Here is an article that I submitted for the Alberta Kodály Association's publication, Ephata. Just for all of my blog readers (if there are any!) I will add some other information that is a little more casual in tone that wouldn't really fit in a traditional newsletter format. Kind of like my car pic to the left! I am so ashamed that I did not take any better pictures. I guess I never thought to bring my camera and I just sort of forgot about my iPhone and left it put away in my rucksack. This trip happened a while ago now, but hey why not post it anyway! Never to late!
Here is my article:
Last summer I had the pleasure of participating in Doug Goodkin’s Jazz class. It is a week long and follows a workshop/seminar format where no formal homework or assignments are required. The class takes place every year in July at the San Francisco school where Doug Goodkin teaches music. The class happens in the very music room for that school.
Here is my article:
Last summer I had the pleasure of participating in Doug Goodkin’s Jazz class. It is a week long and follows a workshop/seminar format where no formal homework or assignments are required. The class takes place every year in July at the San Francisco school where Doug Goodkin teaches music. The class happens in the very music room for that school.
The class covers the language of jazz and blues in a way that incorporates singing, dancing and instrument playing. Traditional African-American singing games appropriate for kindergarten to grade 4 as well as more complicated games and dances for older children were incorporated. In addition, some African music is explored as the roots of jazz and a number of jazz standards are introduced. One of my favourite songs was “Johnny Brown,” that provided a chance for students to move in an individual manner. “Johnny Brown” is a great example of an authentic song that can easily engage young children in a truly jazz influenced experience. Another highlight for me was the more challenging material that Doug Goodkin included such as some more complicated dances and chordal changes on the chromatic Orff instruments. Some of it went beyond what I could reasonably teach to elementary aged children but I appreciated the chance to challenge my own musicianship skills.
This course reminded me of how important it is for students to engage with quality jazz and and blues music. There are many forms of popular music that surround our students daily. However, many students do not always understand the roots of what is considered by them to be their music. Even the basic structure of the beat is usually missed by many when they go to clap along on accents on 1 and 3 rather than on beats 2 and 4 when listening to rock, pop, blues or jazz. American jazz and blues music is far too often overlooked as the core source for virtually all forms of popular music that our students listen to everyday. In addition, the inclusion of jazz education immerses students in an environment of high quality music that is uniquely North American. Doug Goodkin’s courses fulfills this need in spades.
And there you have it! Now to follow, some other thoughts that wouldn't really fit in the newsletter but I will talk about here because its my blog!
This course reminded me of how important it is for students to engage with quality jazz and and blues music. There are many forms of popular music that surround our students daily. However, many students do not always understand the roots of what is considered by them to be their music. Even the basic structure of the beat is usually missed by many when they go to clap along on accents on 1 and 3 rather than on beats 2 and 4 when listening to rock, pop, blues or jazz. American jazz and blues music is far too often overlooked as the core source for virtually all forms of popular music that our students listen to everyday. In addition, the inclusion of jazz education immerses students in an environment of high quality music that is uniquely North American. Doug Goodkin’s courses fulfills this need in spades.
And there you have it! Now to follow, some other thoughts that wouldn't really fit in the newsletter but I will talk about here because its my blog!
Other thoughts - just because!
Pictured at left is my easy rider for the trip. I bought this Tim Armstrong guitar specifically for this adventure. My parents bought it in Bellingham Washington for 175 USD back in the good days before the Loonie became worthless! They brought it home to Chilliwack where it stayed for a couple of months. It then traveled in the trunk of their car to LA where we met them for vacation - my wife Susan and I flew down from Edmonton. It then traveled back to Chilliwack where it stayed until my parents' next visit to Sherwood Park because I didn't want to try taking it on the plane. It finally made its way to Sherwood Park a little while after that.
It was indeed the perfect guitar for a road trip. It has a solid mahogany top and a good sounding pickup installed, but it is also not too nice. It is, after all, a $200 guitar. Perfect for those days between hotel check-out and check-ins where you can leave it in your trunk and not cry if it gets stolen. I really like the guitar, I would still cry if I lost it, just not as hard or as long if it was my $1000 Martin, which stayed home. During the Jazz course, I did not play it much but I did get the opportunity to plug into my tiny battery powered Vox amp and jam out. Totally worth it! The guitar also functioned beautifully as a hotel room strummer and the Vox amp worked awesome as an iPod dock.
It was indeed the perfect guitar for a road trip. It has a solid mahogany top and a good sounding pickup installed, but it is also not too nice. It is, after all, a $200 guitar. Perfect for those days between hotel check-out and check-ins where you can leave it in your trunk and not cry if it gets stolen. I really like the guitar, I would still cry if I lost it, just not as hard or as long if it was my $1000 Martin, which stayed home. During the Jazz course, I did not play it much but I did get the opportunity to plug into my tiny battery powered Vox amp and jam out. Totally worth it! The guitar also functioned beautifully as a hotel room strummer and the Vox amp worked awesome as an iPod dock.
The trip down was excellent. Susan stayed home to work another week until the end of the course and the beginning of our vacation. It took me three days to drive there and I uncharacteristically decided to completely wing it with hotels. I was lucky! I stayed in Sandpoint Idaho for the first night and got the last room. Then next evening had me make it all the way to Klamath Falls Oregon where I once again claimed the last room available! One more day of driving got me to San Francisco.
While most of the class participants stayed in local homes through Airbnb, I decided that having my complete own space would be more to my liking rather than risk staying in someone's spare bedroom or something like that. I stayed at the San Francisco Mission Inn which proved to be perfectly nice. While I didn't find anywhere to hang out at in the evenings, there was a Safeway nearby that I walked to every evening for a salad for dinner and the place itself was quite nice and very clean. I could have taken the BART nearby into the downtown but I wasn't really into it alone and I wanted to save the experience for when my wife Susan flew down.
All in all, the course was excellent and the vacation was excellent. Susan and I have a long tradition of basing our vacations around courses starting with our first which was our Las Vegas wedding the week after I completed Orff Level I at the UNLV back in 2007. Of course, another major highlight was The International Course at the Orff Institute in Salzburg followed by a trek through Austria and Italy in 2013.
What will happen next summer? JHUI Level III and the Vancouver! The old standby, BC and the Pacific coast, like visiting an old friend.
Andy
What will happen next summer? JHUI Level III and the Vancouver! The old standby, BC and the Pacific coast, like visiting an old friend.
Andy
Doug Goodkin's fantastic resources
Two books were used extensively throughout the course and are both excellent. I bought them from Amazon. I believe St. John's also carries them.
Here they are:
Now's The Time
http://www.douggoodkin.com/Publications/nows_the_time.shtml
All Blues
http://www.douggoodkin.com/Publications/index.shtml
Here they are:
Now's The Time
http://www.douggoodkin.com/Publications/nows_the_time.shtml
All Blues
http://www.douggoodkin.com/Publications/index.shtml