We all know that parents can have some strange tastes in music.  It can be super embarrassing when we’re riding in the car with our friends and our parents force us to listen to weird radio stations that play old rock, classical, or even jazz.  What’s so great about jazz anyway?  Here are some and interesting facts that may just change your tune (hahaha!).

The roots of jazz can be traced all the way back to the 17th century.  When Africans were forced into slavery, they did not know the culture or language of the new land.  Slaves would often sing songs to convey emotions, culture, and religion.  Expression though song became the foremost principle of their music.  Jazz became a soundtrack to American society, reflecting the pain and sadness of the hard times (like the Depression and the World Wars) and the joy of the good times (like the roaring 20’s).

Throughout the years, jazz evolved into lots of different types of music, like blues and even modern day rap and R&B.  Jazz itself has many different branches – modern jazz, progressive jazz, instrumental or vocal jazz, to name a few.  Jazz music was one of the original forms of expression, conveying emotion through music in a way that had never been done before.  Jazz also led to an entire new sound out of old instruments.  For example, the jazz trumpet sounds so different from a classical trumpet that it’s hard to believe they’re the same instrument at all!

So now are you thinking that jazz is sort of cool?  Well, listen to it and it will grow on you.  Most of your favorite artists credit jazz artists as major influences, so it can’t be all that bad.  If you don’t like the actual music, you can think about how jazz has changed the nation.  Freedom of expression and self are all wrapped up in the bundle of jazz. 

Want more?  Check out PBS.org for more jazz intros and even jazz games!