Published Articles

Read Dean's published articles. Click on any headline below to read the full article.

_____
Article by Dean McNeill
JAZZ ADVOCACY: How can we support the overall growth of jazz music in our country?

There are many ways in which the growth of jazz music can and should be supported in Canada. Providing adequate teacher training in jazz-specific courses at the post secondary level is one important way to sustain and develop jazz music, over the long term, in Canada in the twenty-first century. Read more >

_____
Article by Dean McNeill
Enlightenment gleaned from slush pump basics

Since the Fifth Grade, I have been a trumpet keener. I intentionally make a distinction here between being keen, and being good, as it was some time before I could claim an association with the latter. My keenness has not diminished in my adult years and as a result I find myself still deeply interested in the trumpet from a variety of perspectives, which primarily include performance and pedagogy. Read more >

_____
Article by Dean McNeill
IAJE-Canada Article: Etiquette for sitting in on the bandstand: A topic more important than students might think

Recently I have attended a few jazz jam sessions in clubs across Western Canada. During these jams it has occurred to me that many young people sitting in with professional bands do not know some of the basic musical etiquette commonly observed by professional musicians in such situations. Read more >

_____
Article by Dean McNeill
Why record a CD with your band? What really is the point?

For the past 5 years the University of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble 1 has gone into our makeshift recording studio to record some of our current concert repertoire. Every few years we release an independently published compilation CD. To date we have released 2 such CDs respectively entitled Bumper Crop and Bumper Crop II-Outstanding in their Fields. Read more >