UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Our subcultural ...52"" 2.&Legitimizing&the&learning&process& Until"the"1960s,"jazz"musicians"generally"learned"to"play"jazz"by"ear,"listening"to"and"

UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (http://dare.uva.nl)

UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)

"Our subcultural shit-music": Dutch jazz, representation, and cultural politics

Rusch, L.

Link to publication

Citation for published version (APA):Rusch, L. (2016). "Our subcultural shit-music": Dutch jazz, representation, and cultural politics.

General rightsIt is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s),other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).

Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, statingyour reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Askthe Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam,The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.

Download date: 23 Sep 2020

https://dare.uva.nl/personal/pure/en/publications/our-subcultural-shitmusic-dutch-jazz-representation-and-cultural-politics(c8ecac97-ad3e-4e7d-9e0b-b84cd300c31d).html

"52"

2.&Legitimizing&the&learning&process&

Until"the"1960s,"jazz"musicians"generally"learned"to"play"jazz"by"ear,"listening"to"and"

playing"along"with"American"recordings."Musicians"organized"private"rehearsals,"jam"

sessions,"and"presented"themselves"at"jazz"competitions."While"the"Amsterdam"

Sheherazade"during"the"1960s"was"an"important"venue"for"jam"sessions"and"to"meet"

musicians"on"an"informal"basis,"the"Loosdrecht"Jazz"Festival"and"the"Loosdrecht"Jazz"

Competition"during"this"period"became"the"main"venue"for"musicians"to"present"

themselves"to"a"broader"public.129"Most"jazz"musicians"learned"to"play"in"school"bands,"

often"on"instruments"that"they"had"borrowed"from"the"local"brass"bands."130"During"the"

1960s,"the"system"of"jazz"education"in"the"Netherlands"developed"rapidly,"resulting"in"

the"organization"of"workshops"and"formal"jazz"programs"throughout"the"country."Who"

were"the"main"educators,"what"were"their"socioHcultural"views"and"how"did"these"

inform"the"subsequent"organization"of"jazz"education"in"the"Netherlands?"How"did"the"

richtingenstrijdHnarrative"and"other"debates"shape"the"further"development"of"jazz"

education"in"the"Netherlands?"This"chapter"tries"to"answer"these"questions"by"

examining"some"of"the"main"educational"platforms"for"jazz"from"the"1960s"onwards:"

jam"sessions,"school"concerts,"workshops"and"formal"education"in"conservatories."

Educating&the&professional&jazz&musician&

The"earliest"forms"of"organized"instrumental"jazz"education"in"the"Netherlands"

apparently"took"place"in"the"1930s."While"daily"papers"during"the"1920s"initially"

advertised"jazz"courses"and"private"classes"in"jazz"dance,"jazz"courses"from"the"early"

1930s"increasingly"aimed"at"teaching"jazz"as"a"music."In"its"September"1932"issue,"Dutch"

jazz"magazine"De-Jazzwereld"announced"a"“JazzHKlasse,”"a"weekly"jazz"course"held"at"the"

conservatory"of"The"Hague"at"the"cost"of"five"guilders"per"month."The"course—given"

that"it"actually"took"place—was"initiated"by"Eddy"Noordijk,"an"arranger"for"the"

orchestras"of"the"AVRO"and"VARA"broadcasting"associations."It"specifically"aimed"at"

professional"and"semiHprofessional"jazz"musicians"on"a"variety"of"instruments"(piano,"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

129"See,"for"example,"Eva"Bouman,"Workshops:-Opkomst-en-ontwikkeling"(Zeist:"Stichting"Trezoor,"1978)."

130"Knulst,"Jazz-anno-1970,"15."In"a"1970"survey"by"Wim"Knulst"among"jazz"musicians"41"percent"of"the"

musicians"had"taken"private"jazz"lessons"from"more"advanced"jazz"musicians"and"16"percent"had"studied"

at"a"conservatory,"while"14"percent"went"to"a"music"school."

"53"

accordion,"alto"saxophone,"clarinet,"tenor"saxophone,"trumpet,"trombone,"string"bass,"

guitar,"banjo,"violin,"and"drums):"“Those"who"wish"to"participate"at"this"jazz"course"need"

to"be"experienced"players,"i.e."have"to"be"able"to"read"and"play"printed"editions"of"

‘commercial’"songs"as"performed"by"English"radio"orchestras"(Ambrose,"Roy"Fox,"Henry"

Hall,"and"alike).”131"The"course"focused"on"the"further"development"of"technical"skills,"

reading"skills"and"knowledge"of"a"repertoire"of"dance"music"of"English"radio"orchestras"

and"was"summed"up"as"follows:"

"

1)"technique,"tone"and"style,"individual"and"ensemble"playing;""

2)"rhythmic"skills;""

3)"performance"of"‘commercial’"repertoire"(foxtrot,"quickHstep,"slowHfox,"

English"waltz"and"tango),"semiHhot"and"hot"songs);""

4)"performance"of"recorded"songs"(EllingtonHgenre)"and"“gig”Htechniques"

(improvised"hot);"

"5)"ensemble"experience""

(Announcement"“JazzHklasse,”"Jazzwereld,-September"1932)"

"

The"curriculum"reflected"the"musical"background"and"careers"of"the"teaching"staff,"

which"primarily"consisted"of"musicians"active"in"dance"orchestras,"most"notably"those"

led"by"the"famous"Dutch"jazz"musicians"Jack"and"Louis"de"Vries.132"Moreover,"the"

advertisement"signaled"how"from"the"earliest"days"of"jazz"in"the"Netherlands,"to"become"

a"professional"jazz"musician"required"a"great"versatility"and"technical"skills"on"a"range"

of"instruments,"the"ability"to"read"music,"and"knowledge"of"the"existing"repertoire"of"

dance"music."

"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

131"De-Jazzwereld"1932."“Zij,"die"aan"deze"JazzHKlasse"wenschen"deel"te"nemen,"dienen"voldoende"

vaardigheid"te"bezitten"van"hun"instrument,"d.w.z."het"zonder"fouten"kunnen"spelen"van"de"gedrukte"

uitgaven"der"“commercial”"nummers"zooals"deze"door"Eng."RadioHbands"(Ambrose,"Roy"Fox,"Henry"Hall"

e.d.)"ten"gehoore"worden"gebracht.”"

132"In"1934,"De-Jazzwereld"announced"the"new"teachers"for"the"jazz"course"at"The"Hague’s"conservatory."

De"musicians"listed"were"all"members"of"the"dance"orchestras"of"Jack"and"Louis"de"Vries."Jazzwereld"1934,"

13."

"54"

As"a"result"of"restrictions"on"jazz,"jazz"gatherings"during"WWII"largely"went"

underground,"limiting"the"possibilities"to"learn"how"to"play"the"music.133"However,"in"

1943,"the"multiHinstrumentalist"Peter"Schilperoort"ignored"the"warHrestrictions"on"jazz"

and"organized"a"soHcalled"“jazz"school”"together"with"pianist"Frans"Vink,"bass"player"

Henny"Frohwein"and"drummer"Tonny"Nüsser."Under"the"name"of"Dutch"Swing"College"

the"teachers"together"with"around"thirty"amateur"musicians"held"regular"meetings"to"

discuss"the"theory"of"music"and"to"organize"instrumental"lessons."These"classes"

discontinued"after"the"war"when"the"teachers"increasingly"found"employment"as"the"

Dutch"Swing"College"Band,"a"traditionalist"septet"that"developed"into"one"of"the"leading"

revival"jazz"bands"of"the"Netherlands"(see"Chapter"One)."While"the"Dutch"Swing"College"

focused"primarily—obviously—on"prewar"jazz,"educational"programs"initiated"after"the"

war"covered"a"wide"variety"of"jazz"styles."These"postwar"educational"jazz"programs"not"

only"aimed"at"a"select"group"of"amateur"musicians—as"had"been"the"case"with"the"Dutch"

Swing"College—"but"also"targeted"different"audiences,"consequently"broadening"the"

scope"of"jazz"education"in"the"Netherlands."

"

From"the"1960s,"jazz"musicians"increasingly"found"employment"as"part"of""

Het"Schoolconcert"(the"school"concert),"an"association"that"was"founded"in"October"

1954"to"organize"“pedagogical"concerts”"at"high"schools"throughout"the"country,"

featuring"“leading"Dutch"artists.”134"These"concerts"took"place"during"school"hours"at"

secondary"schools"throughout"the"country"and"was"supported"by"the"ministry"of"OKW"

(Education,"Arts"and"Sciences).135"Het"Schoolconcert"initially"focused"primarily"on"the"

western"European"classical"music"repertoire"of"arias,"operas,"and"piano"recitals"—the"

association"in"1952"brought"a"program"dedicated"to"“the"development"form"the"simple"

traditional"folk"song"to"the"romantic"ballad.”"From"the"early"1960s,"however,"The"

Schoolconcert"broadened"its"musical"perspective"and"began"to"offer"courses"on"jazz"and"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

133"For"an"extensive"study"of"jazz"in"the"Netherlands"during"WWII,"see"Kees"C.A.T.M."Wouters,"

Ongewenschte-muziek:-De-bestrijding-van-jazz-en-moderne-amusementsmuziek-in-Duitsland-en-Nederland,-

1920H1945"(Den"Haag:"sdu,"1999)."

134"Stichting"Het"Schoolconcert"superseded"Een"Uur"Muziek"(An"hour"of"music),"an"association"that"was"

founded"in"the"1930s"by"Franz"Aufrecht."“Het"schoolconcert,”"Leewarder-Courant,"October"8,"1954,"2."“Het"

geven"van"pedagogische"concerten"door"prominente"Nederlandse"kunstenaars"voor"leerlingen"van"

voortgezet"lager"en"middelbaar"onderwijs.”"

135"“’Het"Schoolconcert’"opgericht:"Opvolgster"van"‘Een"uur"muziek’,”"De-Tijd,"October"9,"1954,"17."

"55"

experimental"music."136"As"a"result"of"this"new"policy,"jazz"musicians"also"began"to"work"

for"the"association"and"found"regular"employment"this"way."Among"those"jazz"musicians"

was"drummer"Pierre"Courbois,"who"worked"both"solo"and"with"the"small"version"of"the"

Theo"Loevendie"Consort.137"Similarly,"producer"Wim"Wigt"organized"school"concerts"

with"Pim"Jacobs,"occasionally"with"Theo"Loevendie"and"drummer"Cees"See."Following"

these"school"concerts,"Pim"Jacobs"and"his"trio,"with"bass"player"Ruud"Jacobs"and"

guitarist"Wim"Overgaauw"released"a"series"of"three"recordings"under"the"same"name.138""

"

Within"the"jazz"scene,"the"school"concerts"were"met"with"resistance,"especially"among"

promoters"of"the"more"progressive"jazz"styles,"who"considered"the"commercial"aspect"

and"the"conventional"repertoire"fatal"for"the"further"development"of"jazz."The"

progressive"magazine"Jazzwereld"in"a"1971"review"of"the"album"Het-Schoolconcert"

denounced"Pim"Jacobs’"last"LP"as"“uncritical"mainstream,"especially"attuned"to"the"

wishes"of"consumers"of"backgroundHmusic"and"wineHbarHsounds”"and"therefore"as"a"

pure"commodity,"a"marketing"tool"for"the"product"“Pim"Jacobs.”139"The"reviewer"Pé"

Hawinkels"vehemently"criticized"Jacobs’"narrated"introduction"to"jazz"at"the"beginning"

of"the"LP,"especially"for"ignoring"the"alternative"and"more"contemporary"fields"of"

improvised"music."He"concludes,"

"

Thus,"his"introduction"is"not"an"introduction"to"jazz"at"all."It"doesn’t"

introduce"[the"listener]"to"an"extremely"varied"and"dynamic"music,"but"

only"to"the"static"piffle"that"[Jacobs"himself]"has"been"performing"since"

mankind."(Pé"Hawinkels,"record"review,"Jazzwereld"32,"1971,"25).140"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

136"Samama"and"Van"Lingen,-Nederlandse-muziek-in-de-20Hste-eeuw,"300."In"1952,"Het"Schoolconcert"

brought"a"program"dedicated"to"“the"development"from"a"simple"folk"song"to"the"romantic"ballad,"

“Schoolconcert"in"Drachten,”"De-Leeuwarder-Courant,"December"27,"1952,"7."“Een"programma"gewijd"aan"

de"ontwikkeling"van"het"eenvoudige"volkslied"tot"een"met"de"romantische"ballade.”"

137"Kusters"and"Schulz,"Pierre-Courbois,"66H7."

138"Pim"Jacobs"Trio,"Het-Schoolconcert"(Philips"433298PE,"1965),"with"Pim"Jacobs,"pi;"Wim"Overgaauw,"gi;"

and"Ruud"Jacobs,"b;"Pim"Jacobs"Trio:"Het-Schoolconcert-(Supraphon"0265,"1965"),"same"lineHup"as"first"LP,"

added"by"Rita"Reys,"vcl;"and"the"Pim"Jacobs"Quartet,"Het-Schoolconcert"(CBS"S52815,"1970),"with"Pim"

same"lineHup"as"first"LP,"added"by"Peter"Ypma,"dr."

139"Pé"Hawinkels,"record"review,"Jazzwereld"32,"March/April"1971,"25."“gemakzuchtige"mainstream,"

vooral"afgestemd"op"de"clientele"voor"achtergrondmuziek"en"bodegaHklanken.”"

140"Ibid."“Zijn"inleiding"is"dus"helemaal"geen"inleiding"op"de"jazz,"op"dit"uiterst"gedifferentieerde"en"

dynamische"soort"muziek,"maar"uitsluitend"op"het"statische"gepingel"dat"hijzelf"reeds"sinds"

mensenheugenis"verzorgt.”"

