had several interview sessions with each musician in order to understand their experiences in teaching. The structure of the study was as Figure 1 while the procedure was presented in Figure 2. Comparative case study was used as the research method in this study. In comparative case studies, structure and focus were easier to achieve if a single investigator not only planned the study, but also conducted all of the case studies. Structured and focused comparisons were more difficult to carry out in collaborative research when each case study was undertaken by a different scholar (George & Benett, 2005). Therefore the researcher was the only investigator in the study, who designed and interviewed all the participants by her own. 31

45 II. Research Participants i. Researcher This study was conducted in in Taiwan but data collection was both in and Taiwan. Researcher is n and now studying in Taiwan. Researcher started to learn classical piano at age of five and completed her ABRSM Grade 8 exam at 18 years old. She started her Degree in Contemporary music in UCSI University in 2007 where she first in touch of jazz music. Jazz music was new challenges to her, so she started to listen to a lot of jazz music, go to watch live jamming session, and get involved in jazz band. Jazz improvisation was always the hardest part to her. At the year of 2012, researcher came to Taiwan to pursue her Master in Music Education. ii. Participants All the participants were carefully selected. They were experienced and professionals. Confidentiality was about not disclosing the identity of study participants, and not attributing comments to individuals in ways that can permit the individuals or institutions with which they were associated to be recognized (Arksey & Knight, 1999). Therefore, to protect their privacy, the participants in were anonym to teacher A, B and C whereas the participants from Taiwan were anonym to teacher X, Y and Z. 32

46 Teacher A Teacher A held a Master in Jazz Pedagogy from West Virginia University. He started to learn classical piano and took up an interest in jazz during teenage years, finally to pursue his musical journey as a jazz pianist. He taught jazz piano in several universities in and has been promoting jazz in for many years. He gave master classes, talks, and seminars. He had been active in Kuala Lumpur music scene and now the band leader of WVC Trio and the pianist of Unit Asia. He had performed in a variety of music festivals: Malacca Straits Jazz Festival in Riau (June 2007), Penang Jazz Festival in Penang (November 2007), Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore (2008 and 2009), Taichung Jazz Festival (2010 and 2011), Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (2011), Langkawi One Earth Music Festival (2011), Phuket International Jazz Fest (2011), Thailand International Jazz Fest and Tianjin International Jazz Fest (2012), and latest Taichung Jazz Festival (October 2013). Teacher B Teacher B held a Master in composition theory from Penn State University and degree in music technology from University Putra. He was currently the head of Contemporary Music Department in UCSI University. He taught jazz piano and jazz harmony in the university. He was actively performing as a pianist/keyboardist and had worked with a few of pops idols in and Indonesia. He also performed in jazz festivals in China, Korea,, Singapore and Taiwan. 33

47 Teacher C Teacher C held a Master in jazz piano pedagogy from West Virginia University. He just completed his Master in jazz pedagogy and currently teaching jazz piano, big band, jazz improvisation and jazz ensembles in universities. He was the best keyboardist in Asian Beat Band competition 2008 and the runner up in the pop/ jazz piano solo category at the Grand Finals of the Roland Piano Festival He performed in 2013 World Youth Jazz festival and he also collaborated with many international and local artists. Moreover, he composed a lot of songs and rearranged jazz standards for bands. Taiwan Teacher X Teacher X held a Master in jazz music from American Music Institute in Chicago. He had been teaching jazz piano for 22 years. Currently, he is the lecturer of National Sun Yat-Sen University. He taught jazz harmony, jazz ensemble, improvisation and the history of jazz. He also played in different jazz festivals and art festivals. Teacher Y Teacher Y originated from Belgium but a Taiwan resident for over 6 years. He studied Jazz in Belgium Lemmensinstituut. Before moving to Asia, he worked in and around Belgium a lot as a double bassist. After moving to Taiwan in 2006, he quickly became one of the most wanted musicians in the scene, played with different artists. He frequently accompanied international jazz musicians on their tour to Taiwan. He had played over 100 concerts in Taiwan but also played internationally in jazz festivals in Hong Kong, Korea,, and Lithuania. Besides a double bassist, he 34

