Saturday, February 7, 1998

New Orleans to Bop & beyond
Cliff Stevens (571-5)

New Orleans to Bop and Beyond: A Comprehensive Jazz Instructional Programme for Secondary Level Students

New Orleans to Bop and Beyond: A Comprehensive Jazz Instructional Programme for Secondary Level Students is the title of the thesis written for my M.A at Concordia.This thesis offers a proposal for the development of an introductory jazz-related curriculum for secondary level students.It is based on a critical evaluation of past pedagogical techniques in the field.Two aspects are proposed, historical and performance.Students learn the history of each stylistic period and then learn to play in that style.New Orleans to Bop and Beyond consists of five 12-lesson modules, each dealing with a specific period of jazz e.g. New Orleans & Early Bop (modules 1&3), one of which is presented in its entirety (module 3) and another that presents the historical aspect (module 1).Generic plans for the instructional programme are included that cover lesson plans, tests, student material etc.Singing as well as playing on an instrument are essential instructional strategies.Cooperative learning exercises also play an important role in the learning process.A formative evaluation of 2 lesson from the Early Bop module was done.Twenty grade 9 students participated in a 2-period learning experience.Findings indicated that on the average students increased their knowledge of this jazz period.

My presentation of New Orleans to Bop and Beyond will explain briefly the concept and philosophy of this instructional programme and will include a demonstration of one of the teaching methods i.e. midi keyboard for Early Bop phrasing.Questions will be welcomed after the presentation.

Sund, sand & serfs
Marianne Vardalos (553-6)

Sun, Sand and Serfs: The Effects of Five-Star Tourism on the Education of North American Tourists in Egypt

This paper combines the results of an investigation into the education of North Americans when they are five-star tourists in Egypt, with a call for a transformation in how racial identity and culture are co-opted in tourism. It is commonly assumed that a primary function of travel to the developing world is its educational value, however the artificial and limited interaction between tourists and indigenous employees, characteristic of five-star tourism actually serves to exacerbate racial prejudice. Significantly, field work suggested that at least some North American tourists are likely to appreciate a less exploitative and more educational environment than that which is offered to them presently. It will be argued that alternative forms of tourism do nothing to address the structural basis of inequality and are no more ethical than the five-star field. If the educational purpose of tourism is to be fully realized, transformation of its exploitative nature must begin at its core: ideology. Touristic education, both pre-departure, as well as at during visits, should include equipping North Americans with the theoretical tools required to analyze the construction of cultures brought about by colonial, imperial and neo-colonial products (mythology, news media, the travel industry, popular culrute). By replacing stereotypical images of 'natives' with an analysis of how 'the other' is constructed, we begin the decolonization of the western imagination. Only then will travel cease to advance global inequality and will begin, instead, to contribute to a more humane world.