Kirkwood Program Brings Jazz to School
School House Jazz is a music enhancement program designed by the Kirkwood Community College radio station, as a way to tap into student’s energy and curiosity. The program also helps students to develop an appreciation of jazz as fun music to listen to and an important part of our American heritage, according to coordinators at KCCK radio. Several District schools have tied the program to their music curriculum.
“A key component of KCCK's mission is to advance the appreciation of jazz as art that is both enriching and fun,” explained Dennis Green, General Manager. “That’s why we developed Schoolhouse Jazz. It’s a great way to bring jazz directly into the classroom, providing a unique educational program to students of all ages and developmental levels, at little or no cost to the recipients.”
This project introduces elementary and middle school students to jazz music and how it has influenced American culture. Through live performance, narration and interaction with local musicians, this project demonstrates how jazz developed through social, economic and political changes in our country's history. The immediate and long-term result is a new understanding and appreciation of jazz, and preservation of this art by creating an audience for its future. The project also gives students a better understanding of the wide variety of music available to them as they begin to make choices about style.