48 was also a composer, a jazz piano teacher and producer. Teacher Z Teacher Z held a Master in classical piano performance from Tunghai University Taiwan. Currently, she is a lecturer of center of general education at National Taichung University of Education. She taught jazz piano and pop piano group class. 35

49 Taiwan Teacher s learning background Teacher s learning background Teaching Skills Pedagogy Teaching Materials Students Abilities Student s Need Student s Background Figure 9. Structure of the study 36

50 Design of topic and proposal Literature Review Design the study Recruit and search for participants Develop Research Instruments Validity and Reliability Decisions on participants Interview Transcription of interview Data Analysis On member checking Conclusion Figure 10. Procedure of the study 37

51 III. Research Instruments i. Role of Researcher In qualitative studies, the researcher was the main instrument of this study. From the perspective from a novice jazz musician, comparison and analysis of jazz pedagogy were understood and analyzed through interviews. ii. Interview Arksey and Knight (1999) stated that interviews may provide data on understandings, opinions, attitudes, feelings and the like that people might have in common. Interviewing can be structured, semi structured or unstructured (Andrea & James, 1998). Semi structured interview was used to be a research instrument in this study. Semi structured meant that main questions and scripts were fixed but an interviewer was able to improvise at the follow up questions and to explore meaning and areas of interest that emerged (Arksey & Knight, 1999). Interviewing at two different countries, researcher foresaw that the participants would have different responses and might provide some others useful information, so semi structured interview was chosen as the research instrument of this study. Audio recording was used as the method of recording the interview in this study. Audio recording was probably the most popular method of recording qualitative interview (Arksey & Knight, 1999). There were plenty of advantages in audio recording which were: The interviewer can concentrate on what participant had said. A permanent record that captured the whole of the conversation verbatim, as 38

52 well as tone of voice, emphases, pauses and so on. Using a recorder demonstrates to informants that their responses were being treated seriously. iii. Reliability and Validity The reliability of interview was always been questioned. So in order to enhance the reliability, the researcher had to be certain of the purpose of the interview and chose the participants wisely (Lin, 2002). Besides that, Lin (2002) also stated that the interview questions had to be specific and in depth. Lastly, researcher had to record and analyzed all the data correctly. Choose the participants wisely The participants that had been chosen were all professionals in jazz music between two nations. They were experienced in teaching and performing. Be specific Researcher had been discussing the interview questions with her lecturer, expecting and considering the reaction of the participants and keep improving the interview questions. Record The interview were recorded with audio recorder. Collections of data The interviews were all fully transcribed and the participants were provided a transcript in which they could modify, edit, or add to for authenticity. Once transcripts were edited to their satisfaction, they were ed back to the researcher. This form of member checking was advocated by Johnson and Christensen (2004) as a means of strengthening the accuracy and credibility of participant responses. 39

53 Validity was an important criterion for the quality of a study. While interview was the major tool for data collection, the outline of interview needed to be validated for its meaningful use.three professionals of music education (see table 3) were invited for checking the interview outline of this study. Thus, the interview outline was modified according their professionals opinions. Table 3 Professionals on interview outline validity checking Name Institutions Expertise Prof. Lin University of Taipei Music Education Piano Pedagogy Prof. Lin Prof. Chang National Taichung University of Education National Taichung University of Education Flute performance Music technology Piano Improvisation Dalcroze The researcher adjusted the sequences and modified the questions after gathering the professionals opinions, and the finalized interview outlines was shown below: iv. Interview Outline 1. When do you start to listen to jazz music? Please talks about your learning background, what institute are you teaching now and what are the places you perform. 2. In your opinion, what are the differences between classical music and jazz music? 3. What do you think about the jazz scene in your country right now? 40

