September 2009
Volume 75, Number 1

I A short summer quickly exits as a new fall semester approaches.  Marching band has begun a new season with high hopes for all on the high school and collegiate ranks and a new crop of beginners awaits the elementary and middle school programs while working on getting the returning members to remember how to put the horns together and get out some aspect of a decent sound.  We all look forward to a fresh fall with many lofty goals listed for accomplishing.  I hope everyone is welcoming the challenges of the 2009 – 2010 school year and that this is the best one yet for us as music educators, mentors, mentees, and all around musicians alike.

            The Louisiana Association for Jazz Education executive board met recently in June to gather for our annual summer meeting.  The executive board consists of Andy Pizzo – President; Joe LeBlanc – Vice President; Lee Hicks – President Elect; Cristina Mendoza – Secretary; and Bill Causey – Treasurer.  We discussed several issues, but our main topic of discussion was membership.  Rest assured, we will be up and running to full capacity for the November conference and hopefully before that.   We are finalizing the usage of credit cards on our website as a means of payment and compiling a definite list of what we’ll be able to offer you with your membership.  We are very excited at the potential that this organization is shaping up to have and with a strong membership, jazz education in Louisiana will continue to rise and improve.  Your membership is crucial to the survival of jazz education and to the improvement of each of us as teachers, improvisers, section players, enthusiasts, etc.  Please refer to our website at www.lajelouisiana.org for more information.  I also invite you to check out www.jazzednet.org.  JEN, better known as the Jazz Education Network, is the new national jazz organization and is planning on a national conference in the next two years, very possibly in New Orleans.  More than that, the website is extremely beneficial and full of information from the novice to the most advanced of us.  There are various membership packages on there as well.  I hope you get a moment to check out both websites to see about jazz in our state as well as jazz in our nation.

            Once again, Louisiana jazz bands will have several opportunities to showcase their talents in the spring semester.  I highly encourage all ensembles, no matter what their ability level, to participate in one or more of these events.  Forget about ratings.  Remember that we do this for the love of jazz and for the benefit of our students’ complete music education.  Even beginner/1^st year ensembles are making music and swinging and need to get out there to get those comments and critiques that will get you and your students to the next level.  The most advanced of our state’s jazz ensembles need to continue to grow and benefit from the expertise that is offered from the adjucators at these festivals.  Here is a current list of dates, festivals, guest artists, and contact persons:  Sat. Feb. 27, 2010 = Abbeville Jazz Festival in Abbeville: Wayne Winner; Fri. Mar. 5 and Sat. Mar. 6, 2010 = Loyola University Jazz Ensemble Festival in New Orleans with Scott Robinson (sax): John Mahoney; Sat. Mar. 13, 2010 = L.A.J.E./N.S.U. State Jazz Festival in Natchitoches with Rob Wilkerson (alto sax) of the Michael Bubble Orchestra: Galindo Rodriguez; and Sat. May 1, 2010 = Contraband Days Jazz Festival in Lake Charles: Jay Ecker and Tim McMillen.

            Once again, I wish everyone a safe and prosperous school year.  Furthermore, I continue to offer the services of myself and the L.A.J.E. Executive Board.  Please feel free to contact me at apizzo@ebrschools.org with any questions or concerns.  If there is something about jazz, whether a concert at your school, a jazz artist appearing in your area, etc., feel free to contact Mike Morgan thought the L.A.J.E. website and he’ll list it for everyone to see.  We hope to see more jazz programs develop in the middle schools and we look forward to the continuing development of the high school jazz programs in each of our areas.  Please don’t hesitate if you have any questions or concerns.  We are here for you.  All you have to do is contact us.  The website is the best place to start: www.lajelouisiana.org.