Episode 210: Jazz and Theory in the Choral Classroom with David von Kampen

Choralosophy

Should vocal jazz join other forms of ensemble singing in the “mainstream” of music education? Or does best fit within a niche?

In our second episode of the brand new “GIA/Walton” series, I am excited to bring you another fascinating and useful conversation. This time, with composer and vocal jazz advocate, David von Kampen.

In this discussion, we tackle teaching approaches, and programming philosophies that seek to seamlessly weave concepts from jazz and music theory into our choral classrooms of all levels. It can be true for many teachers that we program less Jazz repertoire because we either don’t have a jazz ensemble, and/or we just didn’t receive much education in our teacher training programs that help us feel comfortable approaching the repertoire. This insecurity can often manifest itself as a programming gap. “When you sing jazz, nothing about the fundamentals of healthy singing changes.” David advocates for all schools having a dedicated vocal jazz ensemble in their program, but also offers practical ways to inject jazz into the curriculum in general choral environments.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com

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David von Kampen (b. 1986) is a composer from Lincoln, Nebraska. David’s creative work spans a wide variety of genres and styles, including jazz, choral music, hymnody and liturgy, solo voice, chamber music, and musical theater. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kansas, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska. He has studied composition with James Barnes, Dan Gailey, Forrest Pierce, Eric Richards, and Randall Snyder.

David is a six-time Downbeat Award winner in graduate-level jazz writing categories, a three-time winner of the Vancouver Chamber Choir Young Composers Competition, and was named the MTNA Distinguished Composer of the Year for his song cycle “Under the Silver and Home Again.” He has been among ten winners of the ORTUS International New Music Competition, the recipient of an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer award, winner of the San Francisco Choral Artists New Voices Project, winner of the National Band Association’s Young Jazz Composers Competition, and received Honorable Mention in the New York Youth Symphony First Music Commissions. Puddin’ and the Grumble, David’s original musical with playwright Becky Boesen, was one of seven finalists for the Richard Rodgers award.

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David has over 80 choral and instrumental compositions and arrangements published with Walton Music, G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard, Concordia Publishing House, Pavane Publishing, UNC Jazz Press, Graphite, MusicSpoke, and others. His music has been performed by the Aeolians, KHORIKOS Vocal Ensemble, the L.A. Choral Lab, KC VITAs Chamber Choir, the Taiwan Youth Festival Chorus, San Francisco Choral Artists, the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and by collegiate, all-state, high school, and church ensembles throughout the United States and internationally.

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David is a lecturer of music theory and literature at the University of Nebraska, where he teaches a variety of music courses and directs the award-winning UNL Jazz Singers. He also serves as Music Coordinator for Sanctuary Worship at Christ Lutheran Church in Lincoln. David is a member of ASCAP, the Jazz Education Network, and the American Choral Directors Association. He is active as a conductor and pianist, and as a clinician for vocal and instrumental ensembles. He lives in Lincoln with his wife Mollie and three daughters.

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