Abstract

The Series of Webinars for Professional Development in the Arts aims to provide opportunities for college students, professors, practitioners and researchers to participate in webinars with internationally recognized leaders and experts in music and arts education. This program has strengthened international collaboration among educational and research institutions in Argentina, Canada, Cyprus, Brazil, England, Mexico and the United States. Initiated in February 2010 at the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, the Seventh Series is also simultaneously transmitted at the University of Cambridge, Ball State University, Benedictine University, Simon Fraser Unviersity, University of London, Universidad Veracruzana, Gettysburg College, Conservatorio de Música de Chihuahua, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte, University of Cyprus, SEEECH , and IIIECH . You are cordially invited to participate in this collaborative effort to bring the latest advances in music and arts education research, and their implications for practice in the arts.

Jazz is an American music that was developed out of many European and West African influences. This will be an introduction to the roots of jazz improvisation with interactive activities for joining along and learning to improvise. My approach will begin with feeling jazz swing, then call and response, scat singing and finally resources for continuing your exploration of learning to improvise and how to teach improvisation. My approach is appropriate for all beginners including children age ten and older.

Bio

Kimberly McCord is Professor of Music Education at Illinois State University. Her books include Chop Monster, Jr. a jazz language tutor (improvisation) for elementary general music and Together We Can Improvise for elementary music and creative drama. She has held leadership positions with the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), National Association for Music Education (MENC), Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA), Connecticut Music Educators Association and the International Society for Music Education (ISME). McCord has worked on jazz projects for the Smithsonian Institute, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She co-directs an after school jazz Orff group for students in grades 4-8 at the ISU Metcalf Lab School.