"56"

Notwithstanding"the"association’s"negative"image"of"“selling"out"to"the"commercial"

market,”"Het"Schoolconcert"did"offer"a"direct"income"to"musicians"across"the"field"of"jazz."

Moreover,"apart"from"the"employment"in"one"of"the"broadcasting"orchestras"and"before"

jazz"became"part"of"the"conservatory"curriculum,"working"for"Het"Schoolconcert"was"

one"of"the"few"possibilities"for"the"musicians"to"build"up"a"pension.141"

"

During"the"1960s,"the"regular"programs"at"music"schools"were"dominated"by"the"soH

called"GehrelsHsystem,"named"after"the"Dutch"educator"and"violinist"Willem"Gehrels,"

which"focused"mostly"on"the"singing"of"folk"music"and"the"classical"nineteenth"century"

repertoire."Although"the"introduction"of"this"system"should"be"seen"as"part"of"a"social"

democratic"ideal"to"introduce"all"layers"of"society"to"culture"(see"Chapter"Three),"Willem"

Breuker"particularly"attacked"this"system"for"its"elitist"approach."In"his"typical"nonH

nonsense"way"he"noted,"“This"GehrelsHguy"got"it"all"wrong"with"his"idea"of"bringing"high"

Art"with"a"capital"A"to"the"common"people,”"adding"“that"system"should"be"buried"and"

forgotten.”142"

"

Apart"from"school"concerts"and"music"schools,"which"specifically"aimed"at"the"Dutch"

youth,"jazz"musicians"also"gave"interactive"jazz"courses"for"more"experienced"jazz"

players,"filling"the"lack"of"formalized"educational"programs."In"1963,"Herman"

Schoonderwalt"and"trumpeter/trombone"player"Cees"Smal"created"the-Jazz"Instituut"in"

Haarlem,"which"was"basically"a"rehearsing"orchestra"that"played"big"band"repertoire."

After"the"summer,"Frans"Elsen"took"over"the"course"and"continued"in"the"season"of"

1963H1964"in"The"Hague."The"prime"reason"for"Elsen"to"teach"this"course"was"for"his"

own"personal"development:"“I"mainly"took"over"the"orchestra"for"my"own"experience,"to"

learn"how"to"write"for"and"to"lead"an"orchestra,"to"learn"all"the"difficulties"of"such"an"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

141"Any"musician"that"has"worked"for"more"than"four"hundred"days"for"Het"Schoolconcert"is"entitled"to"

receive"a"pension."Pierre"Courbois,"for"example,"currently"receives"sixtyHfive"euros"a"month"pension"for"

his"work"with"for"the"association."See"Kusters"and"Schulz,"Pierre-Courbois,"68."

142"“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"2."“Dit"verschijnsel"zou"tegengegaan"

kunnen"worden"door"de"improvisatie"een"grotere"rol"te"geven."Dit"geldt"ook"voor"de"schoolmuziek"

aangezien"we"ons"ontwikkelen"in"de"richting"van"een"maatschappij"waarin"ieder,"ook"de"nietHkunstenaar,"

in"de"gelegenheid"moet"zijn"zich"creatief"te"uiten.”"Ischa"Meijer,"“‘Ik"maak"muziek"voor"iedereen,"maar"

waarom"vindt"iedereen"het"zo"afgrijselijk?’,”"Haagse-Post"(October"13,"1973),"77."“Die"Gehrels"heeft"

volgens"mij"alles"verkeerd"gezien"met"de"achtergrondHgedachte"van:"we"moeten"het"gewone"volk"De"Grote"

Kunst"bij"gaan"brengen.”"“Nou,"dat"mag"van"mij"met"een"groot"rood"lint"erom"heen"worden"bijgezet"en"

nooit"meer"ingekeken.”"

"57"

orchestra.”143"On"November"11,"1965"an"unidentified"Dutch"paper"announced"‘The"

Netherlands"to"receive"its"first"jazz"school.”144"Lagor"de"Waard"founded"this"soHcalled"

“jazzHschool”—a"bimonthly"jazz"course,"in"fact—in"The"Hague,"where"it"was"taught"by"

young"jazz"musicians"such"as"Misha"Mengelberg"and"bass"player"Dick"van"Capellen,"

occasionally"added"with"American"guest"teachers,"such"as"Thad"Jones,"Lou"Bennett,"and"

Johnny"Griffin."These"programs"included"“theory"lessons,"exercises"and"discussions”"and"

meant"to"both"“raise"the"level"of"jazz”"in"the"Netherlands"and"to"“promote"good"

musicians"in"Berlin,"Paris"and"Copenhagen.”145"Throughout"the"1960s,"the"school"

concerts"and"the"shortHlived"courses"continued"to"take"place"on"an"incidental"basis.""

Workshops&and&the&notion&of&openness&

Musicologist"and"dedicated"workshop"participant"Eva"Bouman"was"among"the"first"to"

portray"the"Dutch"workshop"scene."In"her"1978"master’s"thesis"Workshops:-Opkomst-en-

ontwikkeling"(Workshops:"origins"and"development),"she"argues"that"the"open"character"

of"the"workshops"is"“crucial"for"the"development"and"training"of"jazz"musicians.”146"

Workshops,"loosely"defined"by"Bouman"as"an"“open"rehearse"and"performance"

opportunity,”"usually"took"place"on"a"weekly"basis"for"a"period"between"eight"weeks"and"

a"year"and"often"took"place"in"cultural"youth"centers.147"Other"than"jam"sessions,"which"

required"participants"to"already"have"some"knowledge"of"the"jazz"idiom,"workshops"

typically"aimed"at"amateurs"with"little"or"no"experience"in"playing"music?"Moreover,"

besides"functioning"as"a"creative"environment,"the"workshops"often"developed"into"

socioHcultural"meeting"places"and"consequently"as"a"new"platform"for"political"discourse."

The"following"paragraphs"engage"with"the"socioHcultural"implications"of"workshops"

through"an"analysis"of"the"activities"and"ideologies"of"these"workshop"leaders,"composer"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

143"Bouman,"Workshops,"19."“voor"een"groot"gedeelte"heb"ik"orkest"toen"overgenomen"ook"voor"mijn"eigen"

ervaring,"om"te"schrijven"en"om"eens"voor"een"orkest"te"staan,"om"de"moeilijkheden"van"een"orkest"te"

leren"kennen,"en"daar"heb"ik"erg"veel"van"geleerd."Minstens"zoveel"als"de"jongens"die"erin"speelden,"denk"

ik.”"

144"Unidentified"paper,"1965."

145"Ibid.,"

146"Bouman,"Workshops."Bouman"problematically"distinguishes"“improvised”"from"the"“reproductive"

music”"of"what"she"refers"to"as"the"“conventional”"forms"of"“serious"and"light"music,”"consequently"

ignoring"the"performative"aspects"of"the"latter"altogether."However,"her"work"does"give"a"useful"inside"

into"the"dayHtoHday"practice"of"improvised"music"workshops."

147"Bouman,"Workshops,"9."“een"open"oefenH"en"speelmogelijkheid.”""

"58"

and"reed"player"Theo"Loevendie,"trumpeter"Nedley"Elstak"and"reed"player"Herman"de"

Wit."

"

Theo"Loevendie"(Amsterdam,"1930)"was"among"the"first"musicians"to"organize"

workshops,"starting"in"1965"at"FAMOS,"a"youth"center"located"at"the"Vondelstraat"in"

Amsterdam.148"In"the"autumn"of"1965,"Piet"Riemens"of"FAMOS"invited"Loevendie"to"

execute"his"idea"of"a"“jazz"school”"that"would"enable"young"musicians"to"learn"how"to"

play"jazz"on"an"informal"basis."The"idea"followed"from"FAMOS’s"jazz"evenings"in"1964"

and"1965,"which"were"basically"jam"sessions"during"which"fixed"groups"such"as"the"

Loek"Dikker"trio"or"the"Louis"van"Dijk"trio"accompanied"different"horn"players."

Loevendie"began"his"workshop"with"a"small"group"of"horn"players"and"a"rhythm"section"

(subdivided"in"a"beginners"and"experienced"group,"and"a"theory"class),"which"he"taught"

the"basic"principles"of"jazz"through"the"practice"of"chord"schemes,"scales"and"

standards.149"Loevendie"himself"had"learned"to"play"the"clarinet"at"seventeen"by"playing"

with"brass"band"the"Postharmonie"and"by"taking"private"lessons,"when"in"the"1950s"

Charlie"Parker’s"playing"inspired"him"to"change"to"alto"saxophone."While"Loevendie"

during"the"1960s"followed"a"more"experimental"course"(see"Chapter"One),"combining"

different"musical"traditions"in"both"his"performance"and"his"compositions,"his"

workshops"remained"confined"to"the"conventional"basic"principles"of"jazz."“I"considered"

that"these"boys"needed"a"broad"basis."In"particular,"I"kept"harping"on"those"standard"

chords,"while"I"personally"had"already"distanced"myself"from"it,”"Loevendie"asserted"in"

1978.150”""

"

Nedley"Elstak"(1931,"Semarang,"Ind.)"took"over"Loevendie’s"workshops"in"1967,"which"

by"then"had"moved"to"the"AMJV"at"the"Stadhouderskade"in"Amsterdam.151"Like"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

148"The"FAMOS"was"located"at"the"Vondelstraat"in"Amsterdam."FAMOS"is"an"abbreviation"of"“Federatie"van"

Amsterdamse"Scholen"voor"Ontspanning"en"Sport”"(Federation"of"Amsterdam"Schools"of"Recreation"and"

Sport)."“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"appendix"3."

149"Unidentified"paper,"1965."

150"Bouman,"Workshops,"19."“Dat"heb"ik"erg"academies"aangepakt,"dat"wil"zeggen,"ik"ging"ervan"uit,"ja,"die"

jongens"moeten"een"beetje"veelzijdige"basis"krijgen"(…)"Juist"die"geijkte"akkoordenschema’s"daar"ben"ik"

ontzettend"op"doorgegaan"met"die"jongens,"terwijl"ik"daar"zelf"eigenlijk"een"beetje"afstand"van"had"

genomen.”"

151"Elstak"continued"his"workshops"at"the"AMJV"until"1978,"he"moved"his"workshops"to"BOC,"a"place"

outside"the"city"center,"in"Buitenveldert."“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"

"

"59"

Loevendie,"Elstak"steered"a"rather"conventional"course"in"his"workshops"that"reflected"

his"own"musical"background"as"a"trumpet"player."Elstak"played"on"“the"first"modern"jazz"

recording”"Jazz-at-the-Kurhaus"(Omega"33H1"and"33H2,"1953)"and"in"1962"took"over"the"

management"of"the"modern"jazz"club"Sheherazade-from"the"Diamond"Five,"where"he"

continued"to"program"jazz,"including"the"famous"Jazz-&-Poetry-Avonden."He"deliberately"

kept"the"workshop"groups"small,"consisting"of"between"six"to"ten"people,"which"allowed"

him"to"give"individual"support,"to"make"progress"playing"fiveHpart"arrangements"and"

which"gave"the"musicians"more"time"to"solo.152"Like"Loevendie,"he"divided"his"lessons"in"

theory"lessons"that"dealt"with"jazz"harmony,"scales"and"chord"change,"and"practical"

lessons,"which"typically"consisted"of"practicing"solos"on"chord"schemes"of"bebopHrelated"

material."Elstak"accompanied"the"playing"of"the"participants"on"piano"with"a"rhythm"

section."The"repertoire"consisted"of"Elstak’s"compositions"and"standards"such"as"“Now’s"

the"Time,”"“A"Night"in"Tunisia,”"“Round"about"Midnight,”"“Milestones,”"“I’ll"Remember"

Clifford,”"“Greensleeves,"“Autumn"Leaves,”"“How"High"the"Moon,”"“All"the"Things"You"

Are,”"“Lover"Man,”"“Laura,”"and"“Come"Rain"or"Come"Shine.”153"Besides"analyzing"and"

playing"chord"changes"of"American"jazz"standards,"Elstak"introduced"the"participants"of"

his"workshop"to"modal"playing"and"works"based"on"twelveHtone"and"other"serial"

techniques,"discussing"the"works"of"Schönberg,"among"others."As"a"starting"point"for"

these"lessons,"he"regularly"used"ZwölftonHKontrapunktHstudien"by"the"

Austrian/American"composer"Ernst"Krenek.154"This"way,"by"focusing"on"individual"

development"and"knowledge"of"basic"harmony"and"different"musical"traditions,"Elstak’s"

methods"remained"close"to"conventional"modern"jazz"playing"and"the"educational"

learning"methods"that"focused"on"learning"the"basic"scales"and"chord"schemes."

"

Loevendie’s"workshops"were"frequented"by"musicians"who"would"later"become"part"of"

the"1970s’"jazz"avantHgarde:"the"aforementioned"Breuker"and"Courbois,"as"well"as"

saxophonist"Ab"Baars,"saxophonist"Peter"Bennink,"pianist"Loek"Dikker,"bass"player"Arjen"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

appendix"3."In"1973"the"club"De"Masjien"opened"its"doors"in"one"of"the"basements"of"the"AMJV,"but"from"

1974"suffered"from"the"competition"of"the"hot"new"jazz"club"the"Bimhuis,"opened"October"that"year."

152"Bouman,"Workshops,"37.""

153"Ibid.,"39."

154"Ibid.,"Workshops,"33."Ernst"Krenek,"Studies-in-Counterpoint-Based-on-the-TwelveHTone-Technique-(New"

York:"g."Schirmer,1940),"repr."ZwölftonHKontrapunktHstudien"(Mainz:"Schott,"1952)."Bouman"refers"to"this"

later,"translated,"version"of"Krenek’s"work."

