Summer Institute teaches jazz as American culture

If you go to Jazz at the Bistro next month to hear Greg Osby, Red Holloway or Russell Malone, some of your fellow audience members may be there for more than just the music.

That's because checking out live performances at the Bistro is part of the curriculum for the 30 high school teachers who will be attending "Teaching Jazz As American Culture," the Summer Institute held July 2-27 by the Center for the Humanities at Washington University (with an assist from Jazz St. Louis). The teachers, who come from academic disciplines including English, history, social studies, art and music, will learn about jazz and how it can inspire new approaches to their own fields.

According to the news release from the University, the primary goal of the institute is to "show how, through the study of the social, cultural, technical and aesthetic history of a major American musical genre — jazz — they can rethink aspects of teaching history, literature, music, art and film while broadening students' understanding of the political, social and commercial impact that an artistic movement can have. Participants will develop lesson plans for their subject area using aspects of jazz."

The Institute is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with Gerald L. Early, Ph.D., Washington University's Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, serving as director. Early, who is a professor of English, of African & African American Studies and of American Culture Studies, has written extensively on jazz. He served as a consultant for Ken Burns' documentary series Jazz and contributed an essay to the companion book.