Published March 14, 2025

Why Teach Jazz?

by Vern Scarbrough (Guest Writer)

Lately, I’ve been pondering, why teach jazz? Is it in part because one needs a job to pay the bills? Perhaps teaching jazz was an additional requirement from a school administrator. Maybe, you chose to teach jazz for personal fulfillment. Of course, it might be as simple as it’s SO DANG fun!

One of my earliest childhood memories involves my father’s Miles Davis’ Quiet Nights album playing on our console Hi-Fi Stereo following dinner time. Davis’ muted trumpet on Summer Night, with that intense buzzing sound, was magical and mesmerizing. There was a coolness to Davis’ music that I didn’t fully understand at the time. All I know is the music sounded fun and enjoyable. Fast forward many years and lo and behold, my adult years would be very involved in jazz, and teaching jazz.   

As for my own experiences teaching jazz, I love giving encouragement and positive feedback to students. Imagine you are a student about to solo, on stage with hundreds of people watching and preparing to judge your performance, and it’s your turn to take a solo! Nerves and fear are slowly tasking hold, your mouth feels like cotton, hands shaking so much so you can barely hold the instrument, barely stand. Yet, you adjust the microphone, breathe in deeply, and with one last look at your director who confidently nods and smiles. You close your eyes and begin to play. Propelling your musical ideas through your instrument. Creating your story, on the spot, in real-time. Wow! I am in awe of my students who find the strength and courage to place themselves out there, taking risks, all to create music that is unique, honest, and true to their identity. 

 

The communities of northern Nevada are fortunate to have so many talented musicians performing in so many groups. From the heydays of the casino showbands performing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Lena Horn to today’s performances on the shore of Lake Tahoe at Sand Harbor with Kurt Elling, Tom Scott, Tierney Sutton and Diane “Deedles” Schure; the Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) has been at the forefront of jazz performance and jazz education since its founding in 1997.

The Reno Jazz Orchestra has four educational components that focus on jazz education. The Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra I and II are for big band performances. The Mentor Program matches current members of the RJO and students from the UNR Jazz Program with local schools to assist directors and their jazz band programs. The Private Lesson Program sends private lesson instructors to Title 1 schools and the Discover Jazz Workshop focuses on jazz improvisation.

The success of the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s education programs is due to the caliber and commitment to excellence from our educators. Nichole Heglund, the Music Director of The Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra has taught and inspired students in jazz ensembles, bands and choirs at Swope MS, Wooster HS, and Billinghurst MS. Nichole says she enjoys teaching jazz as “jazz can connect with the audience because so much of it is rooted in dance. Jazz helps us cover the important traditions of creating and responding to the music. I find it very encouraging to observe a student improvising and recognizing their proficiency in it. Often, students who may not excel at reading music can display strong aural skills through improvisation. It’s a joy to witness and hear musicians improving over time.”

Dr. Greg Johnson is the Music Director of the Reno Jazz Orchestra, a jazz saxophonist, and an Assistant Professor of Music at California State University Sacramento where he teaches Applied Music - Saxophone (jazz), Jazz Ensembles, Jazz Arranging, and Jazz Improvisation. Why does Greg teach jazz?  He believes that “education is one of the most important things in the world and should be amongst our culture’s top priorities. Directing jazz ensembles empowers people to work together to create something with clear intention and meaning. There is a bond amongst band members that I rarely see in other industries, and I am very motivated to create these relationships that will hopefully rub off on the rest of the world.”

Greg loves to provide feedback to students that revolves around a creative process combined with a strong work ethic. In Greg’s words: “It is inspiring for me to see students embrace concepts when they play and write music, and to hear from them that they feel that they've grown or expressed themselves in some way. It inspires me to recommit to that same process, walking the walk and talking the talk. In this case, consistently composing and arranging music and playing at a high artistic level.”  

Greg states, “working in the jazz field for so long has given me the skills and courage to venture out into other areas of art and life. Comedy, education, pop music, etc. I'm constantly using skills that I've acquired from spending hours in the practice rooms, on gigs and with a pencil in my hands. Jazz has helped me deeply listen to something, a skill that has helped my relationships in life. Jazz has helped me be persistent, a mindset that has helped my career. Jazz has helped me interact and communicate well with other people, which helps me be a valuable team player. It’s that love of jazz that I bring to the classroom, rehearsal space, and performances.”