"60"

Gorter,"trombone"player"Willem"van"Manen"and"pianist"Kees"Hazevoet.155"Some"of"these"

workshops,"including"Langenhuijsen’s"ZuidHNederlands-Workshop-Orkest-and"Laurillard’s"

Groningers-Workshop-Orkest,"would"develop"into"regular"semiHprofessional"groups"often"

referred"to"as"leerorkesten"(learning"orchestras)."AmsterdamHbased"workshop"orchestras,"

De-Oktopedians"(1972)"and"De-Boventoon-(1973)"were"wellHknown"springboards"to"

professional"careers"in"improvised"music.156"Consequently,"from"the"first"events"

organized"in"the"midHsixties,"workshops"increasingly"became"associated"with"

improvised"music,"serving"as"the"music’s"main"educational"platform"and"as"an"informal"

meeting"place."As"sociologist"Rudy"Koopmans"asserted"in"1977,"“The"workshops"

organized"by"trumpeter"Nedley"Elstak"and"reed"player"and"composer"Theo"Loevendie"at"

the"AMJV/FAMOS"in"Amsterdam"were"crucial"in"the"development"of"an"idiosyncratic"

and"personal"interpretation"of"improvised"music"in"our"country.”157"During"the"1970s,"

the"music"theatrical"aspects"of"musical"performance"as"promoted"by"Willem"Breuker"

and"Leo"Cuypers,"found"their"way"in"to"the"workshop"practice,"as"workshops"orchestras"

collaborated"with"improvising"musicians."For"example,"on"9"November"1975,"De"Wit’s"

workshop"orchestra"performed"as"part"of"Mengelberg’s"music"theatre"piece"Een-

Behoorlijk-Kabaal"(Quite"a"Pandemonium),"dressed"up"as"one"big"dragon.158"

"

In"contrast"to"the"methods"as"advocated"by"Loevendie"and"Elstak,"Herman"de"Wit"(1932,"

Amsterdam)"in"1972"began"to"organize"workshops"in"a"loose,"informal"and"flexible"way"

that"allowed"for"more"free"experimentation."De"Wit,"son"of"a"professional"singer"and"an"

amateur"accordion"player,"taught"himself"how"to"play"drums,"trumpet,"and"tenor"

saxophone."From"1957"onwards"he"continued"as"a"tenor"saxophonist,"performing"in"

nightclubs"and"on"American"army"bases"in"France."After"studying"clarinet"at"the"

Maatschappij"tot"Bevordering"van"Toonkunst"in"Haarlem"(1967H"1971),"De"Wit"became"

part"of"the"Amsterdam"improvised"music"scene"in"1971,"both"as"a"regular"member"of"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

155"See"Van"Eyle,"ed.,"Jazz-&-Geïmproviseerde-Muziek,"64H158;"Kusters"and"Schulz,"Pierre-Courbois,"65;"

Jacques"Los,"“Willem"van"Manen:"‘Je"kunt"wel"zeggen"dat"ik"in"alle"leuke"bandjes"heb"gezeten,”"Jacques"Los,"

last"modified"October"2006,"accessed"October"22,"2014."

156"Willem"van"Manen"and"Herman"de"Wit"established-De-Boventoon."De"Wit"also"initiated"Workshop"

Orchestra"De-Oktopedians-(Los"2006)."

157"Koopmans,"Jazz,"157."“Belangrijk"echter"in"de"ontwikkeling"naar"een"eigen"en"persoonlijk"interpretatie"

van"geïmproviseerde"muziek"in"ons"land"waren"ook"de"workshops"die"georganiseerd"werden"door"

trompettist"Nedley"Elstak"en"rietblazer/komponist"Theo"Loevendie"in"het"kader"van"AMJV/Famos"in"

Amsterdam.”""

158"Bouman,"Workshops,"54."

"61"

the"ICP"(between"1971"and"1975)"and"as"a"member"of"the"Volharding"(between"1972"

and"1975)."In"1972,"the"staff"of"cultural"youth"center"Oktopus"in"Amsterdam"invited"De"

Wit"together"with"Willem"Breuker"to"organize"a"workshop"that"allowed"participants"to"

“work"on"the"basic"requirements"for"improvisation,"such"as"instrumental"technique,"

music"theory,"harmony"and"ensemble"playing.”159"During"the"first"three"seasons"(1972H

1974)"the"group,"which"averaged"between"twenty"to"thirtyHfive"participants,"became"

increasingly"consistent"in"terms"of"playing"level"and"musical"ideas,"allowing"De"Wit"to"

use"more"complex"material,"typically"improvised"music"based"on"chord"schemes"of"the"

standard"jazz"repertoire."The"group"learned"these"songs"by"heart"rather"than"from"

reading"sheet"music.160"In"addition,"the"participants"brought"pieces"and"ideas"to"works"

with."Some"of"the"repertoire"resulted"in"a"soHcalled"speelplan,"a"performance"plan"that"

provided"loose"guidelines"for"a"fifteen"to"thirty"minute"performance."These"guidelines"

consisted"of,"for"example,"the"order"of"performative"material"such"as"collective"

improvisation"based"on"one"chord,"playing"the"chords"schemes"in"fermata,"or"certain"

riffs"that"could"be"used"as"a"starting"point"for"individual"soloing."Rather"than"separating"

theory"and"practice,"as"Loevendie"and"Elstak"were"accustomed"to,"De"Wit"integrated"

music"theory"into"the"practical"sessions,"according"to"the"problems"that"arose"at"the"

moment"of"playing."A"typical"session"consisted"of"melodic,"rhythmic"and"harmonic"

exercises,"such"as"the"singing"of"melodic"intervals"and"triads,"singing"the"harmonic"

chord"structures"of"the"songs,"and"polyrhythmic"handclapping."Besides,"De"Wit"gave"

breathing"exercises"and"practiced"with"soHcalled"handzingen,"a"technique"that"used"hand"

signs"to"designate"certain"intervals"within"the"group"and"which"was"part"of"the"

aforementioned"Gehrels"method."This"warming"up"often"resulted"in"a"collective"

improvisation"coordinated"by"De"Wit,"structured"by"means"of"riffs"or"short"motives.161"

"

Altogether,"while"De"Wit"started"off"with"rather"conventional"teaching"methods,"he"

increasingly"followed"a"more"radical"and"experimental"course"that"foreHgrounded"the"

collective"process"and"openheid"(openness)"rather"than"the"technical"skills"of"the"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

159"Bouman,"Workshops,"7,"44."“De"workshop"was"opgezet"om"te"werken"aan"de"voorwaarden"om"tot"

improvisatie"te"komen,"zoals"instrumentale"techniek,"muziektheorie,"harmonieleer"en"vormen"tot"

samenspel.”"

160"Ibid.,"53."

161"Ibid.,"51."Bouman"lists"“Sonnymoon"for"Two”"by"Sonny"Rollins;"“When"Lights"are"Low”"by"Benny"Carter;"

“Perdido”by"Juan"Tizol;"“Mack"the"Knife/Moritat”"by"Kurt"Weil;"and"“Cherokee,”"by"Ray"Noble."

"62"

individual"musicians."He"explicitly"attacked"the"traditionalist"perspective"represented"

by"modern"jazz"musicians"and"its"underlying"modernist"values"of"virtuosity"and"

craftsmanship."In"a"1974"interview,"De"Wit"explained"how"his"workshop"methods"

should"be"understood"as"the"“exact"opposite”"of"the"American"jazz"idiom"played"and"

taught"at"the"Sheherazade.162"“This"method"implies"a"willingness"of"the"leader"to"listen"

to"everyone,"and"to"work"with"the"musical"material"offered"by"these"participants."In"

short,"the"leader"needs"to"be"open"to"everything"the"workshop"musicians"come"up"

with.”163"Underlining"the"open,"democratic"and"nonHhierarchical"character"of"his"

workshop,"De"Wit"asserted,"“Everyone"who"can"hold"a"horn"is"allowed"to"join.”"164"This"

view"translated"into"a"workshop"that"was"open"to"every"musician"of"every"level,"with"or"

without"musicHtheoretical"training."In"contrast"to"the"other"workshops"that"tended"to"

focus"on"the"individual,"De"Wit"placed"the"collective"at"the"center"of"his"focus:"“We"need"

to"resist"this"solistendom,"this"egoHtrip,"it"is"fatal,"an"absolute"danger"to"our"music."[…]"

It’s"a"whole"new"mindset,"because"it"requires"working"together."We"need"to"abandon"

this"quartetH"and"quintetHmentality"and"the"idea"of"‘we"are"better"than"the"rest’.”165"

"

De"Wit"adapted"a"view"on"musical"processes"that"was"deeply"political,""

"

Our"workshops"are"not"about"aesthetics"of"tone"and"presentation,"or"

interpretation,"that"sort"of"thing."It’s"about"the"collective"effort,"about"

appreciating"each"other,"and"getting"a"kick"out"of"that."That’s"what’s"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

162"Jos"Haagmans,"“‘Wij"willen"aan"de"mensen"laten"zien"dat"muziek"maken"ook"anders"kan’,”"De-Waarheid,"

September"7,"1974,"4."“Het"conservatorium"bijvoorbeeld,"dat"leidt"op"voor"een"taak"in"de"orkestbak,"je"

wordt"er"in"feite"voor"geprogrammeerd."Elke"creativiteit,"waar"muziek"toch"een"uitstekend"middel"toe"is,"

wordt"de"kop"ingedrukt.”"“Voor"mij"is"het"musiceren"het"je"bewust"worden"van"je"eigen"situatie."Dat"

probeer"ik"aan"de"mensen"duidelijk"te"maken."Ik"probeer"hen"iets"te"laten"zien"wat"zij"anders"niet"zien."Het"

is"een"politieke"activiteit.”"

163"Bouman,"Workshops,"28."“Zo’n"aanpak"veronderstelt"bij"de"leider"de"bereidheid"naar"iedereen"te"

luisteren"en"te"werken"met"het"muzikale"materiaal"dat"de"deelnemers"hem"aanreiken,"kortom,"de"leider"

moet"open"staan"voor"alles"waar"de"workshopmuzikanten"mee"aankomen.”"

164"Jos"Haagmans,"“‘Wij"willen"aan"de"mensen"laten"zien"dat"muziek"maken"ook"anders"kan’,”"De-Waarheid,"

September"7,"1974,"4."“Het"conservatorium"bijvoorbeeld,"dat"leidt"op"voor"een"taak"in"de"orkestbak,"je"

wordt"er"in"feite"voor"geprogrammeerd."Elke"creativiteit,"waar"muziek"toch"een"uitstekend"middel"toe"is,"

wordt"de"kop"ingedrukt.”"“Voor"mij"is"het"musiceren"het"je"bewust"worden"van"je"eigen"situatie."Dat"

probeer"ik"aan"de"mensen"duidelijk"te"maken."Ik"probeer"hen"iets"te"laten"zien"wat"zij"anders"niet"zien."Het"

is"een"politieke"activiteit.”"

165"Bouman,"Workshops,"44."‘We"moeten"het"solistendom"bestrijden,"de"egotrip,"dat"is"fnuikend."

Levensgevaarlijk"voor"onze"muziek."[…]"Het"is"een"totaal"nieuwe"mentaliteit,"want"we"moeten"allemaal"

met"elkaar"werken."Je"gaat"inderdaad"af"van"die"kwartettenHgeest,"het"kwintetHspelen,"van":"‘wij"spelen"

lekker"beter"dan"jullie’;"daar"moeten"we"vanaf,"ja.”"

"63"

improvising"is"about."…"These"open"clubs"are"also"crucial"for"cultural"

politics,"because"we"not"only"discuss"music"but"also"political"views,"

musicalHpolitical"views."…"That’s"what"one"learns"at"these"open"clubs;"to"

work"on"technique"and"to"formulate"an"opinion:"how"do"you"play,"for"who"

and"for"how"much"money?”"(Bouman,"Workshops,"69,"44.)166""

"

As"a"result"of"these"firm"socioHcultural"beliefs,"De"Wit’s"workshops"during"the"seventies"

increasingly"turned"into"smallHsize"communities,"attracting"participants"who"shared"

musical"and"political"ideals"of"openness,"collectiveness"and"shared"responsibility."

Bouman,"herself"a"faithful"follower"of"De"Wit’s"ideas,"observed"that"“in"the"past"six"years"

Herman"de"Wit’s"workshop"has"developed"from"a"homogenous"to"a"heterogeneous"pool"

of"participants,"and"to"a"place"which"acknowledges"both"the"musical"and"the"political"as"

crucial"to"the"functioning"of"the"workshop"and"orchestra"the"Oktopedians.”167"The"

tendency"towards"leftist"political"views"within"these"workshops"was"further"illustrated"

by"song"titles"such"as"“Mars"van"de"Antifascisten”"(March"of"the"AntiHfascists),"although,"

admittingly,"casual"titles"such"as"“k"Wou"dat"ik"een"vogeltje"was”"(I"wish"I"was"a"little"

bird)"and"“Wals"voor"een"draak”"(“Waltz"for"a"dragon”)"seemed"more"common"practice."

"

The"workshop’s"underlying"political"ideologies"of"an"open"society"explain"the"fierce"

criticism"among"De"Wit’s"workshop"participants"on"Elstak’s"more"individualistic"and"

conventional"approach."Based"on"a"1976"survey"among"participants"of"Elstak’s"

workshops,"Bouman"in"1978"observed"how,"“[t]he"participants"need"to"be"stimulated"to"

take"more"initiative;"indeed,"they"tend"to"await"passively"for"the"things"to"come."

