Messiah University professor and trumpeter shares Pennsylvania’s jazz history and the importance of jazz in schools

Airdate: January 25, 2023

Since the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, when Jazz originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, there have been a lot of changes within the jazz industry and new stories of jazz professionals that have emerged across the country.

On The Spark Wednesday we heard the story of Dr. William Stowman, a local trumpeter, jazz professor and chair of the Music department at Messiah University. We also discussed the jazz industry, jazz history within Pennsylvania, and the benefits of teaching jazz in schools.

Stowman said, the Jazz industry is sustaining and is finally illuminating the work of women in Jazz. He said, Jazz is alive and well in Central Pennsylvania, with big jazz bands and school jazz festivals, but Jazz isn’t being taught enough in schools.

“In music, our students learn to speak in multiple languages at one time. They learn to communicate with each other in ways that go beyond any kind of verbal communication. The collaborative spirit of what we do in music is not taught in the same way anywhere else,” Stowman said. “We’re not only teaching music and the skills that go along with that, but good citizenship. How to appreciate beauty in the world… work ethic, persistence, and overcoming failure on a daily basis. That is the value of music.”