Dr. Andy Heglund, Associate Professor of Percussion at the University of Nevada, Reno, is one of the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s most requested mentors and clinician. Dr. Heglund finds his life-long passion for jazz and teaching jazz to be very rewarding. Andy finds jazz music to be unique in that the individual player's personality, sound, and playing style are key components to making the music sincere and engaging. When you play Beethoven, there is a certain way that it must be done. When you play jazz, there are multiple ways that it can be done. When young players listen and engage with the music and find jazz approaches that resonate with them, they learn about themselves both as musicians and as humans. Piano players like Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, and Oscar Peterson all represent very different personalities and approaches to jazz music. Jazz in its pure form is honest music. Many life lessons can be learned by studying and playing jazz, such as the value of disciplined consistent work, the thrill of a successful performance, dealing with personal setbacks, and honest and open communication. Andy particularly enjoys the process of learning how to play percussion from the kinesthetic side. I like to focus on physicality of the motions and connecting with what the body is doing. It is especially great when I see my students become inspired and excel because of my work with them. Seeing students experiencing the “joy of playing” is what’s it’s all about.

Dr. David Brennan, a woodwind specialist and a recent addition to the Reno Jazz Orchestra, is committed to assisting others in the same way his mentors supported him. He enjoys sharing his knowledge from life experiences, which drives him to challenge others to be a better version of themselves. David is currently the Mentor Program Director for the Reno Jazz Orchestra, and his philosophy is that “jazz is a bold and beautiful branch of the cultural text that is music. It is something to be revered, never taken lightly. It requires us all to respect the great lineage of its history as well as the notes on the page - to uphold our end of the musical bargain and come together with like-minded souls who are committed to creating moments that are both intellectually stimulating and awe-inspiring.”  

Saturday, May 10, 2025 – Sinatra Sings, Basie Swings – Featuring Matt Mauser
Visit the RJO website www.renojazzorchestra.org to purchase tickets and learn more about Matt Mauser.

Matt Mauser promotional Reel
https://youtu.be/y83lAXI7Frw?si=OtLGTqROb_nFcV3j

For more info on Dr. Andrew Heglund, visit 
https://www.unr.edu/music/people/andrew-heglund

For more info on Dr. David Brennan, visit
https://davebrennanmusic.com/

Vern Scarbrough is the Executive Director for the Reno Jazz Orchestra, a retired Music Educator, and co-founder of the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra (RYJO)

Jazz in the Schools 2025 – You Can’t Beat This! by Chuck Reider — january 31, 2025

A Very Soulful Christmas: The Quintessence Music Series Kickoff by Chuck Reider — December 20, 2024

Timeless Reimagined Standards by Chuck Reider — November 8, 2024

What’s New for Fall by Chuck Reider — September 27, 2024

Camille Thurman – Breaking the glass ceiling by Chuck Reider — August 23, 2024

Fuego – A Night of Salsa and Latin Jazz by Chuck Reider — July 19, 2024

My Fifty-Year Love Affair with Latin Music by Chuck Reider — June 14, 2024

Reno Jazz Orchestra Welcomes Dr. Greg Johnson by Chuck Reider — May 10, 2024

Reno Jazz Festival – 62 Years of Great Jazz by Chuck Reider — April 5, 2024

The Reno Jazz Orchestra’s Conductor Search Finale by Chuck Reider — March 1, 2024

A Year full of Joy by Chuck Reider — December 22, 2023

Such Sweet Tribute by Chuck Reider — November 10, 2023

Meet the Musicians of the RJO by Chuck Reider — August 25, 2023

Hot House A Night at the Savoy by Chuck Reider — July 21, 2023

Two Great Reno Events by Chuck Reider — May 12, 2023

The Reno Jazz Orchestra – Presents! by Chuck Reider — April 7, 2023

Welcome Tim Young, the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s new Executive Director by Chuck Reider — March 3, 2023

Jazz in the Schools 2023: Fostering a Love of Jazz by Chuck Reider — January 27, 2023

Creative Direction in Jazz by Chuck Reider — October 14, 2022

Meet Reno Jazz Orchestra co-founder Tony Savage  by Chuck Reider — September 16, 2022

What is jazz orchestra? by Chuck Reider — August 19, 2022

Hotter Than July by Chuck Reider — July 25, 2022

Meet John Bennum, the Reno Jazz Orchestra's new Executive Director by Chuck Reider — June 24, 2022

Making Music in the New Millennium by Chuck Reider — April 29, 2022

Beating the Blues: Reno Jazz Festival is Back by Chuck Reider — April 1, 2022