Course Improvement Grant Spotlight: “Jazz and Global Ensemble Recording of New Works”

Posted by fowlinj on Thursday, April 14, 2022 in Commentary, Grants.

by Julaine Fowlin

Ryan Middagh, Assistant Professor of Jazz and Chair of the Jazz and Global Music Department, talked about his Course Improvement Grant, “Jazz and Global Ensemble Recording of New Works,” in an interview with CFT assistant director Julaine Fowlin. Ryan will be using funds from the course improvement grant to hire a sound engineer to handle the production elements of recorded ensembles, as currently, Blair School of Music does not have an on-staff audio engineer who is focused on recording. The engineer will be a veteran professional from Nashville. Every year there is an emphasis on examining how North American Music flows with other music in the world. One of the ensembles usually done is a special ensemble in Jazz and global music. The themes change yearly; this year’s focus is on Latin Jazz ensemble. Specifically, for the recorded ensemble, they will focus on Cuban styles. In the video interview, Ryan shares about the multifaceted nature of this project. Students will get the incredible opportunity to work with a professional in the field. The music for the ensembles are written by students and young composers across the united states. Remarkably, one of the young composers is 15 years old. Ryan sees this project as fun and more than an educational process. He describes the project as “soulful” and very relevant post-pandemic. Students benefit from the process of recording and the recorded end product. Students can use the end product in their portfolios and submit these for competitions and national awards. For example, Josh Karas, one of the senior Jazz Studies Major was selected by the Jazz Education Network (JEN) as one of the best young composers. The recordings also act as an excellent recruitment tool to showcase the excellence at Vanderbilt. Ryan shares that several prospective students have shared how they heard the ensembles on Spotify or watched them on YouTube. Ryan encourages all faculty to take advantage of the internal teaching grant opportunity to make changes in their teaching. Thinking outside of the box and having the funds can really open some different doors for teaching that is both creative and impactful. He has also really enjoyed connecting with other grant recipients and learning about other great projects on campus. Ryan sums up his teaching philosophy in two words “Students first.” He believes in focusing on what students need in their development. He teaches music majors and non-majors and strives to assess their needs and devise mechanisms to foster and mentor their development.