TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Jazz Repertory Band

In 2018 I founded, recruited for, and directed the Jazz Repertory Band at Texas State University. This became the fourth big band in the program, with my vision as an outlet for music education students to gain hands-on jazz experience brought to life. Below are links to performances and rehearsals (links to Facebook Live archived videos, start at time stamps indicated). The band is comprised of mostly music education majors, a few music recording majors, a couple of jazz majors, and a smattering of non-music majors. We rehearsed twice a week for 1:20min each day, and put on two concerts per semester.

Performances
March 10, 2020(5:00)
November 25, 2019 (18:00)
April 24, 2019 (3:40)
November 26, 2018 (3:30)
October 10, 2018 (4:45)

Rehearsal Videos

Jazz History 

The Jazz History course at Texas State University is required for all jazz majors, but is open to the entire student body. So, describing things in ways that are understandable by non-musicians while keeping it interesting for jazz musicians is a challenge. In the lecture below the class and I are learning basic forms used in jazz. In the segment below, having already discussed 32-bar song form, we work on the 12-bar blues. The drummer I point out to the jazz majors is our drum professor, Butch Miles. Note that for copyright purposes, YouTube has deleted some audio.

​Jazz Pedagogy

This course is designed to help music education students learn the basics of running a high school or middle school jazz program.  In the video below I share tips on teaching drum set to beginning students.  Most of these students are wind or string players and have never had to sit behind a set.  In an effort to encourage demonstration skills, I have each student try the basics in front of their peers.

University of Texas at Austin Jazz Ensemble

Below are videos of rehearsals and performances with the University of Texas Jazz Ensemble, which I directed from 2014-15.