Discussions"seldom"take"place"(…)"There"is"a"lack"of"concentration,"inspiration,"

communication"and"humor.”168"In"her"research,"Bouman"makes"a"clear"distinction"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

166"“Het"is"ook"muzikale"kultuurpolitiek"van"het"allergrootste"belang,"deze"open"klubs,"omdat"er"niet"

alleen"over"muziek"gepraat"wordt,"maar"ook"over"je"politieke"opstelling,"je"muzikaalHpolitieke"opstelling."

[…]"En"dat"leer"je"op"die"open"klubs,"vind"ik,"daar"bouw"je"je"techniek"op"en"leer"je"je"standpunt"bepalen:"

het"spelen"voor"wie"en"hoe"en"voor"hoeveel"geld.”"

167"Ibid.,"65."“In"haar"zesjarig"bestaan"maakte"de"workshop"van"Herman"de"Wit"een"ontwikkeling"door"van"

een"homogeen"naar"een"heterogeen"deelnemersbestand,"en"van"een"klimaat"waarin"rekening"gehouden"

wordt"met"het"feit"dat,"buiten"muzikale,"juist"politieke"factoren"van"belang"zijn"bij"het"funktioneren"van"de"

workshop"van"de"workshop"en"van"het"orkest"de"Oktopedians.""

168"Ibid.,"35."“Moeilijke"ensemblegedeelten"zouden"apart"gerepeteerd"moeten"worden,"en"het"repertoire"

zou"herschreven"of"vernieuwd"kunnen"worden."Er"zou"meer"inbreng"van"de"deelnemers"gestimuleerd"

"

"64"

between"the"individual"approach"by"Elstak"and"the"collective"approach"as"proposed"by"

De"Wit,"displaying"her"own"preference"for"the"latter."In"her"interview"with"De"Wit,"

Bouman"contrasts"De"Wit’s"focus"on"the"collective"with"Elstak’s"focus"on"the"individual,"

criticizing"the"latter"for"“failing"to"really"motivate"the"people”"as"he"“only"compliments"

people"in"the"exceptional"case"of"an"outstanding"solo.”169"Her"own"preference"is"

illustrated"when"she"asks"De"Wit"directive"questions,"such"as"“Do"you"[emphasis"added]"

believe"that"it"is"possible"to"create"good"music"when"you"let"an"exclusively"individual"

approach"prevail,"focusing"solely"on"your"own"technique"at"the"cost"of"playing"together"

with"others?”170"

"

The"political"dimension"of"the"workshops"also"became"evident"from"performances,"

which"typically"took"place"during"political"manifestations."De"Wit’s"workshop"orchestra"

the"Oktopedians"between"1973"and"1977"performed"under"different"names"during"

numerous"politically"manifestations,"including"De"Krisisnacht"van"de"Jazz;"the"

Kunstenaars"voor"Vietnam"in"Paradiso;"a"manifestation"organized"by"action"committee"

BouwHes"Wat"Anders"(Build"Something"Different)"and;"a"manifestation"of"the"

Communist"Party"of"the"Netherlands,"CPN."On"November"13,"1976"the"Oktopedians"

performed"manifestation"organized"by"the"Zuidelijk"Afrika"Komité"(Southern"Africa"

Committee)"at"the"RAI"conference"center"in"Amsterdam,"during"which"the"orchestra"

performed"“Nkosi"Sikelel’"i"Afrika,”"the"official"liberation"anthem"for"the"African"

National"Congress,"and"a"symbol"of"the"antiHapartheid"movement."On"June"29,"1977"the"

Workshop"went"to"the"reception"of"the"Amsterdam"mayor"Polak"held"at"the"Stedelijk"

Museum"to"protest"against"the"city’s"restrictions"against"public"street"performances."

Further,"the"Oktopedians"performed"in"Kleef,"Germany"as"part"of"the"demonstrations"

against"a"further"expanding"of"the"uranium"enrichments"plant"UltraHCentrifuge"

Nederland"(UCN)"in"Almelo,"a"subcontractor"of"the"nuclear"fuel"company"URENCO."This"

way,"workshops"during"the"1970s"became"increasingly"associated"with"leftist"political"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

kunnen"worden;"inderdaad"nemen"dezen"vaak"een"passieve"of"afwachtende"houding"aan"en"vindt"er"

zelden"diskussie"plaats.”"

169"Ibid.,"70."“Het"viel"me"op"bij"Nedley"dat"die"de"mensen"nooit"werkelijk"stimuleert;"hoogstens"als"ze"eens"

een"keer"verschrikkelijk"goed"spelen"dan"zegt"hij"dat"het"goed"was"H"terwijl"jij"je"er"verder"niet"over"uit"

hoeft"te"laten"of"iemand"nou"fantasties"speelt"(dat"doe"je"af"en"toe"wel)"maar"toch"iedereen"die"op"die"

workshop"komt"ontzettend"stimuleert"om"dóór"te"gaan,"om"erbij"te"blijven.”"

170"Ibid."“Geloof"jij"dat"er"goede"muziek"uit"kan"komen"als"je"uitsluitend"individualisties"werkt,"dus"alleen"

let"op"je"eigen"techniek,"en"het"samenspelen"met"anderen"daaraan"ondergeschikt"maakt?”""

"65"

ideals."The"notion"of"openheid-(openness)"proved"essential"to"the"informal"workshops."

The"participants"decided"to"a"great"extent"the"content"of"the"workshops."Niko"

Langenhuijsen,"who"organized"workshops"in"the"southern"city"of"Tilburg"noted:"“Some"

just"want"to"play"perfect"solos"on"chords"schemes."So"then"we"go"with"that."Others"want"

to"play"modal,"want"to"play"more"free"stuff."Or"they"come"up"with"their"own"ideas.”171""

"

Between"1967"and"1972,"Breuker"also"led"workshops,"albeit"less"successful"than"those"

of"Loevendie,"Elstak,"or"De"Wit."In"1967"and"1970"Breuker"led"a"workshop"in"the"open"

youth"center"Studio"7,"located"under"the"bridge"of"the"Vondelpark."This"workshop"

focused"on"collective"improvisation"that"allowed"every"participant"to"contribute"ideas."

Breuker"used"techniques"and"repertoire"inspired"by"contemporary"composers,"for"

example"Terry"Riley’s"In-C."However,"the"open"character"of"the"meetings"also"limited"

processes"of"musical"renewal."Bouman"observed"how"the"workshops"lacked"a"clear"

focus"and"lack"of"continuity,"caused"by"many"different"approaches"and"an"unreliable"

attendance"of"a"varying"number"of"participants.172"Breuker"also"initiated"a"more"

professionally"based"workshop"in"the"season"of"1971H1972,"when"he"had"the"VARAH

studio"at"his"disposal"that"allowed"him"to"rehearse"with"the"soHcalled"“VARAHstudioH

orkest,”"with"Van"Manen,"Herman"de"Wit,"Arjen"Gorter,"Martin"van"Duynhoven,"and"

other"improvising"musicians."The"group"rehearsed"compositions"by"Breuker"and"Dikker"

and"at"the"same"time"functioned"as"a"learning"material"for"young"sound"technicians"of"

the"broadcasting"association.173"Breuker"discontinued"the"group"after"a"year,"because"of"

the"participants’"“differing"technical"capacities.”174"

"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

171"“Workshops"en"beroepsopleiding,”"Jazz-Nu"4"(January"1979):"138."“Er"zijn"mensen,"die"willen"niets"

liever"dan"perfecte"akkoordenschema’s"spelen."Dus"dat"doen"we"dan."Er"zijn"ook"…"mensen"die"modale"

begrippen"willen"aanpakken."Mensen"die"wat"vrijere"vormen"willen"spelen"…"of"ze"komen"zelf"met"een"

idee"wat"[sic]"ze"willen"uitwerken.”"

172"Ibid.,"24."“Van"een"gerichte"aanpak"was"geen"sprake;"op"vrijwel"elke"bijeenkomst"van"de"workshop"

kwamen"er"andere"dingen"aan"de"orde,"waardoor"het"geheel"een"versnipperde"indruk"maakte."Een"andere"

reden"voor"het"gebrek"aan"kontinuïteit"was"de"onvoorspelbare"opkomst"van"de"deelnemers"en"het"

verloop"onder"hen;"mede"hierdoor"was"er"niet"vaak"sprake"van"duidelijke"muzikale"resultaten."Meestal"

eindigden"workshopavonden"met"een"lullig"partijtje"voetbal.”"

173"Ibid.,"25."

174"Ibid."“verschillen"in"techniese"vaardigheid.”"

"66"

Amateurs-versus-professionals-

While"Breuker"and"Elsen"focused"primarily"on"playing"with"experienced"musicians,"

albeit"working"from"divergent"principles,"Elstak"and"De"Wit"primarily"focused"on"

amateur"musicians"with"little"experience."The"participant’s"level"of"playing"confronted"

musicians"with"the"problem"of"professionalism;"what"makes"a"professional"jazz"

musician"and"who"gets"to"decide"on"those"criteria?"This"problem"became"evident"in"a"

discussion"between"the"union"for"improvising"musicians"(BIM)"and"workshop"

participants."The"BIM"took"a"hostile"position"towards"workshop"participants"who"

wanted"to"become"a"BIM"member"to"benefit"from"the"group"funding,"fearing"it"would"

devalue,"and"therefore"threaten,"the"carefully"created"image"of"the"BIM"member"as"a"

professional"artist."Bouman,"who"saw"the"binary"between"amateurs"and"professionals"

as"problematic"for"the"further"development"of"workshops,"argued"that"workshops"(and"

their"participants)"deserved"to"be"equally"appreciated"and"thus"equally"paid"as"

professional"improvising"musicians.175"

"

Most"participating"leaders"saw"the"independent"funding"of"workshops"and"the"initiation"

of"a"diplomaHsystem"as"crucial"for"the"further"emancipation"of"jazz"workshops."Until"

1970,"the"ministry"of"CRM"only"incidentally"supported"educational"activities"in"the"field"

of"jazz."Although"BIM"and"SJIN"included"the"organization"of"workshops"in"their"funding"

scheme—"In"May"1966,"the"SJN"planned"to"“organize"workshops"for"young"musicians”—

the"government"did"not"grant"direct"funding"to"workshops."176"Besides"receiving"a"

contribution"from"the"participants,"most"workshops"were"part"of"either"cultural"centers,"

funded"by"the"department"of"Jeugdzaken"(youth"affairs)"at"the"ministry"of"CRM"(as"was"

the"case"for"Oktopus),"or"of"cultural"organizations"part"of"universities"and"therefore"

funded"by"the"ministry"of"Education"(the"cultural"center"CREA,"which"up"to"the"present"

day"is"part"of"the"University"of"Amsterdam)."The"position"of"workshops"under"youth"

affairs"underlined"the"status"of"workshops"as"a"form"of"leisure"and"thus"amateur"affair,"

much"to"the"frustration"of"workshop"leaders."Workshop"leaders"felt"hindered"by"the"

government’s"lack"of"acknowledgement."De"Wit,"who"showed"an"extraordinary"

commitment"to"the"revaluation"of"workshops,"saw"diplomas"as"a"way"to"evaluate"and"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

175"Ibid.,"78H79."

176"Jazzwereld"6,"May"1966."

"67"

the"status"of"workshop"participants:"“Hereby"I"declare"that"workshops"have"become"an"

indispensable"part"of"improvised"music."All"these"other"institutes"offer"you"a"diploma"…"

that"only"get"you"as"far"as"the"orchestra"pit."Perhaps"you’ll"make"it"to"concertmaster,"

first"violinist"or"clarinet"player."We"can’t"do"that,"because"we"can’t"get"a"diploma.”177"

Bouman’s"1978"study,"which"is"basically"a"plead"for"the"emancipation"and"recognition"of"

jazz"workshops,"proposes"in"her"conclusion"the"“independent"funding"of"workshops"for"

jazz"and"improvised"music.”"However,"despite"the"initial"efforts"to"integrate"workshops"

into"the"funding"plans"of"the"BIM"and"SJN,"the"CRM"dismissed"a"direct"funding"of"

workshops,"considering"it"“an"unjustified"step"towards"professionalism.”178"

"

While"most"workshops"largely"centered"around"Amsterdam"and"the"Randstad,"similar"

ventures"were"to"be"found"around"the"country"during"the"1970s.179"Bass"player"and"

pianist"Niko"Langenhuijsen"organized"improvised"music"workshops"in"Tilburg"in"the"

south,"while"Alan"Laurillard"was"active"in"the"northern"town"of"Groningen.180"From"

November"1969,"pianist"and"composer"Chaia"Gerstein"at"the"conservatory"in"Groningen"

taught"modern"music"from"an"improvisational"perspective."In"1970,"Gerstein"together"

with"conductor"Wybren"Veenman"also"gave"live"electronics"workshops"Amsterdam’s"

Studio"7.181"From"1975,"Herman"de"Wit"began"to"lead"workshops"as"part"of"the"

association"Jeugd"en"Muziek,"most"notably"in"Utrecht"in"the"center"of"the"Netherlands"

and"Middelburg"in"the"southern"part"of"the"country."The"idea"of"gezamenlijk-spelen-

zonder-afspraken-vooraf"(collective"playing"without"preconditions),"as"promoted"by"De"

Wit,"developed"into"the"core"method"of"bass"player"Arnold"Dooyeweerd,"who,"from"

1975"until"the"presentHday"continues"to"organize"workshops"at"the"Bimhuis"under"that"

same"name."Most"workshop"leaders"remained"hesitant"about"the"benefits"of"educational"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

177"Bouman,"Workshops,"80."“Bij"dezen"verklaar"ik"dat"de"workshops"wat"mij"betreft"een"onvervreemdbaar"

onderdeel"zijn"van"de"geïmproviseerde"muziek."Op"allerlei"andere"instituten"kun"je"een"diploma"krijgen"

als"je"zoveel"jaren"hard"gewerkt"hebt,"en"dan"word"je"bekwaam"genoeg"geacht"om"in"de"orkestbak"zitting"

te"gaan"nemen."Je"zou"het"nog"kunnen"brengen"tot"eerste"konsertmeester"of"eerste"violist"of"eerste"

klarinetspeler."Bij"ons"is"dat"niet,"want"wij"krijgen"geen"diploma.”"

