The history of jazz and the music itself have rarely been taught in American public schools at any level. When they have been, they generally have received only a passing mention and/or been treated more from an entertainment standpoint than an educational one, for example, as part of a typical school music assembly.  The VJF's Jazz Goes to School program offers an innovative and fully integrated approach to teaching music and social studies at the elementary school level. The program is presented free of charge by the VJF to all 4th and 5th graders (nearly 1,000 students) in the public schools of Eagle County, Colorado.

Jazz Goes to School is formatted as a sequential series of four 45-minute lessons that are presented during the course of the school year. The curriculum combines musical performances with elementary discussions of the origin and history of jazz, an art form steeped in American history, geography and diversity. Each lesson plan is different and uses up to 5 educators/musicians to demonstrate various instruments and musical styles. By blending these subjects in a lesson plan, the educators link various social studies subjects that students are exposed to in their regular curriculum to the history of jazz in a unique and stimulating manner.

At the same time, Jazz Goes to School features popular children's songs performed in various jazz styles, demonstrates various instruments and allows students hands-on opportunities to make music themselves. In addition, visual aides including posters of famous jazz artists, sheet music and other items, are supplied to the teacher for use in the classroom prior to each scheduled lesson. Finally, post-lesson projects are suggested to reinforce what was taught. With the consent of the classroom teacher, interested parents are invited to attend the classes during the year.

The benefits of an elementary school level music education are well established as an effective tool for teaching students the thinking skills essential to success in any academic discipline. Recent research has confirmed that listening to music at an early age stimulates brain development and that listeners become better learners who demonstrate a highly creative approach to problem solving. Research has also established a child's early exposure to the arts is one of the most critical aspects in developing a life-long interest. Unfortunately in this era of declining public support for the arts, music education is an easy victim of the budgetary axe. Jazz Goes to School fills a void with many important lessons and skills, which reinforces the learning of the standard curriculum and stimulates the students' creativity in the process.

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