Jazz Storytime: Engaging Early Learners in the Community

Music has long been recognized as a powerful tool for enhancing cognitive development and language acquisition in children as its rhythms and melodies stimulate and support learning. 

Combining music and literacy for early learners, Seattle JazzED's Jazz Storytime program can help children build essential skills in an enjoyable way. It’s a unique learning experience where the youngest learners not only listen to stories but actively engage with them through meters and melody.  

Igniting a Love of Learning Through Music and Literacy 

Jazz Storytime is a dynamic blend of storytelling, live music, and rhythmic engagement, with an emphasis on reading skills that are offered to schools and community partners.  

Over the course of four weeks, a jazz singer and accompanist perform classic stories like “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” which aids in letter recognition and “Jazz Baby” which supports rhythmic patterns and memory. Lasting approximately 30 minutes, every session is engaging and educational.  

Interactive and Multisensory Learning 

A remarkable aspect of Jazz Storytime is the level of participation it inspires in young learners. From clapping along to playing along with drums and maracas, every child becomes an active participant in their learning journey.  

“Storytime has a great impact on the kids. It exposes them to music [and reading] in a way that they can be involved at an early age.” - Audrey Stangland, Jazz Storytime Lead 

This multisensory approach keeps children engaged and caters to different learning styles. Kinesthetic learners benefit from physical movement, auditory learners engage with the music, and visual learners value the illustrated storybooks. The excitement in participating creates a positive association with music and learning.  

Building a Community  

At the heart of Jazz Storytime are the dedicated teachers who engage with the children every week. Their commitment and consistency create a warm, supportive learning environment that builds a sense of community. 

“The kids get to know us every week we come back. Today, the kids asked to play along. They usually sit and watch, but today they wanted to get in on it.” – Demarcus Baymore, Jazz Storytime Accompanist  

And the sense of familiarity helps children feel more confident.  

“There are always a couple of kids who don’t want to participate but, in the end, they always end up liking it. I’ve seen kids come out of their shells and be less shy. The kids are more comfortable talking and participating as a group.” – Audrey Stangland  

This shared experience enriches the educational journey for everyone involved. 

Are you an organization interested in Jazz Storytime? Contact michael@seattlejazzed.org to learn more about partnering with us and getting Jazz Storytime to your community!  

Source: Musical training can improve attention and working memory in children – study (frontiersin.org)

The Value of Collaborative Teaching on Music and the Student Experience

This article is written by Seattle JazzED’s Curriculum Manager and Lead Teacher, BJ Montoya.

BJ Montoya and a student with a violin during Meet your instrument day. Photo by Jocelyn RC.

BJ’s musical journey started as a student of Suzuki Violin Method for over 13 years at the University of Louisville School of Music Prep School. He also performed with the Louisville Youth Orchestra and other small local ensembles. Since arriving in Seattle in 2001, he has been performing in a range of venues from sanctuaries to coffee shops to night clubs. He has been featured in local indie bands, gospel choirs, theater productions and his longstanding Irish party band, Whiskey Mary. His teaching builds from these experiences emphasizing social playing and creative expression through the many dialects that music has to offer whether fiddle, classical or jazz.

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Why Collaborative Teaching?

Becoming a music educator can often feel like an isolating proposition. Standing as a singular voice leading a classroom could be both empowering and lonely at the same time. Your voice carries authority, imparting lasting knowledge and modeling techniques that students will absorb and implement in their practice routines. However, from a student’s perspective, learning from a singular authority may provide a limited point of view.  

Most programs at JazzED take a team-teaching approach, which helps to decentralize the traditional hierarchy. It models for students what partnership and collaboration can look like. Students also find that there may be multiple “right ways” to approach a tune or technique, which eases the learning curve. Much like collaborating musically, teachers often exchange ideas, enriching the value of lessons for students more than a single voice could. It’s not unlike the jazz tradition wherein each solo is passed from musician to musician adding their own personality and perspective over a common structure of a tune. 

As a string educator who has worked as an independent studio teacher, I found it challenging to search and assemble teaching resources that aligned with my values centering creative and social music-making. Since joining the JazzED teaching staff, I’ve developed camaraderie with fellow teachers, exchanging ideas with a roster of highly skilled teaching artists.  

Advancing a Creative and Inclusive String Pedagogy 

Along with my experience teaching at JazzED, connecting to a network of like-minded string teachers precisely has helped me become a well-rounded modern string teacher. The Association of String Teachers of America (ASTA) and community of creative string players have been a growing resource for my professional development over the years. Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the ASTA National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky for the first time. 

