Jazz Band Director’s Handbook

“…a valuable reference that covers a vast array of topics essential to the teaching and learning of the genre…. Dr. Goins presents a wide variety of class activities that will surely serve as a springboard to help students gain a positive grip on techniques that form the foundation of the contemporary jazz musician. Goins demonstrates an overwhelming level of expertise in numerous areas of jazz, including melodic, harmonic and rhythmic dictation exercises, ear training, chord/scale relationships, and solo transcription….should serve as a most treasured reference book for answers to the most frequently-asked questions of those inexperienced teachers who have limited experience or interaction with drums, bass, guitar and piano. This book will do much to help directors and students with practically every aspect of the normal daily routine encountered in a jazz ensembles program… a must for all music educators, and should follow every new jazz band director to his or her first jobs and beyond.” – Milton L. Jackson, Associate Professor of Music at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

“Dr. Goins has produced a comprehensive, well organized, and practical reference work for the beginning and experienced jazz band director. Drawing from his wealth of experience as a jazz educator and scholar, Goins provides clear solutions to the many problems related to running a successful school jazz band program, ranging from selecting quality literature to becoming an effective jazz listener….I am particularly impressed with the manner in which Goins delivers diverse methods of teaching and learning strategies at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. Even more impressive however, is his philosophical viewpoints on a wide variety of critical issues such as the value of sight-reading, the complexities of improvisation, conducting techniques for big band directors, jazz in concert settings, and the value of score preparation….will be of great use not only to students of jazz – regardless of level of ability – but also to those educators whose skills in jazz performance range from minimal to expert.” – Roy Legette, University of Georgia “…a valuable reference that covers a vast array of topics essential to the teaching and learning of the genre…. Dr. Goins presents a wide variety of class activities that will surely serve as a springboard to help students gain a positive grip on techniques that form the foundation of the contemporary jazz musician. Goins demonstrates an overwhelming level of expertise in numerous areas of jazz, including melodic, harmonic and rhythmic dictation exercises, ear training, chord/scale relationships, and solo transcription….should serve as a most treasured reference book for answers to the most frequently-asked questions of those inexperienced teachers who have limited experience or interaction with drums, bass, guitar and piano. This book will do much to help directors and students with practically every aspect of the normal daily routine encountered in a jazz ensembles program… a must for all music educators, and should follow every new jazz band director to his or her first jobs and beyond.” – Milton L. Jackson, Associate Professor of Music at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

“Dr. Goins has produced a comprehensive, well organized, and practical reference work for the beginning and experienced jazz band director. Drawing from his wealth of experience as a jazz educator and scholar, Goins provides clear solutions to the many problems related to running a successful school jazz band program, ranging from selecting quality literature to becoming an effective jazz listener….I am particularly impressed with the manner in which Goins delivers diverse methods of teaching and learning strategies at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. Even more impressive however, is his philosophical viewpoints on a wide variety of critical issues such as the value of sight-reading, the complexities of improvisation, conducting techniques for big band directors, jazz in concert settings, and the value of score preparation….will be of great use not only to students of jazz – regardless of level of ability – but also to those educators whose skills in jazz performance range from minimal to expert.” – Roy Legette, University of Georgia

Table of contents:
Foreword; Preface
1. A Big Band Philosophy for Jazz Educators
2. Dealing with the Music: How to Pick Good Jazz Literature; Getting More from the Score; Know the Score; Rhythm Section; All That’s Written Isn’t Gold; Keeping Score of the music; Using CDs – Off the Record; Highlighting the Score; How to Work without a Score; Jazz Articulation
3. Building a Strong Jazz Program: The Effective Jazz Ensemble Director; Where Are the Opportunities for Young Jazz Ensembles?’; How to Improve Your Jazz Ensemble’s Performance; Preparing Your Ensemble for Concert; Help for the Young Jazz Ensemble Director; It’s All in the Swing
4. Early Stages of Jazz Improvisation: A Beginner’s Approach; How to Teach Jazz Improvisation; Don’t Be Afraid to Play What’s on Your Mind; Removing the Fear of Flying; Scales for Jazz Improvisation; Good Musicians Borrow; Value of Licks; Why Bebop is Bad for Beginners; Swing’s the Thing; Have a Little Fun with ii-V-I
5. From the Podium: Learning to Play in Tune; Tools to Teach Tuning; Role of the Conductor; Do We Really Need a Conductor?
6. The Jazz Guitarist: What Shall We Do?; Coping with Comping; Joining the Ranks of the Readers
7. The Mind, Body & Soul: Closing the Gap Between Thought and Expression; Facing the Physical Barriers to Improvisation; Developing Competent Jazz Musicians; Seven Steps to Heaven
8. Advanced Jazz Concepts: The Matrix; Using the Melodic Minor Scale
9. The Director as Teacher: From Clubs to Classrooms; Value of Sight-Reading; Teaching Jazz in Marching, Concert, and Symphony Band; Benefits of Having Your Own Jazz Festival; Thirteen Jazz Improvisation Class Activities
10. Music to Your Ears: What to Listen for in Jazz; What is a Good Solo, Anyway?; Art of Listening; Educated Listener; Sight-hearing 101 - Melodic Ear Training; All You Need is One CD
11. Think on These Things: State of Jazz in America; Final Words of Wisdom
Bibliography; Index