Image courtesy Pasadena Conservatory of Music website
Join the Pasadena Conservatory of Music starting on Thursday, January 14, for a six-part virtual class on “Jazz: A Truly American Music”
Designed for middle and high school students, this class explores the early development and evolution of jazz and how it is inextricably intertwined with the history of the United States. Stylistic trends in jazz will be surveyed by highlighting the music and lives of key artists.
Each session is $10, and the whole course is $60. Sessions will be filled with lectures and discussions, guided listening activities, and video footage.
You may also request a fee waiver if you are experiencing financial hardship, by emailing music@pasadenaconservatory.org.
“We don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to take Jazz, A Truly American Music, so during the pandemic we will be granting all fee waiver requests for this course,” PCM said in a statement.
Dr. Ray Briggs, Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Long Beach, will be teaching the course.
At CSU, Dr. Briggs coordinates the jazz combo program and teaches courses in jazz history and ethnomusicology. He holds a PhD and a MA degree in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, a MM in Music Performance (Woodwind Doubling) from the University of Redlands, and a BM in Music Education from the University of Memphis.
With a passionate interest in the relationship between the triumvirate disciplines of jazz studies – performance, pedagogy, and research, Dr. Briggs seeks to utilize the synergy of a unique and combinative approach to understanding the music.
The virtual classes will be on Thursdays starting January 14, 4 to 5 p.m.
To register, visit www.pasadenaconservatory.asapconnected.com/#CourseID=239718.
