JazzInsideNY Magazine Interview

October 2009

 

1. What are some of the things that you have done to build the jazz program during your tenure?

 

Our program has been successful because of the excellence of the adjunct teaching faculty and the quality of our jazz majors. Our instructors are all active, vibrant musicians who are committed educators. For them, it’s not just another gig that puts food on the table, but a way of life that is deeply connected to the music. Most of the jazz faculty has taught at NJCU for over ten years and several from the moment, eighteen years ago, when I was asked to reconstruct the program. In addition, I bring numerous, well-established guest artists every year to perform with and for the students in concerts and masterclass formats; run a High School Jazz Festival; have all of the big bands and combos perform in jazz clubs each semester; perform in local schools and on radio; and record CD’s which include student compositions and arrangements.

 

2. What are some of the distinguishing characteristics of your program?

 

We try to present to the students a well-rounded repertoire of musical offerings each semester in their various performing ensembles. The music they perform mirrors the diverse styles they in encounter in jazz history, jazz compositional styles, and jazz arranging courses. In addition to working on big band music by Ellington, Thad Jones, Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Frank Foster, Gordon Goodwin, etc., they will also be expected to perform the music of Fletcher Henderson/Benny Goodman, Jimmy Lunceford, Benny Moten, Artie Shaw, Eddie Sauter, Clare Fischer, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and Frank Sinatra, among many others. This is certainly not typical of the majority of jazz programs today and I feel that students are missing a vital part of the jazz experience by not being exposed to these other dynamic voices. Our combos are equally diverse in that each group has a specific focus. Each small group is devoted to exploring either a particular style (Bop, Swing, Dixieland, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban) ora composer (this semester Thelonious Monk, The Brecker Brothers, Clare Fischer, etc,). Ever jazz major will play in both a large and small ensemble each semester and those groups perform at a jazz club and an on-campus concert each semester.  

 

3. What qualities must students have to succeed in your program, and eventually in their careers?

 

They must be passionate about making and studying music, all styles of music, not just jazz. They will need to exhibit seriousness, humility, and integrity as they pursue their studies. These characteristics are required to succeed in any career and need to be emphasized as soon as a student enters the university.

 

4. What is your foundational concept for motivating and inspiring students?

 

We try to convey to them a sense of excellence by exposing them to the great artists through recordings, live performances, and relevant periodical writings.Exposing talented and motivated individuals to great music from the musical worlds of jazz, classical, Latin, rock, pop, and world music, results in an increased awareness of the levels of expertise expected in the music industry. While not everyone has the same innate talent for music making, every student has the ability to work hard and discover his or her potential.

 

5. How does your jazz program motivate and inspire students?

 

In addition to the numerous guest artists we bring to the university every year to play with and for our students, we have faculty recitals every semester and our faculty frequently perform with our students in club performances, on-campus performances, and on their recitals. Our faculty also accompanies our students on their final exam juries. This type of hands–on approach is something we have stressed from the inception of the program eighteen years ago, and it works!

 

6. How do you enlighten students about bridging the gap between the academic environment and the rest of the world where competition, earning a living, and other things impact artistic pursuits?

 

Simply, we tell them the truth! We make it quite clear that this is an industry that is consolidating and downsizing and that the opportunities for any musician these days are less than a decade or several decades ago. Therefore, it is essential that they succeed in every discipline they study—English writing, business, sociology, foreign languages, history, mathematics, education courses, etc. I require our undergraduate jazz majors to take Computer Music and Survey of Music Business courses as part of their degree curriculum and encourage them to enroll in business courses. It is apparent that the jazz musician of today and the future is one who will be able to compose and arrange his or her own music; know about creating one’s own website; be facile with computer notation programs;know how to establish and run their own corporation;, teach privately or in a school system; and play stylistically correct in multiple musical environments. Most importantly, they must be able to write in a coherent and intelligent manner since grant writing may be the means for their survival.

 

7. What concepts, philosophies, quotes, books, authors, speakers–outside of and beyond jazz or music–would you suggest students learn and embrace to broaden themselves and build character, integrity, ethics?

 

The finest musicians I have met in my career are learned individuals. They are interested in many disciplines beyond music and the arts, particularly politics. Until this past presidential election, students have been somewhat apathetic in recent decades with regard to the political and social machinations of our elected officials. I hope that Barack Obama’s ability to connect with young people is the beginning of a movement where students are more actively involved in the decision making process that affects our society, regardless of anyone’s political affiliations. To that end, reading political commentary in the paper andin books while tuning intoradio and television discussions is essential. Also, I encourage them to investigate all cultural aspects available to them since they are so close to New York City. This includes going to museums, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall events, musical theater and plays, and restaurants serving foods of diverse nationalities.

 

Finally, I use analogies to sports heroes in order to emphasize the need to constantly work at refining one’s craft. As a society, we are constantly made aware of every aspect of an athlete’s training regiment that leads to success in an athletic endeavor. We accept this process routinely when it is applied to sports. However, our students are not as aware of the extreme dedication that is required of musicians if one wants to achieve at the highest level. One quote I like to employ is from former NJ Senator and basketball great Bill Bradley who recalled in his book,“Values Of The Game,” that as a youngster he was given the following words of advice: “If you’re not practicing, someone, somewhere is. When the two of you meet [compete for the same job], that person will win.”

 

8. What are some of the challenges that students are facing and how does your program help them overcome and grow from these?

 

Given the uncertainty that exists in the current job market, our job is to help each student find that talent(s) that will enable them to be employable. While one wants to encourage each student as much as possible, the reality is that the job market will only accept so many Joe Lovano’s and Chris Potter’s. What about the hundreds of very talented tenor saxophonists (or for that matter, those talented players of every instrument) studying at fine university/college programs and hoping for an American-Idol like break? What happens to them after graduation? That is why it is crucial that every jazz/music educator be honest with their students, try to find their unique abilities, and help them connect in some way to the industry. Ifa performing career doesn’t evolve,   what’s wrong with a fine jazz performer finding work as a teacher, a repair technician, a recording engineer, an artist manager, a radio DJ, etc? Isn’t it better to make use of one’s musical gifts to earn a living rather than to work outside of the music industry? At NJCU, I believe we service the individual student with this reality in mind.

 

9. While creativity within jazz is as vibrant as ever, there is a greater supply of artists and products than there is demand. What ideas do you have about turning this around to brighten the future on the business and career side for aspiring artists?

 

As stated above, the educator has a greater responsibility as a mentor to one’s students today given the state of the economyand the jazz job market in particular. Every jazz major should be involved in a coop educational program   where they work as interns in some aspect of the music industry in their junior year. In this way, they are exposed to the real world while still students and might give them options for the future, especially as it concerns continued study in graduate school.While making this a requirement in any degree program is difficult given the abundance of credits mandated by certifying agencies and the universities proper, I have seen the benefits of this approach with many of my students at NJCU.

 

10. What are the direct benefits that students enrolled in your program can expect to experience?

 

I believe that our students in the jazz degree programs at NJCU are fortunate to have instructors who are more than just great players and educators, but also concerned people who relish the role of mentoring their students. Since we are a relatively small program, every student knows every jazz teacher, and visa versa. There is no disconnect and that, along with a reality-based curriculum, is a great benefit to all involved.

 

11. If there is one idea that sums up the concept and benefits of your program, could you share that with us?

 

We hope our students leave us with a respect and understanding for the accomplishments of the artists who have been responsible for creating the jazz art form and have been given the necessary tools required to reach their potential and develop an individual voice.

JOE MAGNARELLI
Professor of Jazz Trumpet
Interview by Allen Farnham