Traditionally, ASTA and string pedagogy has centered around school orchestral and ensemble programs. That typically meant teaching within the confines of western European classical traditions.  In my growing involvement in the string teaching field and attendance at the ASTA conference, topics of creative and social music making (think jazz, fiddle and modern styles) are starting to enter the conversation. More educators are starting to incorporate ideas like improvisation and blues into their classrooms. And more creative string players (like yours truly) are coming into the fold of teaching, bringing their experience into studios and classrooms.  

Some examples of how creative, inclusive music was presented at ASTA: 

• Christen Blanton demonstrated how she uses pop songs and fiddle tunes to implement ear training and harmony explorations in her middle school orchestra. 

• Nightly Jams led by Berklee College of Music’s Mimi Rabson taught funk and jazz tunes to a room of hundreds of teachers.  

• Christian Howes used self-composed loops to lead large group exercises that inspired improvisation and new creative ways to play and teach. 

• The dynamic trio, Union Biribá, featuring cellist Mike Block and beatboxer Christyles Bacon, was a featured performer sharing original music inspired by global grooves. 

• A presentation by JazzED’s own Kelly Clingan and Beth Fortune told the story of how they fostered liberated and creative musicians in their middle school fiddle program and the bravery it took to break the mold of what a jazz ensemble could look like.  

• I had the honor of co-leading a new participatory session that invited new string teachers to explore eclectic styles of string playing during Mini-Jams. I was charged with teaching jazz and blues standards along with fellow multi-style violinist, Duane Padilla. Other mini-jams shared tunes from the Celtic, American Fiddle traditions as well as rock and pop styles.  

Many of the principles presented as “eclectic styles” presentations would be familiar to our JazzED educators, such as teaching/learning by ear, emphasizing blues harmony, and encouraging opportunities for creative improvisation.

String teachers leaning into new territories like jazz, fiddle, and non-classical styles are beginning to discover what we’ve know at JazzED about educating creative and collaborative, life-long music makers – that it has the power to liberate and inspire! 

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If you are a teacher (or know a teacher) looking to incorporate jazz into the classroom, consider joining an upcoming music educator professional development hosted by Seattle JazzED’s Kelly Clingan and Beth Fortune. Learn more and register here.

A Soundtrack for Success and a Farewell

On April 4, 2024, Seattle JazzED hosted their annual Soundtrack for the Future Gala, transforming the Amazon Meeting Center into a vibrant celebration of music and community. This annual event benefits JazzED’s work to foster lifelong music-makers through accessible, exceptional jazz education.  

Thanks to donors within our community who contributed to a matching fund, along with the generosity of those who donated during the gala, we reached approximately $350,063 in contributions. The community’s support is essential to JazzED’s ability to reach as many students as possible through our programs and partnerships.  

Amidst conversations and jazz tunes from Seattle JazzED-ucators, guests dined on southern cuisine prepared by Old Ballard Catering Company and desserts by Li Liath Bakery.  

Guiding the evening with charm and wit, our emcee, Riley Mulherkar, set the stage for a memorable night. The program kicked off with a feature and performance of “Change is Gonna Come” by members from the Girls Ellington Project, accompanied by a backing band filled with community artists including Wayne Horvitz, Ayesha Brooks, D’vonne Lewis, Owuor Arunga, Kate Olson, Haley Freedlund, Jeremy Lightfoot, and Daren Loucas.

Following the performance, Shirish Mulherkar, Seattle JazzED’s co-founder, took the mic to honor Laurie de Koch, Seattle JazzED’s co-founder and exiting executive director for the last 15 years and welcomed her on stage.  

After a standing ovation, Laurie shared a few words about her gratitude to our donors, board, families, students, and staff.  

“Transitions can be hard. But transitions are really the substance of Seattle JazzED…Our capacity to manage transitions is really what makes JazzED successful. Under the direction of Nicole Harvey as our interim executive director, I know that JazzED will continue to do the beautiful work that JazzED does.  

And most of all, I want to thank 15 years’ worth of JazzED students for teaching me the most valuable lesson: Brave, not perfect. I’m going to carry it with me in my next transition and I hope you carry that with you all as well.” 

With Laurie’s announcement of stepping away from the organization, the room brimmed with gratitude for her unwavering dedication to music education.   

The night of celebration continued with a performance of “Three Little Birds” by Beacon Hill International Schools ‘ukulele class. And in true community fashion, musical magic continued when every person in the room picked up a kazoo, joining in a full-group musical moment led by Riley. Together, they performed a spirited rendition of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” culminating in an evening filled with music, dance, and joy!  

For a glimpse into the festivities, click below to see photos of the 2024 Soundtrack for the Future, documented by Emazing Photography.