TEXT SET

Thomas Graham

NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS:

DANCE, MUSIC, THEATRE, AND VISUAL
ARTS
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal,

cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

TO A YOUNG JAZZ MUSICIAN: LETTERS

FROM THE ROAD BY WYNTON MARSALIS

This book is a collection of letters

written by musician/educator
extraordinaire, Wynton Marsalis. He
provides wisdom and insight that he
wishes that he had when he was
younger. His advice extends beyond
musicianship and encourages young
people to live creative and productive
lives. The connections between being
a good musician and a good human
being are evident in Marsalis writing.

Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 4

Suitability- Ages 14 and up. It is easy

to read, but more experienced
musicians will get more out of the
text.

BROKEN CHORDS BY BARBARA

SNOW GILBERT
This book tells a romance story in the

context of a piano competition. The

competitive aspect of music has grown
to encompass a good deal of what we
as music educators do. Students will
be able to easily relate to the pressure
that the main character feels to
succeed. It is all too easy to lose the
love of music when evaluation and
assessment receive too much attention.
Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level 9.5
Suitability- Ages 14 and up
(publishersweekly.com)

MINDBLIND BY JENNIFER ROY

Nathaniel Clark is a fourteen-year-old

boy with Aspergers Syndrome. He

enjoys solving mathematical equations
and playing in a rock band with his
friends. He uses both of his passions to
write songs to help students
understand complex math concepts.
Over the course of the book, he
becomes more comfortable in his own
skin and accepts his place as a true
genius.
Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level- 2.5
Suitability- Ages 12-adult

(jenniferroy.com)

JAZZ BY WALTER DEAN MYERS

This childrens book tells a brief

history of the jazz idiom through

a series of poems. The
illustrations are absolutely
beautiful and help the reader to
easily connect to the text. This is
a great way to introduce children
to jazz history and culture.

Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level- .5

Suitability- All ages

(publisherweekly.com)

THE FORTIES AND THE MUSIC OF

WORLD WAR II BY ELIHU ROSE
This essay explains the American

popular music scene during the 1940s. It

is interesting to read how popular songs
reflected events unfolding around the
United States during the Second World
War. Music became a way for Americans
to deal with the harsh realities around
them and face the uncertain future with a
sense of optimism. Students could use
the information in this article to compare
and contrasts music trends in the 1940s
with developments that exist today.
Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level- 14
Suitability- Ages 14 and up

CLARK TERRY, MASTER OF JAZZ TRUMPET,

DIES AT 94 BY PETER KEEPNEWS

This obituary of jazz trumpeter Clark

Terry provides interesting insight into
the life of a legend. It is important for
students to be familiar with current
events related to each of their classes
and the curriculum should be flexible to
accommodate this. This article provides
a great example of a biographical
sketch, briefly summarizing Terrys
greatest achievements and importance to
the jazz idiom. The obituary is easily
understandable and laid out in
chronological order, so it is appropriate
for a wide range of ages.

Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 11.7

Suitability- Ages 12 and up

THE CHAD EBY QUARTET: THE SWEET SHEL

SUITE (2014) BY NICHOLAS F. MONDELLO
This album review provides a brief

summary of the compositions as well

as evaluates their quality. It is a great
example of critical writing that could
be used as an example for students. In
addition, this specific album includes
jazz compositions based on the poems
of Shel Silverstein. This could lead to
projects and units dealing with the
interactions between writing and
music.
Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 12
Suitability- Ages 12 and up

LOUIS ARMSTRONG PLAYS HISTORIC COLD WAR

CONCERTS IN EAST BERLIN & BUDAPEST (1965) BY
JOSH JONES

This account of Louis Armstrongs

status as a jazz ambassador during the
Cold War makes connections between
music and cultural history. The
American government sent numerous
jazz musicians to Communist parts of
Europe and Latin America in an attempt
to promote a message of freedom and
democracy. These concepts are deeply
embedded into jazz culture. In many
countries, jazz was seen as a radical
musical movement. Louis Armstrong
was able to travel the world, spreading
his beliefs in order to make the world a
better place.

Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 10.2

Suitability- Ages 14 and up

THE MUSIC WARS BY DAVID

POGUE
This short musical parody of modern

music consumption is easily accessible

and very relevant. Pogue pokes fun at the
legal and moral discrepancies involved
with the downloading of digital media. It
is important for music students to be
informed consumers and understand how
their economic choices affect an entire
industry. Controversy surrounding music
downloading and streaming has been in
the news lately, which means that
education should be covering this current
development.
Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 3.6
Suitability-Ages 12 and up

MARIA SCHNEIDER ON HER FAN-FUNDED, GRAMMYWINNER WINTER MORNING WALKS BY JAY GABLER

This interview with Grammy Awardwinner Maria Schneider discusses the

intersection between jazz and classical
music as well as the logistics of fanfunded projects. Companies like
ArtistShare and Bandcamp are becoming
more prominent because they afford the
artist more freedom in the formatting and
sale of their work. It is also great to hear
the perspective of a working musician
who is active in the field. Students will
easily connect to this example of realworld musicianship.

Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level- 9.8

Suitability- Ages 12 and up

REFERENCES
Gabler, J. (2014, February 7). Maria Schneider on her fan-funded, Grammy-

winning

"Winter Morning Walks" Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://

www.classicalmpr.org/story/2014/02/07/maria-schneider-winter- morning-walksinterview
Gilbert, B. (1998). Broken Chords. Asheville, NC: Front Street.
Jones, J. (2014, March 4). Louis Armstrong Plays Historic Cold War Concerts in East

Berlin & Budapest (1965). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://
www.openculture.com/2014/03/louis-armstrong-plays-historic-cold-warberlin-budapest-1965.html

concerts-in-east-

Keepnews, P. (2015, February 22). Clark Terry, Master of Jazz Trumpet, Dies at 94.

Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/arts/ music/clarkterry-influential-jazztrumpeter-dies-at-94.html?_r=1

Marsalis, W., & Hinds, S. (2004). To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road.

New York, New York: Random House.

REFERENCES CONT.
Mendello, N. (2015, January 5). The Chad Eby Quartet: The Sweet Shel

Suite. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from htttp://

www.allaboutjazz.com/
the-sweet-shel-suite-the-chad-eby-quartetself-produced-review-by- nicholas-f-mondello.php
Myers, W., & Myers, C. (2006). Jazz. New York: Holiday House.
Pogue, D. (n.d.). The music wars. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from https://

www.ted.com/talks/david_pogue_on_the_music_wars?language=en\
Rose, E. (n.d.). The Forties and the Music of World War II. Retrieved

March 16, 2015, from http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/

world-war-ii/essays/forties-and-music-world-war-ii
Roy, J. (2010). Mindblind. New York: Marshall Cavendish.