178"Minutes"general"meeting"BIM,"d.d."27"November"1973."

179"Workshops"during"the"1970s,"included"those"organized"by"Chaia"Cherstein"and"Wybren"Veenman"and"

Loek"Dikker"(Studio"7,"1970);"Arjen"Gorter,"Martin"van"Duynhoven,"Loek"Dikker,"Burton"Greene,"Ed"

Neumeister"and"Judith"Pertz"(Oktopus,"1972H1976);"Nico"Bunnink"(Bimhuis,"1974H1975),"Arnold"

Dooyeweerd"(Bimhuis,"1975Hpresent),"Gilius"van"Bergeyk"(The"Hague)."

180"Jacques"Los,"“Alan"Laurillard:"‘Ik"vind"vernieuwing"in"de"muziek"belangrijk’,”"accessed"February"17,"

2015,"http://www.draaiomjeoren.com/interviews/laurillard.html;"Van"Eyle,"ed.,"Jazz-&-Geïmproviseerde-

Muziek,"114."


"68"

programs,"fearing"institutionalization"would"hinder"the"creative"development"of"the"

individual."During"a"1979"roundHtable"discussion"with"other"workshop"leaders,"

Langenhuijsen"doubted"whether"jazz"education"was"useful."“I"think"with"every"type"of"

education"you"risk"a"further"institutionalization,"also"with"a"workshop.”182"

Notwithstanding,"more"experimental"musicians"became"part"of"and"attempted"to"

initiate"jazz"programs"at"what"is"arguably"the"most"formalized"and"institutionalized"

platform"to"learn"how"to"play"jazz:"the"conservatory."

"

Policy-

During"the"1970s,"jazz"plans"and"surveys"increasingly"addressed"issues"of"education,"

signaling"the"increasing"awareness"among"musicians"on"the"importance"of"jazz"

education"as"a"way"to"improve"the"situation"of"jazz"and"its"practitioners."The"ministry"of"

CRM"awarded"the"first"educational"program"for"jazz"in"1969,"when"it"granted"some"

young"musicians"with"funding"to"follow"a"jazz"course"at"the"JazzHAkademie"in"the"

German"town"of"Remscheid"that"focused"on"modern"musical"styles,"including"

improvised"music.183""

"

While"musicians"around"1970"seldom"outspokenly"aspired"to"become"jazz"educators"at"

an"institution,"they"did"realize"the"need"for"educational"programs"in"order"for"the"music"

to"survive."Wim"Knulst’s"1970"survey"as"well"as"the"1970"BEVEM"report"signaled"“a"lack"

of"educational"programs"for"young"musicians.”184"Knulst’s"survey"showed"a"majority"of"

musicians"that"considered"a"form"of"specialized"and"formal"jazz"programs—whether"or"

not"at"a"conservatory"—as"crucial"for"the"viability"of"jazz"in"the"Netherlands."While"32"

percent"preferred"learning"by"practice,"15"percent"considered"jazz"courses"and"

workshops"as"the"primary"educational"route.185"The"BEVEM"report"also"signaled"how"

the"lack"of"educational"institutions"hindered"the"further"development"of"improvised"

music."“[This"group"faces"the"following"problems]:"the"lack"of"a"fullHfledged"institute"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

182"“Workshops"en"beroepsopleiding,”"Jazz-Nu"4"(January"1979):"142."

183"E."Dieter"Fränzel,"Sounds-like-Whoopataal-(Essen:"Klartext"Verlage"2006),"157H163;"“Rapport"

werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"1."

184"Bouman,"Workshops,"75."Jazzwereld-31,-September"1970."

185"Knulst,"Jazz-anno-1970,"33."

"69"

were"young"musicians"can"orientate"and"educate"themselves.”186"The"report"proposed"

to"improve"this"situation"by,"

"

1)"fully"integrating"jazz"into"all"educational"institutions"that"have"music"

on"their"program;""

2)"integrating"jazz"into"the"professional"music"education"and"into"the"

musicology"program"at"the"universities;"and"

3)"encouraging"the"development"of"educational"programs"exclusively"for"

jazz,"for"example,"by"establishing"an"Instituut-voor-Jazzstudie-(Institute"for"

Jazz"Studies)."(“Jazz"plan,”"Jazzwereld"28,"March"1970)"187""

"

The"improvising"musicians"realized"very"well"the"paradoxical"nature"of"their"desire"to"

institutionalize"a"music"that"was"both"musically"and"politically"associated"with"antiH

establishment"and"freedom."“While"one"can"question"whether"conservatories"in"its"

current"form"are"suitable"for"engaging"with"improvised"music,"and"as—from"an"

ideological"perspective—it"would"hold"the"preference"to"create"alternative"institutes,"

the"situation"needs"to"change"now."Conservatories"should"install"work"and"study"

centers"for"improvised"music.”188"Improvising"musicians"legitimized"their"paradoxical"

view"of"formalized"education,"by"underlining"the"music’s"creative"potential,"which"could"

potentially"improve"the"creative"abilities"of"what"they"considered"the"“unHcreative"

reproducers”"that"graduated"from"the"conservatories."As"the"BEVEM"report"notes,"

"

Improvised"music"could"contribute"positively"to"the"conservatories,"

because"until"now,"these"institutions"have"limited"themselves"to"the"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

186"“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"1."“Punt"2"uit"situatieschets:"[de"

problemen"waar"deze"groep"mee"te"maken"heeft"zijn:"]"Het"ontbreken"van"een"volwaardig"instituut"waar"

de"aankomende"musici"zich"kunnen"oriënteren"en"scholen.”"

187"Jazzwereld"28,"March"1970."October"1973"The"SJN"and"BIM"submitted"the"Plan"voor"de"Jazz."“Edukatief"

Werk:"“naast"het"mogelijk"maken"van"meer"konserten"en"het"waarborgen"van"de"kreatieve"kontinuïteit"

binnen"deze"muziek,"blijft"er"de"noodzaak"tot"struktureel"edukatief"werk.”"

188"“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"2."“Hoewel"de"vraag"opgeworpen"kan"

worden"of"de"conservatoria"in"hun"huidige"vorm"de"geëigende"instituten"zijn"om"zich"met"g.m."bezig"te"

houden,"en"uit"ideëel"oogpunt"alternatieve"instituten"de"voorkeur"zouden"verdienen,"moeten,"om"de"

huidige"situatie"zo"snel"mogelijk"uit"de"wereld"te"helpen,"de"conservatoria"werkH"en"studiecentra"bevatten"

die"zich"met"g.m."bezighouden."De"enkele"in"de"subcultuur"opgekomen"éénmansHinitiatieven"zoude"via"

subsidies"de"mogelijkheid"moeten"krijgen"een"betere"vorm"hiervoor"te"ontwikkelen,"zolang"deze"

initiatieven"niet"ingepast"worden"binnen"de"bestaande"instituten.”"

"70"

production"of"uncreative"reproducers."The"uncreativeness"of"these"

graduated"students"obstructs"composers"of"new"music,"because"new"

music"tends"to"require"more"than"just"the"reproduction"of"specific"notes"

in"a"specific"order."If"we"compare"little"children’s"urge"to"improvise"with"

that"of"musicians"who"have"studied"for"years"[…]"it"becomes"obvious"how"

traditional"musical"education"squeezes"to"death"every"inch"of"this"innate"

creativity."(Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,"BEVEM,"1970,"

2)189"

"

The"search"for"appropriate"models"for"jazz"education"reflected"the"ideological"divide"

between"the"notion"of"jazz"as"a"creative"process"versus"the"notion"of"jazz"as"a"craft"of"

which"the"basic"principles"can"be"taught."This"becomes"clear"from"the"1973"Jazz"Plan"

from"the"SJN"and"the"Jazz"Plan"Zwolle"from"the"same"year,"which"both"articulate"their"

ambitions"according"to"this"divide."In"October"1973,"the"SJN"together"with"the"BIM"

submitted"a"Jazz"Plan,"which"included"a"proposal"for"jazz"that"would"secure"the"

continuity"of"jazz"as"a"creative"process."While"this"plan"proposed"workshops"as"the"main"

educational"tool,"stressing"the"creative"aspect"of"jazz,"the"Jazz"Plan"Zwolle"explicitly"

promotes"educational"programs"and"school"concerts"as"important"ways"to"disseminate"

jazz,"in"this"case"in"the"provincial"town"of"Zwolle:"

"

Because"education"plays"a"key"role"in"conditioning"the"youth’s"musical"

taste,"it"is"necessary"that"primary"and"secondary"schools"spend"a"

reasonable"amount"of"time"on"jazz."Currently,"teachers"are"generally"

unequipped"to"spread"the"message"of"jazz"and"therefore"need"

professional"training."Pedagogical"institutions"as"well"as"conservatories"

should"no"longer"treat"jazz"as"a"luxury"accessory,"but"rather"need"to"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

189"“Van"de"g.m."kan"binnen"de"conservatoria"een"gunstige"werking"uitgaan,"omdat"deze"intituten"zich"tot"

nu"toe"hebben"beperkt"tot"het"voortbrengen"van"aHcreative"reproducenten."Deze"aHcreativiteit"van"

afgestudeerde"musici"is"een"belemmering"voor"componisten"van"nieuwe"muziek,"aangezien"ook"in"de"

nieuwe"muziek"van"de"uitvoerder"dikwijls"iets"meer"wordt"verlangd"dan"het"reproduceren"van"exact"

voorgeschreven"tonen"in"een"exacte"volgorde."Als"we"de"improvisatiedrang"van"kleuters"met"die"van"

musici"die"een"jarenlange"studie"achter"de"rug"hebben"vergelijken,"blijkt"duidelijk"dat"de"traditionele"

muzikale"scholing,"evenals"onze"hele"maatschappelijke"constellatie,"de"eenieder"aangeboren"creativiteit,"

hoe"klein"ook,"dooddrukt.”"

"71"

integrate"jazz"in"the"curriculum"of"Algemene"Muzikale"Vorming"(general"

musical"training)"and"School"Music."(Jazz"plan"Zwolle,"1973,"12)"

"

These"different"approaches"support"the"idea,"albeit"implicitly,"that"formal"jazz"programs"

became"increasingly"associated"with"ideas"of"conservatism,"traditionalism,"whereas"

workshops"came"to"embody"ideas"of"creativeness"and"openness."It"would"not"be"until"

1976,"however,"before"the"first"fulltime"jazz"program"at"a"conservatory"became"a"fact."

Jazz&at&the&conservatory&

During"the"1970s,"jazz"education"at"the"conservatories"gradually"developed"from"

optional"courses"into"independent"educational"programs."The"earliest"programs"started"

under"the"name"of"lichte-muziek-[literally:"light"music],"underlining"jazz’s"alignment"

with"show"business"in"contrast"to"the"“serious"art”"taught"at"the"classical"music"

departments."These"programs"originated"in"occasional"initiatives"that"had"been"

organized"at"conservatories"from"as"early"as"1932,"when"Eddy"Noordijk"organized"the"

aforementioned"jazz"course"at"the"conservatory"of"The"Hague."From"1970,"however,"

these"courses"took"place"on"an"increasingly"regular"basis."In"1970"Gilius"van"Bergeyk"

conducted"a"group"at"the"Royal"Conservatory"of"The"Hague"that"performed"“music"with"

significant"improvisational"elements.”190"From"September"that"year,"the"conservatory"of"

Rotterdam"started"the"soHcalled-improvisatieHstudiecentrum,"a"study"center"for"

improvisation"led"by"Theo"Loevendie,"meant"as"a"meeting"point"for"musicians"to"engage"

with"“improvisation"in"connection"with"the"jazzHtradition,"avantHgarde"concert"music,"

and"exotic"music.”191"Around"the"same"time,"pianist"and"arranger"Frans"Elsen"frequently"

organized"arranging"classes"at"conservatories"throughout"the"country."From"September"

1971,"students"at"the"conservatory"of"the"provincial"town"of"Zwolle"could"receive"an"

aantekening-lichte-muziek"(registration"for"entertainment"music)"on"their"classical"

music"diploma,"which"basically"meant"they"had"successfully"finished"Elsen’s"jazz"

arranging"course."In"1975,"Elsen"became"national"coordinator"of"this"Oriëntatiecursus-

Lichte-Muziek,"a"series"of"introductory"jazz"courses"funded"by"the"ministry"of"CRM"at"the"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

190"“Rapport"werkgroep"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"BEVEM,"1970,"appendix"3."

191"Ibid."The"report"fails"to"mention"the"arranging"classes"taught"by"modern"jazz"pianist"Frans"Elsen"

around"this"period"at"the"conservatory"of"Rotterdam,"underlining"the"tensions"at"play"between"modern"

jazz"musicians"and"improvising"musicians."

"72"

conservatories"throughout"the"country,"consisting"of"classes"in"solfège,"theory"of"

harmony,"instrumentation,"and"big"band.192"The"course"took"place"once"a"week"and"

specifically"aimed"at"educating"classically"trained"musicians"in"jazz"and"other"popular"

music."

"

The"establishment"of"jazz"programs"at"the"Dutch"conservatories"coincided"with"similar"

initiatives"throughout"Europe."One"of"the"earliest"attempts"to"institutionalize"jazz"

education"in"Europe"was"the"1928"foundation"of"a"shortHlived"jazz"department"at"the"Dr."