54 4. Has jazz education been known by public? What are the ways to gain more attention from the public? 5. Are there any university/ college/ music centre providing jazz program in your country? 6. Talk about your students background. What do they want to learn from jazz piano? Do you think your teaching fulfill their needs? What do you think they should learn in jazz piano? 7. What is your concept and method when you teach jazz piano? 8. How do you teach beginning improvisation? Do you use any software to support student s improvisation? 9. Talk about your advice regarding practicing? (Harmony or Scales) 10. Do you encourage your students to be in jazz ensembles? Why? 11. Do you require your students to play at live jamming section? If yes, what will they learn from there? 12. Do you give demonstration or feedback during teaching process? Do you allow your student to audio/ video record your demonstration? If yes, what is the follow up? 13. What is your advice to those who want to learn jazz piano? 14. What do you hope to achieve in your teaching? 15. If an institute or university wants to establish a jazz program, what do you think the program should offer? 16. In your opinion, do you have anything more to say about jazz piano teaching? 41

55 IV. Data Collection and Analysis i. Data Collection The semi-structured interviews were conducted in two different countries of six interviews each in order to refine the interview outline and interviewing skills of the researcher, allow new and relevant questions to evolve, and improve data analysis techniques in each interview. Following data collection methods were utilized. Semi-structured interviews with each of the six participants Fully transcription The researcher conducted one semi-structured interview with each participant. Three of the participants from were interviewed in Kuala Lumpur. On the other hand, the other three participants from Taiwan were interviewed separately in Taichung and Taipei. The interviews provided the participants with the opportunity to put their experiences into their own words and allowed them to better understand rather than explain those experiences (Wolcott, 1997). All interview sessions were audio recorded. This was necessary for two reasons. First, researcher needed to repeatedly review them and record down the interaction accurately. Second, the audio recording served as a record of the participants opinions, perspective and method they applied in their jazz piano pedagogy. Written transcriptions were made of verbal dialogue after each interview session. These interview sessions served as the largest source for making and using records in the study (Wolcott, 1997). Lastly, the researcher would conduct phone interview as followed up when there were questions to add. 42

56 ii. Data analysis The researcher had labeled the question 1 to question 18 as 1~16 and the participants as A, B, C and X, Y, Z as shown at Table 4. After all the transcription, the researcher will underline the important advices and relevant information according to the code of the questions and participants correctly. It allowed the researcher to compare the content of one interview with another and to summarize the results of a number of interviews on the same topic by showing the frequency with which each type of information was given. Table 4 Coding for interview Code Description A1~16 Participant A, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question 16. B1~16 Participant B, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question 16. C1~16 Participant C, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question 16. X1~16 Participant X, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question 16. Y1~16 Participant Y, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question 16. Z1~16 Participant Z, 1 represent the answer for question 1, 16 represent the answer for question

57 iii. Reliability and Validity Achieving validity in the telling of the participants opinions through the creation of narrative texts was no easy matter and was fraught with problems (Denzin, 1995). All the cases in this study, the key to the definition were the idea of representative participants. The nature and quality of the sampling process was important in order to provide evidence of content validity (William, 1995). Other than that, Patton (2002) discussed four types of triangulation in doing evaluation which were data triangulation, investigator triangulation, theory triangulation and methodological triangulation. Data triangulation was employed in this study in order to increase the reliability and validity. Data triangulation was to collect information from multiple sources but aimed at corroborating the same fact or phenomenon. In this study, the researcher collected three participants information from two different countries to triangulate the data so the information and facts of the study had been supported more than a single source of evidence (See figure 3). Participant A, B and C represent whereas participants X, Y and Z represent Taiwan were invited to provide their experience in jazz piano teaching. 44

58 A X B C Taiwan Y Z Figure 11. Triangulation 45

59 46

60 Chapter IV Data Analysis and Results Comparative case study was used as the research method in this study. In this chapter, the researcher compiled and compared the results and divided this chapter into three sections which were the comparison of the Status of Jazz in and Taiwan, The Jazz Piano Pedagogy in and Taiwan, and The Learning of Jazz between and Taiwan. I. Status of Jazz in and Taiwan i. Jazz Scene In Kuala Lumpur,, there was quite a jazz scene but not in other cities. Kuala Lumpur was the federal city and most populous city in. It was the fastest growing metropolitan region in the country in terms of populations and economy. Tourism played a very important role in Kuala Lumpur as this city was the sixth most visited city of the world with 8.9 million tourists per year. There were a few jazz festivals happened in each year which were Borneo International Jazz Festival, KL International Jazz Festival, Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival and Penang Island Jazz Festival. International and local jazz bands were invited to every year. 47

