JAZZ
The show-featuring sleek footage of interviews and performances with jazz greats-would be perfect for their classrooms, they thought. Host Ramsey Lewis' conversations would draw in the older students, they told the show's producers, while the younger kids would respond to the music and bright visuals.
LRS Media-the group that produces the show-decided to take its educational potential and run with it. In partnership with the IAJE, LRS has introduced free online study guides to accompany each of the first season's episodes, which are now available on DVD. Written by then-lAJE Director of Education Greg Carroll, each guide features background on the players and styles relating to that show's theme (such as "The Piano Masters") and suggested student activities and projects.
"Putting the guides together, we asked ourselves. 'How do we make it comprehensive so that a teacher can glean from it not only the information from the show, but also that external information that is outside of what they learn at the show?'" Carroll said.
Designed for 6th-12th grade students, the guides represent a push to integrate jazz education with web and television based resources. Dennis Winslett, an education specialist at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City. Mo., used the guides and DVDs at a summer arts camp for middle and high school students. "They fit in with this camp because we wanted some modern-day footage that we could show the kids and have artists talking without having to pay the artists to be there." he said.
"We've come up with a comprehensive, easy guide to allow young people-or anybody-to partake in what this knowledge is all about." Lewis said.
As for the television show itself, taping for season two will take place this fall, with the broadcast to follow on PBS in the spring.
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