Hoch"Konservatorium"in"Frankfurt"am"Main.193"One"of"Europe’s"first"influential"jazz"

departments,"however,"was"the"Institut"für"Jazz"in"the"Austrian"city"of"Graz,"founded"in"

1965"by"lecturer"and"jazz"promoter"Friedrich"Körner.194"Largely"modeled"after"the"

Berklee"School"of"Music,"the"Graz"jazz"department"in"its"curriculum"combined"both"

theoretical"as"well"as"practical"aspects"jazz.195"The"Graz"jazz"department"served"as"one"

of"the"inspirational"models"for"the"Rotterdam"jazz"department"(as"will"be"discussed"

later"in"this"chapter)."

"

Institutionalization-

It"was"first"of"all"the"students"who"instigated"the"process"of"curricular"reform"at"the"

conservatories"by"means"of"optional"courses"in"musical"styles"other"than"the"nineteenth"

century"repertoire."In"search"of"a"broader"musical"perspective,"students"during"the"

1970s"addressed"their"desire"to"learn"about"other"musical"practices"to"individual"

teachers"or"the"board"of"directors."Practitioners"of"the"early"music"movement,"for"

example,"advocated"the"possibility"of"specializing"in"historically"informed"performance"

practice."Similarly,"students"at"the"conservatory"of"Zwolle"(Ruud"van"Dijk,"Rik"Elings"and"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

192"Samama"and"Van"Lingen,-Nederlandse-muziek-in-de-20Hste-eeuw,"301."

193"Mátyás"Seiber"led"a"jazz"program"that""

consisted"of"two"hours"private"instrumental"lessons"(on"piano,"saxophone,"trumpet,"drums,"banjo"and"

trombone),"two"hours"ensemble"playing"and"one"hour"of"instrumentation"on"a"weekly"basis."However,"

under"the"influence"of"the"national"socialistic"regime"that"did"not"allow"for"a"further"promotion"of"black"

American"music,"the"department"already"ceased"to"exist"in"1933."See,"for"example,"Susan"C."Cook,"“Jazz"as"

Deliverance:"The"Reception"and"Institution"of"American"Jazz"during"the"Weimar"Republic,”"American-

Music"7/1"(1989):"30H47."

194"Christa"BrucknerHHaring,"“Ein"historische"Überblick"der"Jazzentwicklung"in"Österreich,”"

Jazzforschung/-Jazz-Research-44"(2012),"53H74.""

195"See"Karlheinz"Miklin"in"“Report"on"the"1st"IASJ"Jazz"Education"conference,”"2003,"16;"Friedrich"Körner,"

“Letter"from"Friedrich"Körner,”"Journal-of-the-American-Musicology-Society"12H3"(1969),"531."

"73"

Henk"Zomer)"demanded"an"arranging"teacher"in"the"field"of"jazz."The"Jazz"Plan"Zwolle"in"

1973"asserted"the"increasing"desire"among"students"for"a"fullHtime"jazz"program:"

"

Obviously,"we"are"pleased"that"lichte-muziek"has"found"its"place"at"the"

curriculum"of"Zwolle."However,"we"would"like"to"advise"the"conservatory"

board"to"further"develop"the"lichte-muziek"(read:"jazz)"program"…"The"

current"lichte-muziek"course"plus"the"workshops"and"summer"courses"are"

the"first"steps"towards"a"specialized"jazz"institute"at"the"conservatory"of"

Zwolle."(Jazz"Plan"Zwolle,"1973,"17)196"

"

The"conservatories,"in"return,"increasingly"facilitated"musical"programs"that"focused"on"

musical"fields"other"than"the"classical"repertoire."From"the"institutions’"perspective,"the"

added"jazz"curriculum"was"motivated"by"a"Ministerial"Order"that"required"all"hogeschool"

institutions"to"have"a"minimum"of"sixHhundred"students."Conservatories"responded"to"

these"political"changes"by"broadening"their"programs,"in"the"hope"to"attract"more"

students."“Since"the"target"group"prefers"jazz"and"pop"over"Brahms"and"Bruckner,”"

journalist"Erik"van"den"Berg"observed"in"1988,"“Lichte-Muziek"has"become"one"of"the"hot"

items"at"the"music"education"market.”197"As"a"result"of"this"broadened"focus,"

conservatories"began"to"offer"a"major"in"popular"music,"but"also"in"medieval,"baroque,"

and"chamber"music.198"

"

While"the"jazz"department"at"the"conservatory"of"Zwolle"did"not"materialize"until"the"

midH1980s,"the"first"fullyHfledged"jazz"programs"in"the"Netherlands"developed"in"the"

midH1960s."The"initiation"of"these"jazz"departments"at"conservatories"was"a"gradual"

process"that"did"not"necessarily"follow"from"a"preconceived"plan."This"was"especially"

the"case"with"the"1976"initiation"of"lichte-muziek-program"at"the"conservatory"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

196"“Hoe"blij"wij"uiteraard"ook"zijn"met"de"aanwezigheid"van"lichte"muziek"op"het"Zwolse"lesrooster,"toch"

willen"wij"het"bestuur"van"het"conservatorium"in"overweging"geven"om"met"alle"kracht"naar"een"verdere"

uitbouw"van"het"vak"lichte"muziek"(lees:"jazz)"te"streven."[…]"Het"huidige"vak"lichte"muziek"plus"het"

organiseren"van"workshops"en"summerHschools"vormen"tezamen"een"stevig"opstapje"naar"de"mogelijke"

instelling"van"een"gespecialiseerd"jazzHinstituut"aan"het"Zwols"conservatorium.”"

197"Erik"van"den"Berg,"“Briefcase"Bop"and"Gloss"Paint:"Spectacular"Jazz"Debuts;"Heated"Discussions"in"the"

Era"of"a"New"Conservatism,”"Keynotes-24,"1987,"45H54."

198"“Leerplan"Koninklijk"Conservatorium,”"1979."

"74"

Rotterdam,"allegedly"the"first"jazz"fullHfledged"jazz"program"in"the"Netherlands.199"Elsen,"

who"was"part"of"a"large"group"of"initiators"involved"in"the"process,"recalled"in"a"2007"

interview"how"“a"large"group"set"up"the"plan”"during"“endless"meetings.”200""

"

MidH1970s,"saxophone"player"Leo"van"Oostrom"was"involved"in"the"initiation"of"the"

department"of"lichte-muziek"at"the"conservatory"of"Rotterdam.201"The"jazz"institute"in"

Graz"served"as"an"inspirational"model"for"the"Rotterdam"jazz"department."Early"1970s,"

the"director"of"the"Rotterdam"conservatory"Kees"van"Stolwijk"invited"Van"Oostrom"to"

develop"his"own"teaching"practice."Stolwijk"send"Van"Oostrom"and"bass"clarinetist"Henri"

Bok,"who"would"become"coordinator"of"the"jazz"curriculum,"to"Austria"to"the"visit"the"

Institut"für"Jazz"in"Graz,"to"investigate"its"educational"model"for"jazz,"which,"Van"

Oostrom"remembered"as"“including"a"broad"variety"of"styles"that"focused"on"dance"

repertoire,"such"as"“tango’s,"Viennese"waltzes"and"jazz.”202"

"

In"The"Hague,"in"contrast,"the"1979"initiation"of"the"jazz"department"followed"from"a"

wellHstructured"plan"that"was"developed"by"the"small"team"of"Elsen"together"with"music"

theory"teacher"Boudewijn"Leeuwenberg."Elsen"remembered"the"collaboration"with"

Leeuwenberg"went"very"smoothly:"“[Leeuwenberg]"and"I"made"suggestions"we"both"

agreed"on"within"five"minutes."The"hour"tables"and"the"whole"curriculum"were"done"in"

no"time.”203"Around"the"same"period,"in"1975,"pianist/arranger"Boudewijn"

Leeuwenberg"began"a"jazz"group"at"the"conservatory"in"The"Hague."Leeuwenberg,"from"

1971,"worked"as"a"teacher"in"classical"music"theory"at"the"conservatory"and"was"active"

with"and"arranging"for"entertainment"groups"such"as"the"Lurelei"Cabaret,"vocal"group"

the"Sissies,"and"the"vocalists"Gerard"Cox"and"Frans"Halsema."As"Leeuwenberg"recalls,"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

199"Because"of"the"gradual"and"relatively"uncoordinated"nature"of"its"development,"it"is"difficult"to"

pinpoint"the"exact"year"of"execution."Journalist"Jeroen"de"Valk"and"Erik"van"den"Berg"have"pinpointed"the"

starting"year"at"1974"and"1978"respectively,"while"the"conservatory"celebrated"the"jazz"department’s"

twentyHfifth"anniversary"in"2004."In"1982"Joan"Reinders,"still"received"a"“aantekening"lichte"jazz”"on"his"

classical"musicHcertificate"of"Zwolle."In"order"to"receive"this"registration,"Reinders"had"followed"courses"

with"Frans"Elsen"and"Cees"Smal."Van"den"Berg,"“Briefcase"Bop"and"Gloss"Paint,”"50."

200"Elsen,"interview,"2007."

201"Leo"van"Oostrom,"interview"by"author,"June"14,"2007,"Amsterdam."Van"Oostrom"received"a"classical"

training"on"both"clarinet"and"saxophone"at"the"conservatory"of"The"Hague,"the"latter"a"novelty"at"the"time."

In"1961"Van"Oostrom"convinced"director"Kees"van"Baaren"to"hire"Adriaan"Bosch,"a"classical"saxophonist"

working"for"the"Koninklijke"Militarie"Kapel"(Royal"Military"Band),"with"whom"he"studied"between"1961"

and"1966."

202"Rusch,"“Jazzpracticum,”"44."


"75"

students"were"well"aware"from"this"background"and"increasingly"asked"him"to"teach"

them"how"to"improvise"and"play"jazz."At"the"insistence"of"the"students—and"future"

conservatory"teachers—Jan"Faas,"Albert"Beltman"and"Bob"Zimmerman,"Leeuwenberg"

organized"a"jazz"ensemble"for"which"he"wrote"the"arrangements."When"the"ensemble"

developed"into"a"big"band,"Leeuwenberg,"who"felt"unfit"for"the"job,"invited"Elsen"to"take"

over."On"January"26,"1979,"the"Koninklijk"Conservatorium"organized"a"special"jazz"night,"

presenting"the"arrangements"and"compositions"of"student"and"teachers."The"positive"

evaluation"of"the"concert"was"reported"to"director"Jan"van"Vlijmen"and"legitimized"the"

further"initiation"of"the"independent"jazz"program"at"the"conservatory"of"The"Hague."

"

The-bebop-school-

Elsen"and"Leeuwenberg’s"1979"educational"plan"for"the"jazz"department"of"the"

Conservatorium"in"The"Hague"was"exemplary"for"most"jazz"departments"in"the"country."

The"jazz"curriculum"evolved"from"the"classical"program"was"extended"with"the"main"

subject"taught"by"a"jazz"musician"and"complemented"with"additional"jazz"courses."From"

1979"the"institution"offered"jazz"majors"in"piano,"electric"guitar,"drums,"bass,"flute,"

clarinet,"saxophone,"trumpet,"and"trombone."Most"jazz"departments"offered"degrees"

under"the"names"of"Uitvoerend-Musicus"(Performing"Artists,"UM)"or"Docerend-Musicus"

(Teaching"Musician,"DM),"which"prepared"the"student"for"a"career"respectively"as"a"

soloist"or"a"teacher"at"a"music"school."To"enter"the"program,"the"students"needed"to"do"a"

practical"exam,"consisting"of"the"performance"of"a"classical"piece"and"improvising"over"a"

chord"scheme,"and"a"theoretical"exam,"testing"the"knowledge"of"theory"and"solfège."In"

addition,"classical"students"following"the"performance"or"school"music"programs"

continued"to"have"the"option"to"obtain"the"lichte-muziek-registration."The"curriculum"

was"subdivided"into"different"theoretical"courses,"including"theory"of"harmony,"solfège,"

jazz"history,"classical"music"history,"music"analysis"and"pedagogical"classes"such"as"

methods"and"practical"groups."In"addition,"the"curriculum"consisted"of"several"practical"

classes,"such"as"ensembles"and"a"compulsory"minor"in"second"instrument."

"

The"first"generation"of"jazz"teachers"at"the"conservatories"consisted"mostly"of"jazz"

musicians,"who"regularly"worked"for"the"radio"and"television"studios"based"in"

Hilversum."Partly"as"a"result"of"the"decreasing"employment"possibilities"in"broadcasting"

orchestras,"many"of"these"musicians"found"an"additional"income"working"as"a"

"76"

conservatory"teacher.204"An"extra"and"steady"income"was"an"import"motive"to"start"

teaching"as"were,"to"a"lesser"extent,"the"enthusiasm"for"jazz"and"the"inspirational"

environment"offered"by"the"conservatorium.205"With"its"focus"on"technical"skills,"

arranging"and"music"history,"the"curriculum"of"the"early"jazz"programs"reflected"the"

background"of"the"teaching"staff."As"pointed"out"in"Chapter"One,"these"studio"musicians"

generally"saw"knowledge"of"the"jazz"tradition,"technical"skills,"and"“the"ability"to"swing”"

as"essential"tools"for"the"individual"development"of"the"musician.""

