Keith Karns

Reprinted from the Spring 2020 OMEA Journal.

            It is jazz festival season! All across Oregon, thousands of high school music students competing in jazz festivals in order to demonstrate their hard work, get feedback from knowledgeable judges, and ultimately…

It is audition season! Across the country, high school seniors are preparing to audition into various undergraduate music programs. There are a TON of great schools out there for the aspiring musician. Here are some tips for students, educators, and…

So, a couple of thoughts about Kanye's show on SNL last night: 

You can watch the video here.

The concept is really good, however Kanye has not developed his voice well enough to execute it. 

West's shortcomings as…

RETHINKING ARTISTRY IN MODERN ORCHESTRAL JAZZ 
  
  
Keith T. Karns 
  
  
PREPARED FOR THE 2016 JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK CONFERENCE 

  
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS 
January 2016 

  
INTRODUCTION 

            Big band jazz has been engaged in a quiet renaissance over the past…

INTRODUCTION 

Current narratives on the history and development of jazz education imply that formalized jazz education is an entity beginning sometime after 1950. While this perspective captures the development of the jazz publishing industry, the expansion of collegiate jazz…

Postbop and Early Fusion

This paper will summarize the musical development and output of Miles Davis during the mid 1960s through early 1970. It will focus on the development of postbop and fusion and the various musical, personnel, business…