61 Jazz Festival i) Borneo International Jazz Festival Figure 12. Borneo International Jazz Festival Sarawak was one of two n states on the island of Borneo and it was also known as Bumi Kenyalang (Land of the Hornbills). It was situated on the northwest of the island, bordering the n state of Sabah to the northeast, Indonesia to the south and surrounding Brunei. It was the largest n state. Miri International Jazz Festival started from the year of At the year of 2011, it had changed its name to Borneo International Jazz Festival. This change was to reflect the growing stature of the festival among leading jazz festivals in the region. Borneo gave a unique positioning of Sarawak among jazz music aficionados. Borneo International Jazz festival was a two days jazz festival. Table 5-10 showed the international and local performers that had been invited to Borneo International Jazz Festival from the year of 2006 to The information of the performers was from The Borneo International official website (Borneo Jazz, 2014). One-day pass ticket for adult was RM70 and the price for a two-day pass was RM130. As for children one day pass costed RM30 while a two-day pass was RM50. The shows lasted from 7:30pm to 12:15am. 48

62 Table 5 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2006 Band Country All The Best, Sarawak Fra Fra Sound Netherlands Gangbe Brass Band Benin Lluis Coloma Spain Nah Youn Sun Korea/ France Quinteto Mambo Jambo United Kingdom Shanghai Jazz Ensemble China Ublues Singapore Table 6 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2007 Band Country David Gomes Jazz Sextet /Philippines KCP4 India/Germany Lluis Coloma Spain The Dirty Dozen Brass Band United States Son2nos United Kingdom/Venezuela/Philippines Orak Naa Naa Morocco/Germany George Washingmachine Quartet Australia/UK/France Habana Sax Cuba Table 7 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2008 Band Country Mood Indigo United Kingdom Diamond Dave & The Doodaddies Australia Habana Sax Cuba OMA Sound Japan T Inventielke Netherlands Borneo Jazz Chairmaine Clamor Philippines/United States Amar Sundy Algeria Rumba Calzada Canada 49

63 Table 8 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2009 Band Country Thomson Big Band Singapore Rumba Calzada Canada John Kaizan Neptune s Steps in Time Japan Jeff Maluleke South Africa Alamode Australia Bombay Baja Brass Band United Kingdom Double Take Dites 34 France Table 9 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2010 Band Country Ricardo Herz Brazil SimakDialog Indonesia Amina Figarova Sextet Netherlands James Cotton Blues Band United States Mellow Motif Thailand Jeremy Tordjman Project Switzerland Norbert Susemihl s New Orleans All Germany/United States/Denmark Star Table 10 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2011 Band Country SIU2 China Cunha E Piper Brazil/Australia John Hammond United States Les Doigts De L Homme France Victor Yong & The Electric Carnival /Canada Band Yuichiro Tokuda s Ralyzz Dig Japan State of Monc Netherlands Maria Muldaur United States 50

64 Table 11 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2012 Band Country F.V.E. Project Slixs Germany Nita Aartsen Indonesia New Cool Collective Netherlands Tropic Green Singapore Tangora France Koh Mr. Saxman & Takeshi Band Thailand Schalk Joubert And The Three Continents Sextet South Africa/Norway/Sweden/United States Table 12 Performers list of Borneo International Jazz Festival for 2013 Band Country West Jazz Band Lisa Young Quartet Australia Scott Martin Latin Soul Band United States The Nylons Canada The Asian Jazz All Stars Power Quartet Singapore/Philippines/Hong Kong/Japan Hazmat Modine United States Mo Blow Germany Jump 4 Joy Sweden The most invited performers country was United States with eight groups of different performers from the past eight years, followed by United Kingdom and Australia with five different groups of performers. The performers from United States covered different styles included blues, world, Latin, soul, rock, swing, calypso, fusion and funk music; whereas the band from United Kingdom covered mostly the same as those from the United States. However, there was a band by the name of Bombay Baja Brass Band who played Bhangra. Bhangra was fusion of music and dance which originated from the Punjab region of 51

