Pipe Dreams

by Hal Galper
As published on March 2000 on birdlives.com
Dear Reader:
Its all too easy to complain about the world. Ive certainly done my share
in these columns.
As I mentioned in my last diatribe, Im offering these positive solutions to
the crisis both jazz educators and masters of jazz alike have been
mouthing off about of late.
Are they fantasies or can they be made into a reality? I dont know for
sure but Ive done some numbers and they seem like they might work.
If not, perhaps they will at least stimulate some though, perhaps some
constructive dialog and maybe even some action on somebodys part.
I figure, hey, I can dream cant I? Maybe we all can.
The Jazz Masters Guild
The state of jazz education has been coming under increasing scrutiny
and discussion. There is growing dissatisfaction with the quality of its
output and the search for solutions is beginning.
The most interesting aspect of these discussions are the variety of points
of view, many of which would, at first, seem conflicting. However these
discussions would seem to be expressed not as opposing differences,
but as different facets of a whole. If this is truly the case, trying to solve
these problems on a case by case basis will be non-productive. Jazz
educations problems are systemic and endemic and can only be
resolved by a systemic solution.
From this point of view, what kind of an educational system can be
created that could integrate the rich variety of ideas the discussions
participants express? Could this new educational system preserve the
traditions of the music as well as facilitate innovation?
Some crucial underlying assumptions not directly stated in these
discussions should be questioned.
A. Is it desirable to codify jazz pedagogy into a unified concept?

One of the fundamental properties in the development of any organized

system is that the more organized any system becomes, the more
conservative and exclusive that system becomes. It would then seem
imperative we must find a way of creating a new system. It must be
capable of allowing a multiplicity of points of view to exist simultaneously
while retaining the principles of freedom of expression and individuality.
B. Is it possible, and necessary, to create such a system within the
established educational bureaucracy or is the creation of an alternative
educational system only possible as an adjunct the system?
It would be an exercise in futility to expect to alter the established
educational bureaucracy radically enough to effect meaningful change.
Bureaucracies, by their very nature, are conservative and resist change.
They tend to exist only to survive as an entity, eventually losing their
effectiveness to produce quality results. A bureaucracys vested interests
have a stake in maintaining its status quo.
C. To what degree has the demise of the apprenticeship system affected
jazz education?
One well-known educator once expressed to me a recurring nightmare:
What if we graduated a student who couldnt play? I would postulate
that this is the case with a majority of the graduates of the current
educational system. It is this very concern that has prompted thoughtful
educators to enter into a dialog about this problem.
Its a well worn axiom that no one can show anyone how to playits
basically a self-taught process developed through trial and error and
experience.
Jazz programs tend to teach their graduates how to learn more than how
to play. This being the case, where do these graduates go to learn how
to play? In the past, the apprenticeship system was the answer to that
question. The loss of the apprenticeship system has had a dual affect: it
has deprived many masters of a way to make a living performing their
music and as well as opportunities for students to continue their
education.
The creation of an alternative educational system would serve to address
all of the concerns expressed by both the disenfranchised jazz master
and jazz educations critics. The following suggestions for creating an
alternative educational system are based on my analysis of the problems
inherent in the current system addressed in my article Jazz In
Academia, previously published in Jazz Notes Magazine. View this

article on my website. The crux of which is the fact that jazz education
borrowed the methodologies of western education and forced the
teaching of jazz to fit a pre-existing mold. A jazz educational system
more conducive to the teaching of jazz has never been developed.
The following is a list of the goals and conditions that a new adjunct
system would strive to achieve.
The Guild should be thought of as a post-graduate extension of the
educational system. This would allow the involvement of university and
college jazz departments without challenging the bureaucracy.
The Guild should be financed by tuition and other Guild revenue sources
and not degree based. The work load involved in a liberal arts education
tends to be labor intensive and non-productive. Students dont have time
to practice and develop. Any desires a student may express for an
interest in liberal arts studies can be provided as adjunctive to the Guild.
It should be cautioned however, that the profit motive creates a tendency
for educational institutions to continually expand its student base beyond
the institutions ability to teach each student effectively, historically
generating the need for a large student base resulting in the use of the
classroom in order to mass produce. The classroom reduces musical
knowledge to a mechanical format that produces mechanical players and
a learning environment not conducive to developing the creative
processes. Controls should be implemented to keep the Guild profitable
but within the bounds of educational effectiveness.
The Guild educational approach should be structured upon the African
concept of the Master-Student relationship. This relationship is given
precedence over mere recitation of information. The structure must
preserve the oral tradition and the apprenticeship system, be elitist rather
than democratic in nature and be modeled like a Guild System wherein
upward mobility is earned, not automatically awarded. The Guild should
be performance based and reflective of the historical and current realities
of the work-place. This will reduce the numbers involved. In this concept,
smaller is better.
Set & Setting should be two of the major considerations of the
alternative system. The mind set (read Set) of the student and teacher
and the environment (read Setting) in which the educational process
occurs are crucial to the development of any creative process. The most
effective mind set that a student can adopt is that survival and
advancement are based on accomplishment. The setting should emulate
the bandstand as much as is practicably possible and should be Gig-

