No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Submitted by Secret Society

Branford Marsalis on lessons he’s learned from his students:

(And you guys thought Terry Teachout was a master at stirring shit up… )

Via Ronan Guilfoyle.

UPDATE: Ronan has more:

The ability to make a decision, to take responsibility for that decision, and to see it through, is a pre-requisite for a jazz improvisation. At the school I teach in we’ve noticed more and more that students want to be told what to do down to the smallest detail, are afraid to take a chance, and are often looking for a “magic bullet” that will allow them to get to where they want to be as players. The fact that there is no magic bullet and that the only way to get to where they want to be as improvisers is to work their asses off, practice like crazy, immerse themselves in the world of improvised music as listeners and players and use school as a resource for information rather than an instant provider of success, is something that seems to elude many of them. To return to Branford’s quote, “the idea of what you are is more important than you actually being that” — the students want to be great players, but often can’t seem to make the connection that much of the responsibility for being great players is [theirs] alone, not the responsibility of the teachers.

Read the whole thing.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Whose your favorite star? Hear a great piece recently? Register on Jazz Music Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.

2 Responses to “No dark sarcasm in the classroom”

1. Derrek Wayne Says:
   September 8th, 2009 at 10:33 pm

   Damn, those are some harsh words from a teacher. Maybe they caught him on a bad day? But you know, he’s kinda right to some degree, Americans do want to be told how amazing they are before they are. I can agree with that. Well, its up to us to change that, who’s with me?

2. Take the lid of jazz education « Simon Purcell Online Says:
   October 7th, 2009 at 3:56 am

   [...] Take the lid of jazz education Thought provoking thoughts from Branford Marsalis and Ronan Guilfoyle – all jazz students and teachers should read this! Click here [...]

Comments