Resources

"The listening book is a series of connected short essays. They are arranged linearly from passive to active-from appreciation of everyday life sounds to participation in musical practices." - Mathieu, The Listening Book

In my words, much of this book is spent discussing the relationship between one's self and the music at hand and how often our ego gets in the way of mastery. A must read for anyone wishing to move forward in their musical journey.

At its core, Duke's book provides one perspective on what effective learning looks like and a guide to negotiating with the k-12/college grading system. For me personally, this helped me reevaluate my own learning and my approach to teaching.

Personally I'd recommend taking your time while reading this and listening to the recordings mentioned to grasp the sonic development of jazz. The benefit from this text is as a guide to internalizing how the jazz tradition has been passed on from the early pioneers to modernity along with the insight to how each generation contributed to the music in the face of social and technological developments.