What do Jazz Appreciation Groups Do?
Listening to recorded music is the most common format for u3a Jazz Appreciation Groups, where jazz fans come together regularly to enjoy their favourite artists, discover new music, discuss the pros and cons of what they have heard, and have a chat. Socialising is an important element, so most groups provide tea and biscuits or organise trips out, perhaps to hear some live jazz.
A few u3a Jazz groups hire live bands to perform for them, others create their own bands, while a few organise regular trips to local jazz venues.
Introduction
As someone looking to start an interest group within your local u3a, your first port of call is your local u3a organisation. They will advise on how to be a group leader, local venues for meetings and subscriptions. It is often said that interest groups are the life blood of the u3a, and each group will develop its own structure. However, it is important that Group Convenors/Leaders, groups, and members follow the u3a ethos of shared, participative, and self-help learning - the teachers learn, and the learners teach. The result will not only be an increase in knowledge, but a supportive and friendly atmosphere which enables everyone to participate. The u3a website provides a great deal of information - click the button at the bottom of this page.
Many u3a organisations send out their Programme Guides for the new academic year in July so make sure you contact them in good time. Like many forms of art jazz can be divided into a number of sub-genres and people who like one type of jazz may not be familiar with another. As the audience for jazz is relatively small Jazz Appreciation Groups should consider catering for a wide variety of tastes to maximise their appeal.
Logistics
The fact that you wish to set up a new group would suggest you have some idea of how it will work. As mentioned above, the local organisation will advise, but one unknown parameter at the start is the number of people who will be interested, so venue size is important. Some groups fill up very quickly on a first-come, first-served basis, and people can be turned away if the venue is too small. Refreshments are always welcome, so don’t forget tea and coffee-making facilities. To listen to recorded music, you will require a music and/or video player. Some u3a organisations have equipment that can be borrowed, and in some cases, grants are available to enable new equipment to be purchased that can be shared within the local organisation. Take particular care if using someone’s personal equipment and check insurance with the local organisation.
Sources of recorded music
Vinyl LP records
The popularity of vinyl records has increased recently, and for many, playing an LP record on high-quality audio equipment, together with being able to read an informative record sleeve, is a great way to listen to jazz. However, LPs are quite easily damaged, so great care is necessary. Most new jazz albums are available as LPs, and for musicians, the higher prices bring in extra income. Many older albums are available as LPs in second-hand record shops or online.
Compact discs
Compact discs have been around since the 1980s and provide good sound quality on good disc players. They are very convenient for Jazz Appreciation groups who meet in a hall with a reasonable sound system.
Electronic music files
These are files that can be downloaded to a computer from online music distribution platforms. Common formats are MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group audio layer 3) and WAV (Waveform Audio File Format). MP3 is a compressed digital format, so some of the original sound is lost, while WAV files are uncompressed, high-quality recordings.
Online music distribution platforms
Music is available from these platforms either as a download (which you load onto your computer or other device) or as a stream (which you can listen to but not keep). Most record companies will provide downloads, while streaming companies may provide both downloads and streams. Popular sources of downloads are Bandcamp, Amazon, Apple Music, etc. Popular streaming services include Spotify, Soundcloud, Qobuz, Tidal, etc. YouTube provides both audio and video versions of a vast amount of recorded music.
Radio and TV
There is some jazz played on BBC Radio 3, but very little on any terrestrial TV channel. However, there are commercial radio stations and internet radio, which means anyone can listen to jazz radio broadcasts from anywhere in the world. YouTube provides a vast amount of historical videos that are publicised on various blogs, but the daily JazzWax blog is a particularly good source of information.
Music Players
LPs require a record player with a stylus and turntable. CD players are generally much smaller and easier to use. Amplifiers and speakers can be wired to the player or connected wirelessly using a short-range radio technology called Bluetooth. Even music stored on a mobile phone can be played wirelessly through an amplifier and speaker at a reasonable standard.
Online meetings – remote video conferencing
During the recent pandemic, personal contact with other people. was reduced and completely stopped during lockdowns. This resulted in the greater use of electronic and video communication that continues in some contexts to this day. However, part of the reason for joining u3a in the first place is to meet people and socialise and so while remote video conferencing has its place, many will prefer face-to-face meetings.
Zoom is probably the most common method by which people meet online. An online jazz appreciation group will need someone with a Zoom account that provides for meetings longer than the 40 minutes available if there is no paid subscription. The account holder can send invitations by email to group members detailing the time and date of the meeting, which can be done in advance. Group members will need to download the Zoom application to their computer. Once everyone is online, the meeting organiser should mute all the participants and press the share button. The organiser can then either share background sounds by ticking the "Share Sound" option or share another application that will typically be a music or video streaming service. The latter option will very likely provide much better sound quality. More detailed instructions will probably be available from your local u3a organisation and are available on the u3a website - click the button at the bottom of this page.
Keeping in touch
It is good practice to keep in touch with your members. A little note via email to remind them of the date and subject of the next meeting will retain interest. Trips out to local jazz clubs or social events will help members to meet each other and become friends, which all helps the group to prosper. If you find planning events onerous, ask for help so that the work of running the group is shared.
Music Licenses
The PPL PRS Licence (also called ‘TheMusicLicence’) allows a venue to legally play music through the radio, TV, other digital devices and during live performances. PPL, through PPL PRS Ltd, can license a venue operator or an individual music user, depending on the type of venue and how music is used. The Third Age Trust has a PPL licence for music use for u3a groups across all venues. This ensures that all recorded music used by u3a groups is licensed by PPL and eliminates the need to investigate whether the licences held by the venues (if any) are suitable to cover music used by u3a groups. Further information about legal issues such as licenses and copyright is available on the u3a website.