65 India and Pakistan (Bhangra, 2014). Its earliest form was a celebratory folk dance meant for welcoming the season of spring. Now Bhangra had evolved became integrated into popular in the past 30 years. The most important rhythm pattern in Bhangra music was known as chaal. This was a repeated eight note pattern, played on the dhol: Figure 13. Rhythm Pattern of chaal Figure 14. Dhol Besides dhol, Bhangra used string instruments like sitar, tumbi (a plucked string instrument with only one string), and the sarangi (a bowed string instrument) too (Bhangra, 2014). Figure 15. Sitar Figure 16. Tumbi Figure 17. Sarangi Lastly, the performers from Australia covered bossa nova, samba, world and swing jazz music. From the most invited country s performers, researcher concluded that the most popular music styles being performed were blues, swing, Latin and world music. 52

66 ii) Penang Island Jazz Festival Figure 18. Penang Island Jazz Festival Penang was a state that located on the northwest coast of Peninsular by the Strait of Malacca and it was the second smallest state in. Penang was often knows as The Pearl of the Orient and Pulau Penang Pulau Mutiara meant Penang, Island of Pearls. Penang Island Jazz Festival began in the year of 2004 as an independent festival organized by The Capricorn Connection. It was a two day event at the beginning of 2004 and it had expanded to a 3-days event in 2005 and from 2006 to present, the event was 4-days long. The festival was held annually during the first weekend of December. The festival also had a number of other supporting musical activities such as workshops, talks and forums, photography and poster exhibitions. The festival attracted a regional audience and had established itself to be one of the most highly anticipated and important musical festivals in the South East Asian Region. One day ticket pass was RM78, children aged below 11 admissions were free but they had to be accompanied by adults. The doors opened at 7pm whereas shows started at 8.20pm. Workshops, talks and forum, photograph and poster exhibitions admissions were free and open for public. Table were the performers lists from 53

67 the year of The researcher gathered these information from the official Penang Island Jazz Festival website (Penang Jazz, 2014). Table 13 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2004 Band Country Aseana Percussion Unit Double Take France The Idea of North Australia Juwita Suwito Jeep Jazz Trio Tonal Alchemy United States Steve Thornton LPJ Group United States YAA Quartet Featuring Atsuko Japan Kawahara Shelley Leong Table 14 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2005 Band Country Penang Areca Jazz Ensemble Featuring Colleen Read Ruby Rozells and Kathleen Rodrigues Saharadja Indonesia Mr. Gambus Band Featuring Chie Hanawa Shanon Shah Sufiah Noor Lazy Monday David Gomes Jazz Trio Featuring Junjie Delfino Greg Lyons Nonet United Kingdom Zailan Razak Project Steve White United States Randy Bernsen Group United States 54

68 Table 15 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2006 Band Country Seo Young Do Trio Korea Denise Mininfield Singapore John Kaizan Neptune United States Koh & Mr. Saxman Band Thailand Fredrik Noren Band Sweden Idang Rasjidi Quartet Featuring Tompi Indonesia James Boyle & The Ragged Tigers Roger Wang & Farid Ali Fairuz Hussein Jeep Latino Jazz Band J-Sun Lithuania Groove Doctor United States Rhapsody Albert & Badar Members from the Areca Center of Performing Arts 55

69 Table 16 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2007 Band Country John Goldie United Kingdom Louis Soliano Quartet Singapore Nah Youn Son Korea Possicobilities China Bangkok Connection Thailand Bob Aves Jazz Group Featuring Grace Philippines Nono Anke Helfrich Trio Germany Paul Ponnudorai Singapore The Idea of North Australia Jose Thomas & Groove Unction Cheong & Friends Australia Evening Breeze United States Elvira & Friends James Boyle & The Ragged Tigers Areca Jazz Quartet & Quintet 56

