His Teaching Style Was Music to Their Ears

When I read the passage in Danny Feingold’s article about jazz educator and musician Shelly Berg, which stated that “his body nearly levitated off the bench,” I knew exactly what Feingold meant (“Just Improvise,” Feb. 7). Last year, my son had the privilege of being instructed by Berg as a member of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association’s High School All-Star Jazz Band. Berg’s zest and passion for jazz invigorated and energized the kids, their parents and the rest of the audience.

As an arts educator, I applaud Berg’s approach. His focus on creative production and experiences involving the human spirit--and not simply on theory and high test scores--is right on target.

Prem Bovie-Ware

Corona

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A trip to any high school will convince any serious musician that today’s kids care nothing for musical quality, as the only sounds you’ll hear besides gunfire are the guttural, primitive ranting and witless braggadocio of rappers.

Jazz, and its first cousin, blues, are genres of music that require “soul” and “chops” to play correctly. You must work at your craft for years in order to master it. It’s obvious that today’s youth, spoiled beyond reason and with the attention span of gnats, may never know the joys of playing and hearing real music played on real instruments by people who do it for the love of it and to bring light into a world that’s overrun with evil and darkness.

More’s the pity for them, but more important, more’s the pity for us all.

Nathan Samples

Glendale