"

Modern"jazz"pianist"Frans"Elsen’s"views"particularly"marked"the"development"of"formal"

jazz"education."Both"as"the"coHfounder"of"the"jazz"departments"in"Rotterdam,"Den"Haag,"

and"Zwolle,"and"as"a"piano"and"arranging"teacher"in"Hilversum"and"Utrecht,"he"was"

closely"involved"in"the"education"of"students,"the"appointment"of"teachers"and"in"

developing"the"outlines"of"the"educational"programs."Elsen,"who"was"largely"responsible"

for"the"appointment"of"the"teaching"staff,"selected"the"teachers"primarily"based"on"their"

playing"skills."“They"were"all"people"whom"I"considered"fit"for"the"job."You"need"people"

that,"first"of"all,"know"how"to"play"and,"secondly,"of"which"you"expect"they"can"get"their"

ideas"across.”206Elsen"received"a"classical"piano"training"at"the"conservatory"of"The"

Hague,"during"which"he"picked"up"his"activities"as"a"jazz"pianist."Elsen"aimed"at"a"clearH

structured"trajectory"for"jazz"education,"from"amateurHcourses"at"music"schools,"a"two"

to"three"year"preliminary"training"at"regional"departments"of"conservatories,"followed"

by"a"specialized"jazz"and"improvised"music"program"at"the"conservatory,"the"latter"

accessible"through"an"entrance"exam."“My"ideal"is"the"American"collegeHsystem,"with"the"

option"of"an"intern"campus"…"with"a"jazz"club,"a"bar,"a"concert"hall"and"recording"studios,"

where"you"can"learn"every"aspect"of"the"field.”207"Besides"the"obvious"financial"benefits,"

Elsen’s"teaching"career"was"born"out"of"a"frustration"with"the"studio"work."“I"worked"

with"radioH"and"television"orchestras"at"the"Hilversum"studio’s,"and"I"really"developed"

an"aversion"against"it."The"music"and"the"atmosphere"nearly"drove"me"round"the"bend."I"

didn’t"enjoy"it."The"work"was"shallow"and"unmusical."This"whole"idea"of"making"music"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

204"The"orchestras"of"the"KRO,"VARA,"and"AVRO"were"discontinued"in"respectively"1964,"1986,"and"1997."

205"Rusch,"Jazzpracticum,"44."



"77"

just"for"the"dough"[broodmuzikantenmentaliteit]"really"goes"against"the"grain"with"

me.”208""

"

With"his"aesthetics"and"didactical"ideas"firmly"based"in"classical"western"harmony"and"

the"bebop"idiom,"Elsen"was"both"appreciated"and"criticized"for"his"distinct"and"stern"

views."Elsen"in"2007"explained"how"he"deliberately"chose"for"a"schoolish"setHup"of"his"

arranging"class"that"was"partly"taken"from"the"classical"curriculum,"noting"that"he"

“wrote"exercises"on"a"big"chalkboard"with"staffs”"and"let"the"students"“perform"tasks,"

very"schoolish.”"For"example,"he"would"write"down"a"melody"and"tell"them"to"put"

chords"underneath"and"to"connect"them."“Or"I"played"an"harmonic"progression"on"the"

piano"and"asked"them"to"listen"carefully,"check"whether"they"could"hear"what"was"going"

on.”209"As"Elsen"asserted,"“it’s"all"pretty"straightforward,"and"I"like"that."At"a"

conservatory"you"need"to"present"things"as"clear"as"possible."Music"is"vague"enough"as"it"

is.”"Elsen"thus"strongly"believed"it"is"not"the"teacher’s"task"to"confront"the"student"with"

complex"artistic"dilemmas:"

"

You"just"have"to"teach"them"how"to"multiply,"that’s"the"purpose"of"a"

school."Don’t"be"too"ambitious"by"starting"with"all"these"complex"artistic"

problems."A"school"is"a"school"and"within"that"environment"you"need"to"

teach"things"that"fit"that"environment;"simple,"basic"things."It’s"just"kids"

that"need"to"learn"something,"that’s"all."(Frans"Elsen,"interview"by"author,"

2007)210"

"

Underlying"Elsen’s"teaching"method"is"the"idea"that"jazz"as"part"of"a"tonalityHbased"

musical"tradition,"against"which"current"musical"practices"can"be"positioned"and"valued:"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

208"Elsen,"interview,"2007."“Ik"werkte"in"Hilversum"in"de"studio’s"in"allerlei"radioHen"televisieorkesten"[en]"

dat"ging"me"zo"tegenstaan."Ik"werd"gek"van"de"muziek"die"ik"daar"moest"spelen,"van"de"hele"sfeer."Ik"vond"

het"niet"leuk."Het"was"oppervlakkig,"niet"muzikaal."Echt"broodmuzikantenmentaliteit"en"dat"stuitte"me"

tegen"de"borst.”"

209"Ibid."“Ik"had"altijd"een"groot"bord"met"notenbalken"en"daar"deed"ik"oefeningen"op."[…]"Ik"liet"ze"ook"

heel"schools"oefeningen"maken"op"het"bord."Dan"schreef"ik"een"melodietje"op"of"een"toplijn"van"noten"en"

dan"zei"ik:"“Zet"er"maar"akkoorden"onder,"verbind"ze"maar,”"dat"soort"dingen."Of"ik"speelde"een"progressie"

op"de"piano"en"dan"vroeg"ik"ze"om"te"luisteren"of"ze"konden"horen"hoe"die"verliep.”"

210"Ibid."“Je"moet"ze"gewoon"de"tafels"van"onder"de"tien"leren,"daar"is"een"school"voor."En"niet"beginnen"

met"allerlei"artistieke"problemen,"daar"schiet"je"je"doel"mee"voorbij."Een"school"is"een"school"en"daar"moet"

je"als"een"school"in"lesgeven:"heel"simpele"en"basale"dingen."Het"zijn"kinderen,"die"moeten"gewoon"iets"

leren,"meer"niet.”"

"78"

How"it"is"possible"to"make"mistakes"in"music?"Well,"that’s"easy:"some"

things"just"sound"better"than"others."Obviously"you"can"argue"about"these"

things,"but"there"are"certain"standards"you"have"to"take"into"account."

Without"these"standards,"every"type"of"education"is"useless."And"usually"it"

is"pretty"clear"what"these"standards"are."The"standard"if"you"teach"a"

language"is"to"make"oneself"heard,"or"to"be"able"to"write"or"speak"the"

language."The"criterion"for"arranging"is"that"it"just"needs"to"sound"good,"

and"there"are"certain"rules"for"that."(Frans"Elsen,"interview"by"author,"

2007)211"

"

These"rules"or"standards,"according"to"Elsen’s"view,"derive"from"a"large"part"from"the"

classical"principles"of"harmony,"because"“jazz"harmony"is"just"an"added"color"to"the"

classical"harmony”"and"therefore"“jazz"harmony"doesn’t"exist.”"When"asked"about"the"

role"of"formal"education"in"the"creative"process,"Elsen"notes,"“as"the"name"indicates,"a"

conservatory"is"conservative"in"principle.”"He"explained,"

"

You"can’t"teach"a"process."It"doesn’t"need"to"have"come"to"a"complete"

standstill,"because"everything"is"a"process."As"long"as"you"live,"you’ll"

continue"to"develop"and"you’re"music"will"change,"that’s"a"fact."The"way"I"

teach"now"is"completely"different"from"the"way"I"taught"twenty"years"ago,"

because"I"have"developed."But"I"do"teach"those"things"that"have"developed"

otherwise"I"can’t"do"it."If"I"don’t"know"how"things"work"myself,"I’ll"never"

be"able"to"teach"it"to"someone"else."(Frans"Elsen,"interview"by"author,"

2007)212""

"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

211"Ibid."“Hoe"kun"je"in"muziek"fouten"maken?"Nou,"dat"is"heel"makkelijk:"het"één"klinkt"gewoon"beter"dan"

het"andere."En"daar"kun"je"natuurlijk"over"twisten,"maar"er"is"gewoon"een"maatstaf"die"je"aan"moet"nemen."

Als"je"geen"maatstaf"hebt,"dan"is"ieder"onderricht"overbodig."En"meestal"is"de"maatstaf"heel"duidelijk."Als"

je"taalonderwijs"geeft,"dan"is"de"maatstaf"dat"je"verstaanbaar"bent,"of"dat"je"het"kunt"lezen"of"spreken."Bij"

het"arrangeren"is"de"maatstaf"dat"het"gewoon"goed"moet"klinken"en"daar"heb"je"een"norm"voor.”"

212"Ibid."“Ik"denk"dat"een"conservatorium,"zoals"de"naam"al"aangeeft,"in"principe"conservatief"is."Je"kan"niet"

iets"onderwijzen"wat"nog"in"ontwikkeling."Het"hoeft"niet"allemaal"uitontwikkeld"te"zijn,"want"niks"is"

uitontwikkeld."Zolang"als"een"mens"leeft"zal"hij"zichzelf"ontwikkelen"en"zal"de"muziek"die"hij"maakt"

veranderen,"dat"is"duidelijk."Ik"denk"dat"ik"nu"lesgeef"op"een"heel"andere"manier"dan"waarop"ik"twintig"

jaar"geleden"lesgaf,"omdat"ik"mezelf"ontwikkeld"heb."Maar"ik"geef"wel"les"in"de"dingen"die"zoveel"mogelijk"

ontwikkeld"zijn,"anders"kan"ik"het"niet."Als"ik"het"zelf"niet"weet,"dan"kan"ik"het"zeker"een"ander"niet"

vertellen.”"

"79"

This"view"contrasted"with"the"idea"of"openness"as"advocated"by"De"Wit,"Bouman,"and"

other"promoters"of"workshops"and,"again,"reflected"their"different"views"on"the"meaning,"

value,"and"direction"of"jazz."

"

However,"in"contrast"to"his"image"as"a"relentless"and"conservative"propagator"of"“the"

correct"notes,”"Elsen"basically"saw"the"conservatory"as"a"place"where"knowledge"can"be"

brought"together:"

"

There"are"things"you"cannot"do"by"yourself,"for"which"you"need"help."

Friends"might"be"able"explain,"but"you"have"to"go"to"their"place"or"they"

have"to"come"to"you"and"that"is"all"very"timeHconsuming."A"school"is"an"

excellent"place,"if"you"quickly"want"to"learn"a"few"things."…"It’s"not"so"

much"about"what"you"learn."The"main"thing"is"you"pressure"the"students"

to"thoroughly"engage"with"it."You"need"a"deadline."If"I"have"to"write"a"

piece"without"a"deadline,"there"is"a"big"chance"it"will"never"be"finished."If"

they"tell"me"it"has"to"be"finished"next"week,"I"will"go"on"night"and"day"to"

finish"it"on"time."The"same"goes"for"a"study"at"the"conservatory."(Frans"

Elsen,"interview"by"author,"2007)"

"

So,"rather"than"as"a"place"that"allowed"him"to"pass"on"what"the"critics"saw"as"Elsen’s"

purist"doctrine,"he"basically"saw"the"conservatory"as"a"timesaving"institute."Elsen"thus"

advocated"an"evolutionist"view"on"jazz,"a"way"of"developing"music"that"is"not"focused"on"

radical"change"and"revolutionist"ideas,"but"one"that"is"firmly"rooted"in"a"musical"

tradition."

"

In"response"to"the"idea"of"jazz"or"music"as"an"individual"expression"that"cannot"be"

taught,"promoters"of"jazz"education"saw"imitation"as"an"indispensable"part"of"the"

learning"process."In"this"view,"knowledge"of"the"jazz"tradition"and"good"technical"skills"

formed"the"basic"tools"to"every"musician."As"head"of"the"jazz"department"in"The"Hague"

Wouter"Turkenburg"noted"in"1988"“If"you"know"how"to"play"bop,"you"have"nailed"the"

changes,"than"you"can"play"anything.”213"Jan"Huydts,"coordinator"of"the"jazz"department"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

213"Van"den"Berg,"“Het"is"museumtaal"geworden,”"3."

"80"

in"Hilversum"observed"how"“People"blame"us"for"creating"oneHtrick"ponies"and"for"

creating"a"bebop"cult,"but"we"aim"to"educate"the"students"in"the"broadest"possible"way"

and"to"reach"them"the"tools"for"becoming"professional"musicians.214"Generally,"both"

opponents"and"advocates"for"professional"jazz"education"agreed"that"the"conservatory"

alone"would"not"get"you"far."“Practice"during"the"day,"play"at"night,"that’s"how"it’s"done,"

according"to"drummer"John"Engels.215"

"

Nevertheless,"the"teaching"model"as"advocated"by"Elsen"and"alike"was"met"by"fierce"

criticism,"which"came"especially"from"journalists"and"musicians"with"a"more"

experimental"approach"to"jazz."With"the"exception"of"Jeroen"de"Valk,"who"wrote"several"

articles"in"support"of"jazz"programs"at"the"conservatories,"most"journalists"were"very"

critical"of"the"institutionalization"of"jazz"education."Paraphrasing"Dutch"poet"Willem"

Kloos’"notion"of"art"as"“the"most"individualistic"expression"of"the"most"individualistic"

emotion,”"journalist"Bert"Vuijsje"noted"in"1986"that"jazz"is"“the"most"spontaneous"

expression"of"the"most"spontaneous"emotion.”"“Therefore,”"Vuijsje"reasoned,"“it"is"

impossible"to"capture"jazz"in"a"systematic"education"program.”216"The"emphasis"on"

technical"skills"and"musical"tradition"within"the"curriculum"they"reasoned,"were"at"the"

cost"of"exploring"the"individuality"of"expression"and"the"freedom"that"jazz"represented."

In"1983,"the"aforementioned"workshop"organizer"Elstak"fiercely"criticized"the"jazz"

programs"at"the"conservatory,"arguing"that"they"produced"“clones,”"a"“series"of"identical"

musicians.”"He"especially"opposed"the"teaching"model"that"jazz"teachers"had"taken"over"

from"the"classical"department,"arguing"that"“the"jazz"scene"used"to"keep"far"from"the"

dogmatism"that"prevailed"at"the"conservatories;"now,"paradoxically,"exactly"this"seems"

to"thrive"among"the"jazz"teachers.”217"Implicitly"Elstak"criticized"the"essentially"

hierarchical"nature"of"teacherHstudent"relation,"which"he"considered"far"from"the"

democratic"model"of"musicHmaking"he"proposed"in"his"workshops—although"these"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

214"Ibid."