70 Table 17 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2008 Band Country Pascoal Meirelles Trio Brazil Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience Scotland Jeon Youngse Trio Korea Friend N Fellow Germany Tran Manh Tuan Band Vietnam Andy Peterson Inc. The Island Jazz Connection Morocco Adibah Noor Djabe Featuring Steve Hackett United Kingdom Aseana Percussion Unit Jaume Vilaseca Trio Featuring Violetta Barcelona Curry Evening Breeze United States Albert Sirimal & Russell Curtis Dasha Logan Prema Yin Q Jazz Collective Tonal Alchemy United States 57

71 Table 18 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2009 Band Country Janek Gwizdala Project United States In The Country Norway Studnitzky Trio Germany Sizhukong Taiwan Charlie Jung Band Korea Buzz Bros Band Holland Dainius Pulauskas Group Lithuania Paulo Bellinati & Cristina Azuma Brazil Michelle Nicolle Quartet Australia Island Palm Beach Boys Organamix Singapore, Thailand Band of Brothers Thailand High Society Canada SquareCircles United States Rhapsody Ray Cheong Trio Tokyo Blue De Leon Jazz Experience Ocean of Fire UNIT United States Mellowtones Sweden Winners of the Jazz Festival Young Talent Competition 58

72 Table 19 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2010 Band Country Tommy Emmanuel Australia Penang Philharmonic featuring Ray Rozells and James Boyle Celso Machado Brazil SC Yun Trio Korea Electric Barbarian Europe Stouxingers Germany Carefree Roger Wang Trio Boi Akih Netherlands Rain Sultanov Quartet Azerbaijan PELbO Norway Andy Peterson Independent Rozz & Frequency Raggy Project Sax Organ Project, Ocean of Fire & Dasha JazzHats Aseana Percussion Unit strait sax ahead featuring Russell Curtis Reza Salleh Clair V Rozells & Allan G. Murrilon Jonathan Tse Trio and Winner of Get Inspired Competition PFS Jazz Jam Crew Northern Jazz Ensemble Jeep Jazz Band and UPSI Big Band from Sultan Idris University of Education. 59

73 Table 20 Performers list of Penang Island Jazz Festival for 2011 Band Country Shakatak United Kingdom Ulf & Eric Wakenius Father and Son Sweden Fred Cheah and The JazzHats Espen Eriksen Trio Norway Michaela Rabitsch & Robert Pawlik Trio Austria Jiyoung Li Quartet Korea Yuri Honing Wired Paradise Dutch Amir Yussof Acoustic Project Eve Bjerga Haugen with EET Norway Rusconi Switzerland Rio Sidik Quartet Indonesia Nina Van Horn France Amirah Ali Andy Siti Quartet Az Samad Duo Azmyl Yunor Cats In Love Liyana Fizi De Leon Jazz Experience Damien Chew Aqasha Elixir Bihzhu Ksatriya Italy DJ G DJ Ribut TAG Besides the local band and performers, the most invited countries over the past few years were United States, Australia, Thailand and Korea. From here, the researcher found that the music styles they usually played were standards, jazz, bebop, folk, pop, rock, funk, swing, blues and world music. 60

74 iii) Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival Figure 19. Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival Kota Kinabalu was the capital of the state of Sabah, located in East. The city was located along the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. Kota Kinabalu was often known as KK within and internationally and it was a major fishing destination a popular gateway for travellers. There were many leisure spots in KK like Anjung Samudra, a waterfront entertainment spot which featured restaurants, cafes, pubs and nightclub; Tanjung Aru, a beach that along the West Coast featured with drink stalls, restaurant, night clubs and so on. Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF), unlike the other jazz festival in, it was an annual fund raising jazz festival jointly organized by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah. It took place at the Nature Resort City of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (KKLF, 2014). The money raised from the KKJF was used to fund deserving community projects by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu- The Clean Water Projects, Literacy Program and Eye Screening and Environment Protection. Some rural communities which benefited from this were Kg. Timbou, Kg. Tamburan and Kg. Kokol. One-day pass ticket was RM70 and two- day pass costed RM100. Show lasted from 7pm to 11pm. Table showed the performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz 61

