Thanks for keeping this conversation going.  I strongly agree with Garrett that it’s up to us white folx to help dismantle white supremacy, which to my mind makes the topic of whiteness all the more crucial in the very-white SMT, particularly sub-disciplines that focus on black music.

If we do decide to invite BIPOC from outside our discipline…[Read more]

Hey Keith,

This makes sense to me. In fact, I was taught to think about the altered scale as half diminished and half whole tone (and thinking about it, Lydian-Dominant would switch the two so it is half whole tone and then half diminished). As for rep, I don’t know how much collection switching you would find, but Kenton’s “City of Glass,” uses…[Read more]

A nice idea, Garrett

I’ll spin my wheels on some readings—perhaps some that aren’t specifically within the realm of jazz theory.

To clarify, my original suggestion admittedly open-ended, and inviting more specific ideas) was really more about the African-American experience of players/composers, rather than from the perspective of jazz theory o…[Read more]

Thanks for your comments, Keith and Marc. I think that they work well together, and perhaps could even be combined with my more modest suggestion of a socialization time. Part of our meeting could be devoted to saying hello and part to the workshop that Marc and Keith suggest. What do you all think?

And to Keith’s question about whether or not it…[Read more]

In a short form answer, by administering some realistic thought behind what does it mean to be modern. I have deliberated about what does being a ‘modern’ composer mean. A small consensus I have come to is that now that all of our musical options are available, the way forward is not directly linked to a particular genre, rather cross-pollination…[Read more]

I’m glad that we’re beginning this discussion and like both suggestions.

I’d like to suggest that we have a session on the critical race concept of “whiteness” and its historical/continuing role jazz studies and jazz theory.  I think it might be a good time to turn the mirror inwards into our sub-discipline.  I’m open to other ideas for our m…[Read more]

Interesting idea, Garrett. Yes, I’m also doubtful that we’ll meet as a society in person this fall. (That’s really too bad, too, as I have some dear friends in St. Paul.)

I have another suggestion, fwiw. It’s not a very specific one, but more of a category within which we could hone something more specific: In the midst of current events and…[Read more]

For jazz analysis, I would think that it would be most appropriate to give them a sound recording rather than a published transcription or composition.
Ben Givan