RESOURCES
Jazz Appreciation Month
Curated Resources from the NAfME Council for Jazz Education
To commemorate Jazz Appreciation Month, NAfME’s Council for Jazz Education presents a compendium of recent jazz education-related resources available through NAfME. Note that many of these resources require association membership to access. For more information on becoming a member, please visit this page.
Jump to Section:
- NAfME Resource Library
- Courses in the NAfME Academy
- Articles in Teaching Music
- Articles in NAfME Journals
- Smithsonian Jazz Appreciation Month poster
NAfME Resource Library
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series
Join NAfME’s Council for Jazz Education Chair Bethany Robinson as she interviews prominent jazz educators from around the country in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month 2024. If you would like to obtain a course completion certificate for professional development hours, please view this resource in the NAfME Academy, which is a benefit of membership to NAfME.
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series: Roosevelt Griffin
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series: Lisa Linde
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series: Jeremy Lumpkin
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series: Sammy Miller
Courses in the NAfME Academy®
Access to these courses requires that NAfME members confirm a free subscription to the NAfME Academy®, a password-protected area within the NAfME Learning Center.
Building Your Jazz Program at Any Level
Presenters: Dr. Roosevelt Griffin III, Vandercook College of Music/Griffin Institute of Performing Arts; Bethany Robinson, Noblesville Schools, Indiana; Dr. Lenora Z Helm Hammonds, North Carolina Central University
From Beginnin’ to Swingin’: Tips and Tricks for Teaching Rhythm Sections at All Levels
Presenters: Bethany Robinson, Pete Sampson, Roosevelt Griffin
Improv 101 and Beyond: Blues, Bebop, and Vocal Improv Ideas for Your Music Classroom
Presenters: Lenora Helm Hammonds, William Leather, Lisa Linde, Bethany Robinson
Jazz Programming at Every Level
Moderator: Bethany Robinson, Chair, NAfME Council for Jazz Education; Presenters: Dr. Joseph L. Jefferson and Lisa Linde
2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series
Featuring: Bethany Robinson, Roosevelt Griffin, Lisa Linde, Jeremy Lumpkin, Sammy Miller
Jazz Literature with Inclusion and Diversity in Mind: Programming from Novice to Advanced
Presenters: Bethany Robinson, Peter Sampson, William Leather
Energize and Expand Participation in Your Jazz Program
Presenters: Lenora Helm Hammonds and Bethany Robinson
Techniques and Tips for Elevating Jazz Education at Your School
Presenters: Bethany Robinson, Pete Sampson, Lisa Linde, Dee Spencer
NAfME Council for Jazz Education and Jazz Education Network Crossover Event: Serving Educators of All Levels
Presenters: Bethany Robinson, Lonnie Davis, Lenora Z Helm Hammonds, Jesse Nolan
Articles in Teaching Music
NAfME members, log in here to access these past Teaching Music articles.
“Unlocking the Mystery and Beauty of the Art of Jazz: An Interview with Marcus Roberts” by Teaching Music Advisory Committee member Larry Blocher (April 2026 Teaching Music magazine).
“Celebrating Jazz in the Classroom” (January 2026 Teaching Music magazine).
“Redefining Jazz: Makaya McCraven” by Rachel Maxwell. April 2025 (Vol. 32, No. 4).
“Getting Over the Fear of Jazz Improvisation” by Tina Beveridge. April 2025 (Vol. 32, No. 4).
“Jazz It Up: Creative Approaches to Teaching Jazz in Elementary Music” by Kim Bruguier. January 2025 (Vol. 32, No. 3).
“Swing into Action: Preparing Any Classroom for Jazz Appreciation Month” by Lisa Linde and Bethany Robinson. January 2024 (Vol. 31, No. 3).
“15 Ways to Teach Improvisation in a Large Group Setting” by Lisa Linde. January 2023 (Vol. 30, No. 3).
“Understanding Roles in a Jazz Ensemble Rhythm Section” by Peter Sampson. January 2023 (Vol. 30, No. 3).
“What’s your favorite jazz teaching tip for the classroom or ensemble?” (April 2022 Teaching Music magazine)
“10 Ways to Elevate Your Jazz Rehearsal” by Bethany Robinson. January 2022 (Vol. 29, No. 3).
“Master Your Programming for a Developing Jazz Ensemble” by Peter Sampson. January 2022 (Vol. 29, No. 3).
From the blog: “The Musical Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong,” an interview with children’s book author Rekha S. Rajan by Amy Bradley.
Find more articles on teaching jazz on the NAfME blog.
Articles in NAfME Journals
Battiste, L. W. (2024). Black music aesthetics in general music Part 1: Exploring Black musics. Journal of General Music Education, 38(1), 7–13.
Coles, D. X., & Hu, E. (2025). Ecological model of student artistic development in jazz education: Career implications. Music Educators Journal, 111(3) 37-43.
Gittelman, A. (2024). Discovering the neural processes of jazz improvisation: A research to resource article. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. Advance online publication.
Lanier, M. A. (2023). Experiences of musical improvisation: Self-individuation and participatory sense-making. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 41(3), 68–77.
Marino, S. E., & Chinn, C. A. (2023). Jazz improvisation pedagogy: Evaluating the effectiveness of a beginning jazz improvisation learning environment for middle school instrumentalists. Journal of Research in Music Education, 71(3), 322–342.
Wellmann, M., & Skillicorn, A. T. (2024). Research-to-resource: Introducing retrieval practice in jazz pedagogy. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 42(2), 5–13.
Smithsonian Jazz Appreciation Month poster
This year marks the 100th birthday of jazz icon Tony Bennett, one of the most enduring and beloved vocalists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Renowned for his smooth voice, impeccable pitch, and masterful phrasing, Bennett elevated the art of popular singing to a form of jazz expression. His commitment to the “classics” and the Great American Songbook shaped both his career and the broader landscape of American music.
You can find the poster in your print copy of the April 2026 Teaching Music or download it here (available in English and Spanish).
Explore More
