Return of the MOOC

Last spring from July 2015 through February of 2016 I was engaged in an intense new experience creating a (FREE) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for Hamilton College entitled Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players. The tech team at Hamilton brought to life my ideas for presenting jazz to a worldwide audience. In its inaugural run, over 9,200 people signed up from 134 countries. The response was overwhelmingly positive after the 6-week run. We explored such major concepts as swing, improvisation, and group interaction. The course was designed to appeal to casual fans and musicians alike.

Acknowledging the success of the spring launch, Hamilton decided to run the course again. We have added new material and revamped modules in response to class discussion. The first week of the course launches at 7 PM EST tonight, and it is not too late to sign up. You may take the course at your own pace and there are no deadlines. Each week’s content is delivered to your email exactly one week after the previous week. Even if you are reading this well after the launch date, you may still sign up and begin participating in the course.

Here is alink to an introductory video which takes you to a sign-up. Hope you’ll join us.

A Unique Venue

Camerman Forrest Warner prepares for the streaming

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I had assumed I had played every kind of gig imaginable, from ballroom dance engagements to blues gigs to jazz venues to concert halls to playing on trains and boats. But the online course that I am leading, Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players provided an unexpected opportunity yesterday. My musical partners and I played an hour-long gig in the Little Pub at Hamilton College. By itself, the setting was not extraordinary. What made it unusual was the fact that we were live streaming to course participants not only in America but throughout the world.

People viewing the course could write in questions and comments as we performed, and a partial list of countries we heard from included Brazil, Finland, France, Spain, Germany, Peru, Greece, Scotland and Argentina. We literally were able to address questions from other continents and respond to them in real time from the stage. 

The MOOC team fields questions during the event.

I had anticipated the hour going by in a hurry but in fact the pressure of playing for a global audience made the time pass slowly. I think I can safely say that the music came through in fine form no doubt due to the flexibility of my first call musical partners, John Hutson on guitar, Tom McGrath on drums, and Sean Peters on bass. In addition, the participation of Hamilton College students enlivened the event.

This online course seems to have struck a positive chord with many participants and it’s not too late to sign up. Although we launch the last week today, the course will remain up for some time. If it piques your curiosity give it a try at this link where you can sign up for Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players.

The Jazz MOOC

The Jazz MOOC

Last summer Hamilton College offered me the opportunity to teach a MOOC on jazz. Like most people, I had to ask for an explanation. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, and some of you may be familiar with this new approach to online learning that many academic institutions are engaging in. Our course is entitled Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players. It is designed for both the casual listener, the avid fan and the practicing musician. The course runs for six weeks, it is FREE and it is open to anyone around the globe who wants to expand their musical horizons. Students can work at their own pace as individual schedules allow.

During these weeks we ask and answer some questions: Why does jazz sound like it does? What is improvisation and what guides a player’s choices? How do musicians communicate on the bandstand? And how did jazz move from entertainment to an art form?

Interspersed in the course are poignant and fascinating stories offered by Fillius Jazz Archive interviewees in never-before-seen video clips. Students will see and hear anecdotes from jazz icons like Lionel Hampton, Jon Hendricks, and Dave Brubeck, as well as significant current players such as Rossano Sportiello, Ralph LaLama and John Fedchock.

MOOCers will be invited to join a discussion board to exchange opinions and experiences with fellow course participants. Currently over 5000 people have registered for this course, from 154 countries around the world. Jazz resources and relevant links offer students an opportunity to continue their jazz exploration further than the confines of material presented in this course.

The course is sponsored by edX (edX.org). For further information about this course and how to sign up, visit www.Hamilton.edu/jazzcourse, where you can also see this MOOC’s trailer. Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players launches this Tuesday, February 2^nd.

The Jazz MOOC

Lately it seems I’ve been spending every waking hour MOOCing. Some of you know by now I’m a saxophonist, so you might surmise that MOOCing is a saxophone technique, perhaps a spinoff of “honking.” When I was asked to do a MOOC by the powers-that-be at Hamilton College, I was vaguely familiar with the term, as two Hamilton professors had done MOOCs before me.

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, and it is an initiative of an organization called edX. Hamilton College and many other institutes of higher learning have embraced this new method of offering courses to (basically) the world. The course is done totally online, and anyone can enroll. There are no hurdles or applications to join in, and there is no cost for taking the course. Our MOOC is called “Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players,” and will launch on February 2, 2016. It will run for six consecutive weeks.

MOOCing has been an unexpected challenge for me. My comfort level with computer technology is nonexistent. Fortunately, I have a highly trained creative team from Hamilton’s Library and Instructional Technology Services working with me. Still, the hands-on activities I have used previously in workshops are not available to me in this online format. For decades I have worked with both musicians and non-musicians teaching concepts in jazz, blues and improvised music. The one-on-one and group interaction has always been key to what I do. While we have done some filming with small groups, the human interaction is not the same, and I am being prodded into the 21^st century. At the same time, I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this new endeavor. I often tease my students when I ask them to do something new: “it builds character” I say. I should have a lot of character by the time this project is over.

Click here for information about our MOOC. I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s aimed at both musicians and casual listeners, and includes material from our jazz archive interviews.