215"De"Valk,"“Jazzopleidingen,”"91."

216"Jeroen"de"Valk,"“Jazzopleidingen,”"in"Jazzjaarboek-5,"ed."Erik"van"den"Berg"and"Frank"van"Dixhoorn"

(Amsterdam:"Van"Gennep,"1986),"91."“allerspontaanste"expressie"van"de"allerspontaanse"emotie.”"

217"Erik"van"den"Berg,"“Het"is"museumtaal"geworden:"De"Nederlandse"jazzHconservatoria"en"de"muzikale"

identiteit,”"De-Volkskrant,"Augustus"5,"1988,"3."“Er"rolt"een"reeks"identieke"muzikanten"van"de"band."Ik"zet"

grote"vraagtekens"bij"het"lerarencorps."Het"dogmatisme"dat"vroeger"op"de"conservatoria"leefde,"en"waar"

de"jazzwereld"juist"altijd"op"af"heeft"gegeven,"lijkt"juist"bij"die"uit"de"jazz"afkomstige"leraren"het"sterkst,"

paradoxaal"genoeg.”"

"81"

were"similarly"criticized"for"being"based"on"undemocratic"decisionHmaking,"as"has"been"

pointed"out"earlier"in"this"chapter.""

"

While"improvising"musicians"and"journalists"criticized"the"formal"jazz"education"for"

what"they"felt"was"its"uncreative"nature,"musicians"with"a"more"conventional"approach"

to"jazz"disapproved"of"it"for"its"intellectualism."Vocalist"Rita"Reys,"who"had"learned"to"

sing"on"stage,"strongly"believed"in"the"view"of"talent"as"something"that"cannot"be"taught"

and"therefore"doubted"the"use"of"a"professional"training."On"a"workshop"she"gave"at"the"

Rotterdams"Conservatorium,"Reys"commented:"

"

I"could"not"teach"them"how"to"sing."You"either"can"or"you"can’t"sing."You"

have"to"be"able"to"sing"in"tune,"and"if"you"don’t"have"it"in"you,"it"is"simply"

impossible."Timing"is"something"that"can’t"be"taught,"either."You"either"

have"it"in"you,"or"you"don’t."Rita"Reys,"Rita-Reys:-Lady-Jazz"[Amsterdam:"

Thomas"Rap,"2004],"195H6)218"

"

This"way,"following"the"“it"don’t"mean"a"thing,"if"it"ain’t"got"that"swing”Hdoctrine,"Reys’"

rejection"of"formal"jazz"education"was"closely"linked"to"a"more"general"aversion"against"

the"further"intellectualization"of"jazz."

"

By"the"midH1980s,"in"eight"of"the"eleven"conservatories,"more"than"a"thousand"students"

were"enrolled"at"jazz"or"lichte-muziek"departments,"as"“Conservatory"Boards"

acknowledged"the"artistic"significance"of"pop,"jazz,"and"improvised"music.”219-

While"during"the"1970s"only"the"conservatories"of"Rotterdam,"The"Hague"and"

Amsterdam"offered"jazz"programs,"by"the"midH1980s"all"eleven"conservatories"(Utrecht,"

Hilversum,"Groningen,"Maastricht,"Tilburg,"Enschede,"Zwolle,"Arnhem)"included"jazzH

related"programs"in"their"curriculum."In"addition,"the"teachers’"training"colleges"in"the"

cities"of"Alkmaar,"Hilversum"and"Leeuwarden"offered"degrees"in"music"as"well."By"1985,"

the"total"number"of"students"at"jazz"departments"had"grown"to"approximately"oneH

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

218"Bert"Vuijsje"and"Rita"Reys,"Rita-Reys:-Lady-Jazz"(Amsterdam:"Thomas"Rap,"2004),"195H6."“Maar"ze"

hebben"geen"peper"in"hun"kont,"ze"timen"niet"goed.”"

219"Erik"van"den"Berg,"“Briefcase"Bop"and"Gloss"Paint:"Spectacular"Jazz"Debuts;"Heated"Discussions"in"the"

Era"of"a"New"Conservatism,”"Keynotes-24,"1987,"45H54."

"82"

thousand,"with"a"largely"majority"from"the"conservatories"of"Hilversum"(360)"and"

Rotterdam"(240)."As"a"result"of"different"teaching"staff,"these"departments"developed"a"

distinct"character."While"The"Hague"became"known"for"its"bebop,"the"departments"of"

Amsterdam"and"Arnhem"attracted"students"for"their"free"approach"to"jazz.220"The"

Rotterdam"department"became"known"for"its"versatile"program,"as"many"students"

focused"on"rock,"jazz,"Latin,"and"popular"music."Journalist"Erik"van"den"Berg"typified"the"

distinctive"departments"in"1988"as:"“Rotterdam"and"Hilversum"draw"the"link"between"

jazz,"pop,"fusion,"and"rock"music."The"Hague"is"a"pure"jazz"school."Amsterdam"keeps"an"

‘open"mind’"and"does"not"adhere"to"any"particular"kind"of"style.”221"The"improvised"

music"department"of"Amsterdam"differed"significantly"from"those"of"Hilversum,"The"

Hague,"Utrecht,"and"Rotterdam"which,"because"of"its"largely"overlapping"teaching"staff,"

showed"great"similarities"in"terms"of"its"main"objectives."The"lichte-muziek-department-

was"founded"in"1979"by"bass"player"and"workshop"leader"Arnold"Dooyeweerd"and"bass"

player"Niko"Langenhuijsen,"both"musicians"with"a"more"open"attitude"towards"

improvised"music."Ironically,"Mengelberg,"Bennink"and"Breuker—who"had"opposed"to"

these"formalized"ways"of"learning"how"to"play"music—became"members"of"staff."

However,"partly"as"a"result"of"a"lack"of"coherence"in"the"curriculum—the"main"focus"

being"on"individual"expression"at"the"cost"of"developing"technical"and"analytical"skills—

the"educational"program"of"the"department"of"improvised"music"did"not"prove"very"

successful."Moreover,"the"informal"character"of"the"program"and"the"lack"of"consistency"

in"the"program"finally"lead"to"the"failure"of"the"Amsterdam"department."

"

In"response"to"the"conservatory"programs,"musicians"during"the"1980s"also"sought"for"

alternatives,"mostly"in"the"form"of"workshopsHseries"or"independent"jazz"schools."The"

1981"Stichting"Workshops"in"Nederland"voor"Geïmproviseerde"Muziek"(Association"

Workshops"for"Improvised"Music"In"the"Netherlands,"SWING)"proposed"a"further"

organization"and"funding"of"workshops."The"“stimulating"open"structure”"of"workshops"

allowed"participants"to"“further"develop"the"creativity,"ensemble"playing"and"other"

important"skills"in"musical"improvisation.”222"The"association"argued"that"the"

conservatory"focused"too"much"on"technical"skills,"teaching"methods,"consequently"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

220"De"Valk,"“Jazzopleidingen,”"90."

221"Van"den"Berg,"“Het"is"museumtaal"geworden,”"3."

222"“Plan"voor"de"geïmproviseerde"muziek,”"1983,"10."

"83"

creating"a"divide"between"education"and"musical"practice."It"stressed"the"individual"

development"as"the"core"of"education:"“In"practice"the"most"important"things"in"jazz"are"

to"develop"an"individual"style"and"to"play"together.”223"Following"the"open"and"

democratic"structure"of"the"workshops,"integrating"SWING"into"existing"educational"

programs"was"out"of"the"order:"“These"workshops"cannot"be"integrated"in"the"existing"

educational"system"without"losing"its"specific"nature"and"meaning."Workshops"are"not"

compatible"with"institutionalization.”224""

"

From"the"1980s,"the"jazz"programs"as"based"on"the"model"as"proposed"by"Elsen"and"

Leeuwenberg"in"The"Hague,"have"developed"into"varied"programs"that"cover"a"wide"

range"of"styles"and"genres"in"improvised"music."Considering"the"ideological"divide"

between"its"teaching"staffs,"the"1998"fusion"of"the"jazz"departments"of"Amsterdam"and"

Hilversum"was"remarkable."While"the"new"department,"for"promotional"reasons,"was"

allocated"in"Amsterdam,"the"new"teaching"staff"consisted"predominantly"of"teachers"

from"the"Hilversum"department"and"therefore"of"the"musicians"that"firmly"rooted"in"the"

industry"of"radio"and"television."As"a"result,"the"fused"department"continued"largely"in"

the"tradition"and"the"aesthetics"of"modern"jazz,"although"the"aforementioned"

Dooyeweerd"also"continued"to"give"his"free"improvisation"groups."

"

Wouter"Turkenburg"in"a"2007"interview"argued"that,"as"far"as"jazz"programs"at"the"

conservatories"are"concerned,"the"conflict"between"Elsen"and"Breuker"has"completely"

disappeared:"“Since"a"couple"of"years"students"enter"the"conservatory"of"The"Hague"who"

are"well"aware"of"different"styles"and"approaches"of"jazz."To"them,"bebop"and"free"jazz"

are"“different"chapters"in"the"book"of"jazz"fairy"tales.”225"Students,"according"to"

Turkenburg,"can"hardly"imagine"why"different"approaches"to"jazz"used"to"cause"so"much"

trouble,"although"the"richtingenstrijd"resonates"in"discussions"with"teachers"of"a"

pensionable"age."Nevertheless,"the"discussion"nowadays"has"largely"shifted"from"

justifying"the"jazz"department"to"justifying"its"curricular"content."Conservatories"focus"

on"the"broadening"of"the"students’"chances"and"opportunities."Students"from"the"

classical"department"are"taking"part"in"jazz"courses"and"vice"versa."Also,"the"classical"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

223"Ibid."

224"Ibid.,"30."“De"workshops"verdragen"het"niet"geïnstitutionaliseerd"te"worden.”"

225"Wouter"Turkenburg,"interview"by"author,"June"25,"2007,"The"Hague."

"84"

department"no"longer"functions"as"the"sole"base"model"for"music"programs."During"the"

first"IASJ"Jazz"Education"Conference"in"2003,"for"example,"the"relevance"and"

opportunities"of"improvisational"techniques"in"classical"music"education"were"discussed."

Internationalization"is"another"aspect"of"recent"developments"in"formal"jazz"education."

The"large"numbers"of"foreign"students"that"take"part"in"Dutch"music"programs"create"

new"influxes"and"gives"new"impulses"to"Dutch"music"practices."Additionally,"

international"collaborations"are"organized,"such"as"student"exchange"programs"and"

international"meetings"and"gatherings"such"as"the"IAJE"and"IASJ."These"developments"

correspond"with"the"revaluation,"professionalizing"and"internationalization"within"

broader"jazz"practices."

Conclusion&&

This"chapter"dealt"with"the"institutionalization"and"professionalization"of"jazz"education"

in"the"Netherlands"through"an"exploration"and"comparison"of"workshops"and"jazz"

programs"as"taught"at"the"conservatories."I"have"shown"how,"within,"the"process"of"

institutionalization"two"main"perspectives"on"jazz"education"can"be"distinguished."The"

avantHgardist"perspective,"on"the"one"hand,"underlines"the"aspect"of"music"as"a"creative"

form"of"art,"whiles"the"traditionalistic"perspective,"on"the"other"hand,"focuses"more"on"

history"and"skills."These"perspectives"coincide"with"the"ideological"divide"as"

represented"by"the"richtingenstrijdHnarrative."Herman"de"Wit"and"other"organizers"of"

workshops"generally"saw"workshops,"with"its"open"character,"as"the"most"fit"place"for"

learning"to"play"together"and"to"explore"new"ways"of"organizing"music,"a"view"that"was"

underlined"by"the"SJN,"which"in"its"plans"repeatedly"noted"workshops"as"the"most"

important"learning"environment"for"improvised"music.""

"

While"their"informal"and"flexible"organization"of"workshops"interrelated"with"the"

notion"of"jazz"as"a"creative"process"of"renewal"and"change,"the"formal"jazz"programs"

taught"at"conservatories"fitted"in"and"followed"from"the"notion"of"jazz"as"a"musical"

tradition"and"art"as"a"craft"of"which"the"basic"can"be"taught."Moreover,"with"its"emphasis"

on"technical"skills,"tradition"and"craftsmanship,"the"notion"of"jazz"promoted"by"

conservatory"teachers"such"as"Frans"Elsen"closely"connected"with"the"nineteenthH

century"musical"traditionalist"methods"taught"at"the"conservatories."Consequently,"jazz"

as"a"craft"and"as"firmly"based"in"a"tradition"was"more"suitable"for"integrating"into"a"

"85"

formal"educational"plan"than"the"notion"of"jazz"as"a"creative"art"and"as"a"free"individual"

expression"as"promoted"by"improvising"musicians."The"rather"segmented"organization"

of"jazz"education"in"the"Netherlands"thus"reflected"the"conflicts"and"debates"within"the"

Dutch"jazz"community"and"reinforced"the"understanding"of"jazz"in"the"stereotypical"

binary"between"“the"radical"improvising"musician”"and"the"“conservative,"traditionalist"

jazz"musician.”"This"way,"I"propose"that"by"critically"engaging"with"education’s"

underlying"ideologies,"this"chapter"contributes"to"the"further"understanding"of"the"

institutionalization"of"knowledge"and"how"this"facilitates"and"directs"musical"change."In"

the"next"chapter"I"delve"more"deeply"into"the"intertwining"of"jazz"and"cultural"politics."

Documents

UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Our subcultural ...52"" 2.&Legitimizing&the&learning&process& Until"the"1960s,"jazz"musicians"generally"learned"to"play"jazz"by"ear,"listening"to"and"