MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN I am so pleased and honored to bring greetings to the 13th national conference of the Jazz Education Association from the University of North Texas College of Music. Jazz enjoys such a special place in the history and reputation of our institution, never more so than this year as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Jazz Studies at UNT. You will find our faculty, staff, and students fully engaged throughout this conference in concerts, workshops, exhibits, and other presentations. With your permission, let me be more specific. This year…
UNT JAZZ reputation for excellence. The Two O’Clock Lab band directed by Jim Riggs, the UNT Jazz Singers directed by Paris Rutherford, the small group program and the Zebras ensemble directed by Dan Haerle, and the guitar ensembles coached by Fred Hamilton had established traditions of their own. The addition of a master’s degree improved our ability to graduate well-prepared educators.
Studies and to bring more of our students’ work in core music classes into the jazz idiom. The student-led Jazz and Gender Equity Initiative embodies our dedication to diversity and inclusion.
Through all of these changes in leadership, faculty, and curriculum, one element has remained constant: our focus on students and their musical and professional growth. Our alumni Under the leadership of John Murphy from community extends to every corner of the 2008 to 2019 and Rob Parton since then, music profession. Alumni help our recent the program has maintained its standards graduates establish themselves in new of excellence while adapting to a changing cities; they support the program as donors; music profession. The faculty have worked and by their varied demonstrations of steadily to revise the curriculum. Our musical excellence they show our students doctoral degree has produced successful that there is no limit to what they can college educators. We’ve added options in achieve with a degree from UNT. jazz strings and commercial music. Most recently, the curriculum has been revised JOHN MURPHY, Professor Emeritus to include a certificate in African American
• The UNT College of Music is a Presenting Sponsor of the JEN Conference; • The One O’Clock Lab Band® and Jazz Singers, with guest artist Ignacio Berroa, perform on the Scholarship Concert Saturday evening; • Other UNT ensembles on the conference program include the Latin Jazz Ensemble, the Two O’Clock Lab Band, and two additional vocal jazz ensembles; • We host a College of Music alumni reunion on Friday at 5:00 PM; • The Two O’Clock Lab Band performs new music from rising-star composers in the Young Composer Showcase; • The rhythm sections for the One O’Clock, Two O’Clock, and Jazz Singers perform at the JAM sessions each evening; • UNT Jazz faculty are serving directors, presenters, presiders, and/or performers at conference clinics, sessions, and performances. We are ALL IN for this year’s JEN program and honored to be a part of this glorious celebration of America’s art form. Truly honored. Please accept my heartfelt best wishes for a marvelous week. My wife, Jill, and I are here for the entire conference, so please drop by our UNT booth on the Exhibit floor to say hello. We look forward to an historic conference on international consequence. Sincerely,
JOHN W. RICHMOND, PH.D.
Professor and Dean of the UNT College of Music UNT College of Music
3