based. When I was apprenticing, I was under the control of a master

that insisted that I learn how to play the way that pleased him and
behave professionally or the guy sitting behind me would get the gig.
Informational sessions should be reserved for day-time hours and combo
education for the evening. A centralized office would administrate the
Guild. This office would oversee the placement and movement of
students in and through the system, fund-raising and allocation, housing,
external resources and collection of student applications and student and
master feedback.
The Guild should be international in scope allowing the greatest latitude
for genre specific education. The current educational establishment has
a bias against those musicians who lack verbal skills to articulate musical
concepts. It should be noted that as a product of the apprenticeship
system myself, I never once worked with a master musician who could
talk about what he did. The apprenticeship system was based upon
emulation of the masters through continued on-the-job experience. One
learned by hearing how it should be done night after night. Masters can
be recruited from the educational community but would best serve the
jazz community at large by offering Guild teaching positions to those who
are more experienced in the performance aspects of the music. The are
a vast number of masters available as a valuable educational resource.
Because of ageism in the music business and the educational bias
against non-verbal masters, this resource of master teachers remains
largely untapped. Most of these masters, themselves a product of the
apprenticeship system, are not in a position to find work for groups of
their own. A primary component of the Guild would be that these masters
play with and work and tour with their students on a for four to six months
per year. This can be affected by the implementation of two other
innovative companion programs: The Audience Identification Program
and the Team Targeting Program.
This approach toward jazz education realizes two major goals: the
resurrection of the rapidly disappearing apprenticeship system and the
employment of those masters who have been disenfranchised by those
who control the jazz music business.
Depending on the number of masters available, every major city, and
smaller town, wherever possible, would have Resident Master Combos.
These Master Combos would be genre specific to offer a wide choice of
musical direction to the potential student body. For example, a city like
New York City or Los Angeles could have as many as 100 Master
Combos each whereas a smaller town, like Lawrence KS, would have
perhaps only one.

Genres could include: mainstream bebop, Latin, world music,

contemporary jazz, big bands, European, eastern and ethnic music, etc.
Masters would be autonomous in regards to decisions about teaching
methodology and student combo personnel. Students would be accepted
through live auditions.
Masters would be graded according to level: beginning, intermediate and
advanced. Each master would recommend their students to a master on
increasingly higher levels.
The master would be required to perform with the combo on a daily
basis.
Masters would be remunerated on an equal basis, not dependent on
combo size.
Masters would be required to spend a minimum amount of hours per
week with the combo. A feedback system to insure minimum
requirements are being met would be established.
Students would apply to study under the master that best satisfies his
genre interest and level of expertise.
Students would be required to spend a year (12 months) with each
master. Graduates of each years combos would earn their way up to the
next level of combo experience, with a different master in a higher level.
Each master recommends their students to the master on the next higher
level. If necessary, graduates could move from city to city. Graduates of
the highest levels could then be hired by a master to move upward into a
true apprenticeship situation.
Students can be fired by a master and replaced by the next available
student. Tuition would be refunded on a pro-rated basis.
Students not accepted on their first audition-application may reapply on a
yearly basis.
Students would be encouraged to seek performance work in the local
community aided by the master.
Extracurricular education for subjects not covered by a particular master
would be arranged according the students needs as diagnosed by the
master or the desire of the student. These subjects could be: arranging,
composing, instrumental technique, etc.

Facilities and equipment would be supplied and arranged by the central

administrating organization. This may require the rental of property that
could be converted to rehearsal space and (except high school students)
accommodations. The facility should be in the closest possible proximity
of the Masters own home.
Tuition would be less expensive than that of the average degree based
tuition. Financial and equipment support could be sought from private,
foundation, government and corporate sources by the central
organization.
Masters and students alike would earn performance fees. Students
performance fees could be applied to their tuition . A fixed percentage of
all fees for performance and record sales would be fed back to the Guild
to support its activities.
It is essential the means be developed to involve the current educational
community in The Guild. Jazz departments could recommend their best
students to the Guild. This would not only enhance the departments
image but the Guilds as well. A membership fee would required for jazz
departments to qualify for their graduates acceptance into the Guild.
The Guild, with its combination of freedom of choice, loose structure and
intense musical focus, would attract the highest quality of teachers and
students.
Similar jazz education institutions have existed before but only in the
micro, not the macro. Berklee School of Music, before it adopted its
degree program was similar. Los Angeles once had a non-degree giving
school called Westlake whos graduates were well sought after. The Jazz
School at Lenox, MA was another. Because of the quality of its output,
Guild graduates would be in a better position to survive in the market
place. The Guild would provide financial stability to both its masters and
students.
The above is merely an outline of the shape the Guild could take. Details
of administration, cost-expense analysis, funding, oversight and the
myriad of details establishing The Guild would entail would have to be
developed.
Ive done some preliminary number crunching that would seem to
suggest that such and alternative system would be financially viable.
The time and energy involved in creating The Guild would be no less,
and perhaps more then the time and energy it would take to solve the

problems within the currently existing system. However, the rewards of

creating this new system would achieve more satisfying results for both
its educators and students.