Arranging for School Jazz Ensembles

Abstract

School music teachers have a unique opportunity to cultivate creativity, yet teachers often report spending little time on composing, improvising, and arranging music. This chapter demystifies the process of writing for a school jazz ensemble so that arranging becomes a part of the culture in a school music program. Jazz arranging in a school setting can foster an intrinsic desire among students to create music, allow for a variety of instrumentation best suited for the school, accommodate nontraditional learners, differentiate for the strengths and weaknesses of the ensemble, allow the teacher to assess knowledge through performance-based activities, and increase the school’s library of repertoire without breaking the budget. This chapter explores (a) considerations before arranging, (b) writing for rhythm sections, (c) writing for winds, and (d) basic harmonization techniques.