If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

Jazz educators often find themselves struggling to engage young musicians who, like their non-musical peers, have seemingly insatiable appetites for all things internet. As they glance at smartphones resting on their music stands, AI-generated comments and transactional social media posts erode the community-building vital to school music programs. Since dependence on technology is unlikely to change, try incorporating acceptable uses of the internet and social media into your program. Consider involving students in managing a band social media presence. As they prepare and post videos of themselves soloing with play-along tracks, you not only protect your music program from artistic devaluation, your students improve their skills the “old school” way: practicing their instruments.