Vocal Jazz in the Choral Music Curriculum
“For Phil Mattson, who modeled a love of life and music
that I hope to share with my vocal jazz students and mentors.”
The purpose of this project, “Vocal Jazz in the Choral Music Curriculum,” presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for my Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Saint Thomas was to create a manual for choral music educators with basic knowledge and information about vocal jazz to increase their confidence. It includes:
a brief history of jazz and jazz education, explored to better understand the development of jazz music and its place within a broader historical context;
an examination of the various elements that a choral director should know when introducing vocal jazz into their choral music curriculum; and,
practical ways to implement vocal jazz into the classroom.
Educators interested in exploring this historically and musically relevant genre must start somewhere and, fortunately, training in choral music provides a strong background for both teaching and appreciating vocal jazz.