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

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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.

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

“Jazz Teaching Tips for Classrooms and Ensembles” from the April 2022 issue of Teaching Music.

Find more articles on teaching jazz on the NAfME blog.

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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

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Articles in Teaching Music

NAfME members, log in here to access these past Teaching Music articles.

“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).

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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.

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Smithsonian Jazz Appreciation Month poster

Lester Young and his “Cool School” This year’s poster artwork features a portrait of jazz legend Lester Young (1909-1959). The portrait comes from LeRoy Neiman’s brilliantly colored 2005 Big Band painting depicting notable jazz musicians in performance. Nicknamed “Pres”—short for President, Lester Willis Young is among the most respected saxophonists of the 20th century. With an innovative playing style, a slick fashion sense, and his cool cat slang, Lester Young’s influence on jazz music and culture is profound.

Young was raised in a musical family, and from a young age he would perform and tour all over the United States. In 1933, Lester Young settled in Kansas City and rose to prominence playing with the Count Basie Orchestra. His relaxed, free-floating approach set him apart from other sax players at the time. By 1936, the Basie Orchestra moved to New York City to cut their teeth full time in the city’s thriving jazz scene. Young continued performing with Basie and others, sitting in on recording sessions, and joining jam sessions with a host of Harlem’s best jazz musicians including Billie Holiday. Young’s musicianship continues to inspire generations of saxophonists who experiment with the “cool school” sound of jazz.

You can find the poster in your print copy of the April 2025 Teaching Music or download it here (available in English and Spanish).