75 Festival gathered by researcher from the official website of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival. Given that the performer lists from earlier years were not available online, such information was obtained directly from the co-organizing chairman via request. Table 21 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2009 Band Country SIA Jazz Syndicate Jonathan Tse Six2Eight Son2nos United Kingdom/Venezuela/Philippines SIA Kudos Rimba Nah Youn Sun Korea UMS Jazz Quartet Jun Kung and the Junk Unit (featuring Hong Kong Eugene Pao) Table 22 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2010 Band Country Atilia Island Jazz Connection Amir Yussof and Roots RTM Combo Kidz Fingerstyle Organamix Singapore, Thailand UMS Big Band Mood Indigo UK GPJQ 62

76 Table 23 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2011 Band Country Momain Blues Elixir WVC Trio Juzzie Smith Australia SIA Little Jazz Spice of Tones Z Yan The Benjamin Lackner Trio United States Hato Mariko Japan Aseana Percussion Unit Table 24 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2012 Band Country Rimba Amir Yussof Acoustic Project Juwita Suwito Raisa Indonesia Asif & Rene UMS Big Band Winnie Ho Roger Wang Trio Johnny Rodgers Band United States Rio Sidik Indonesia 63

77 Table 25 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2013 Band Country Appy Tots Kian Kok School Big Gee Mojina & Elixir Moscow Fish Canada, Thailand Shanghai Jazz Redefined with Janet Lee Johnny Allegre Trio Philippines Mia Palencia in Good Company Humanfolk Philippines GruvAvenue ft. Poova Plachciak Kekko Fornarelli Trio Italy Albert Sirimal Table 26 Performers list of Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival for 2014 Band Country Funkafize Eilvane Cheng Jazz United Albert Sirimal Kekko Fornarelli Trio Italy Shanghai Jazz Redefined with Janet Lee Moscow Fish Canada, Thailand Johnny Alegre Trio Philippines Kian Kok School Big Band Appy Tot Gee Mojina & Elixir KK Jazz Half Fast Marching Brass Band Mega Boogie Blues Buster Mia Palencia In Good Company Australia Human Folk Philippines Gruvavenue Featuring Poova Plachciak From Table21-26, the researcher concluded that Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 64

78 featured mostly the jazz musicians from, Kian Kok School Big Band and UMS Band. The latters were schools from Sabah,. iv) KL International Jazz Festival Figure 20. KL International Jazz Festival The KL International Jazz Festival (KLIJF) was a world-class annual jazz music festival which aimed to present performances by acclaimed international jazz performers to large audiences. It started from the year of 2012 and it was a signature event for KL and a premier jazz festival for. Besides, it was also the winner of the coveted The BrandLaureate Best Brands Awards 2012 Country Brand Award. KLIJF took place at the University of Malaya and the ticket prices were from RM98-RM288. Free admission for children under 12 years old but had to accompany by adults. Shows started from 6pm to midnight. 65

79 Table 27 KLIJF Ticketing 2013 Bronze (RM) Silver (RM) Gold (RM) Pre- Sale Offer Price At the Gate Figure 21. Seating Plan of KLIJF The ticket prices and seating plan above were the information of KLIJF 2013 from the official website of KLIJF (KLIJF, 2014). Premier seats were reserved for sponsors and VVIP. The pre-sale and offer price period differed annually. Food stalls at KLIJF did not provide any alcoholic drinks and audiences were not allowed to bring food and drinks. As the main sponsor of KLIJF was Kuala Lumpur City Hall, it was the local authority charged with the administration of Kuala Lumpur. as a Muslim country comprised mainly three different races which were Malay, Chinese and Indians. Malays were not allowed to consume alcohol. Therefore 66