JAZZ MEANS MORE TO STUDENTS THAN A PASSING GRADE

Nathan Brown, one of the bassists for the jazz band, plays Kansas City with the rest of the class.

Scwent holds the microphone for Jessica Terry, as she plays a bit for the class.

Chris Kohm plays piano for the jazz band.

"It's not like a regular band class, we can play whatever songs we want," says one student.

"You can make a mistake and it won't affect your grade," says another.

"You don't make mistakes in this class," corrects the teacher.

"We learn more in here because we have to use our eyes and ears," another student chimes in.

Such is the way the jazz band class at R.O. Hawkins Junior High is described by its students. Part of the reason would have to be the teacher, Pat Schwent, who has taught at R.O. Hawkins for the past 21 years.

Schwent loves jazz and she loves teaching this class (along with associate band directors Scott Vangilder and Nick Leist).

But the students are right, this is no ordinary band class. Schwent prefers to call this class the Junior High Lab Band, because this band is always experimenting.

"It's not designed solely to prepare concerts on a regular basis for the public like many bands," Schwent said.

As its name suggests, the class is about jazz and that's what the students are there to learn about.

Jazz is perhaps the only true American art form in music, Schwent said, so she says it's important for students to learn about it.

The class explores the earliest forms of jazz beginning with ragtime music, which gained popularity in the late 1800s.

Then they move to New Orleans Dixieland big band and swing.

"They know all about Preservation Hall in New Orleans," Schwent says of the hall that is trying to preserve jazz music. "They can tell you about Duke Ellington and Jack T. Gardner -- that's who they imitate."

The class also learns about Miles Davis, Dizzie Gilispie, Charlie Parker and many other big-name jazz musicians.

But this isn't a band that just reads books -- they've signed up for this class for another reason.

"The first thing we do is let them play jazz," Schwent said, adding this is possible after they learn a few simple blues scales. "If they have a horn in their hand, they play."

The class begins by trying to play by ear -- listening to jazz music and trying to imitate it without seeing the notes on the page.

"I want them to use their ears," Schwent said. "If they read music and become dependent on it it's harder for them to learn to play by ear.

"It's kind of like a blind person, if you take away the sight of their notes their ears become sharper."

So for the first nine weeks, there is no music to read, they just play. And they have a good time doing it, playing such classics as "Kansas City" and "Watermelon Man."

But Schwent said she certainly doesn't discourage students from learning to read music. She says it's very important.

In fact, the students that are allowed into the class are already amateur music readers. And later on in the course, they do learn to read music.

After the students learn chords and form, they memorize songs.

"They want to play songs and I teach them note by note," Schwent said. "It might take a day or two to learn, but students after a while begin to learn faster. Their ears get better. They've never really used them before."

Schwent grew up in a band atmosphere and her mother taught her to play.

"I guess I'm sharing a lifetime of learning," she said. But she is quick to give credit where it is due.

Unfortunately, Schwent says, not too many people listen to jazz because they don't understand the music.

She hopes the class will at least help change students attitudes about jazz and she feels it does.

"Suddenly they're going to Hastings and buying this stuff and they like it," she said. "One student brought in a Wynton Marsalis CD, and he's the most famous jazz musician around."

They're developing tastes for something other than what they're told to like on the radio, which is country and western and rock 'n' roll, she said.

But she's doubtful as to how long band students stay interested in their instruments.

"Once band students graduate from high school I would bet not too many of them play their instrument again."

She says this is so because the school band is no longer there, the concert band is gone. No more football or basketball game crowds to play for.

"We're trying to teach these kids to want to play," Schwent said, "and to want to keep playing."

And she hopes some of her students develop a passion for it. It's happened before. Three of her former students, Brandon Suedekum, Matt Pittman and Jamie Bruthers are all at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and doing very well.

Suedekum is the lead tenor player in their jazz band, while majoring in pre-med. Pittman and Brothers are both music majors.

But creating professional musicians isn't her main goal for the students with this class.

"I just hope that when they're older, they'll still have the desire to take the horns out of the closet and play them. You don't have to have 50 other students around to play."

Schwent said there are always about 38 students every semester and, sadly, some students have to be turned away.

Schwent said that she doesn't believe that 38 professional jazz musicians will leave this class, however. But she does know what they will leave with.

"The kids in here will leave this class with a good knowledge of an American art form -- jazz. And they will listen to it and enjoy it."