I had a fantastic experience at the 2009 Banff International Jazz Workshop, and it appears from the recent flurry of blog posts from participants that this feeling is nearly universal. In fact, the three years I’ve been at Banff, it’s hard to think of any faculty or participants that I’ve spoken with who didn’t feel that their time in the mountains was an inspiring period of musical growth. Surely the crisp Canadian air and high-quality catering cannot fully explain this phenomenon. What makes the Banff program so successful?

Diverse, Rotating Faculty. Having a different group of faculty every week emphasizes a pluralistic approach to learning music. It affords each faculty member the opportunity to teach to their strengths, and the students the opportunity to take each teacher as one voice among many, and to dig further into the ideas of the faculty they feel most connected to.

Faculty that Works. The unifying aspect of all the diverse faculty members is their active playing careers. Active performers tend to have more fluid, dynamic attitudes towards music education as a result of them grappling with the issues of music-making on a daily basis. They have direct knowledge of the practical aspects of a performing career, something that can be underemphasized in school settings.

Emphasis on Performance. Weekly concert-hall performances with faculty, multiple Club sets nightly for a focused and enthusiastic audience, and a variety of informal performance opportunities assure that students will be performing regularly. This is critical at a time when so much thinking and learning is occurring. Too much thinking and not enough playing, and a resulting over-focusing on the few performance opportunities available, can be a crippling imbalance in some educational settings.

Emphasis on Self-Direction. Official workshop events generally represent about 6 hours of the student’s day. This is definitely a lot, but it still leaves the majority of productive hours to be spent in self-directed study – practicing, composing, listening, organizing and playing sessions, attending performances, scheduling informal lessons, experimenting with collaborations, etc. This is crucial because each student generally knows best what they need, and also because it establishes habits of self-direction that are necessary ingredients of any life in music outside of school.

Excellent Facilities. There are virtually no times when a student is unable to gain access to practice space, good pianos, drums, and amps, organize an ensemble rehearsal, have a listening session, a meal, a hike, and coffee. More facilities means less downtime, which enables greater productivity.

Engaged Administration. I work in direct connection with program director Dave Douglas, as do all faculty, and his focus on the student experience is unwavering. This further encourages faculty to engage with the participants more readily and deeply. Although I don’t work directly with the administrators above and around Dave, it is clear that the vision for the workshop, and for the Centre, is both well-conceived and well-executed.

Talented, Open-minded, Diverse Students. Diverse in background, nationality and musical direction, the students are truly what makes the program special. Part of a generation of young musicians whose musical abilities have a greater level and breadth than any before, they all come eager to learn, open to new ideas, and ready to work hard. It is primarily for this reason that they leave with a feeling of growth and accomplishment.

Jazz Educators, Students and Administrators: Which of these aspects of the Banff workshop can be applied to your school situation? Which cannot, or should not, and why? Comment below.