2022 UNT Jazz Education Network (JEN) Program

13 th Annual
HYATT REGENCY HOTEL
DALLAS, TEXAS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
History of UNT Jazz ----------------------- P.2
Message from the Dean----------------- P.3
Schedule ------------------------------------ P.4
Ensembles ---------------------------------- P.6
Guest Artist -------------------------------- P.14
Faculty & Staff ---------------------------- P.15
Administration --------------------------- P.15
PRESENTING
SPONSOR
2 Jazz Education Network Conference
PHOTO BY
MATT HELLMAN
HISTORY OF
T
his academic year, the place where aspiring jazz musicians
UNT Jazz Studies program could develop their talents with the
celebrates its 75th
help of a dedicated faculty and a steady
anniversary as a leader stream of guest artists; meet peers who
in jazz education. While jazz had been would challenge and inspire them; and
played before at this and other colleges, prepare to launch their careers with a
the Dance Band degree at North Texas comprehensive skill set.
State Teachers College was the first
bachelor’s degree of its kind to be offered Gene Hall, Leon Breeden, and Neil Slater,
in the United States. Because the degree the first three directors of the program,
focused on popular American music at a also directed the One O’Clock Lab Band.
time when higher education in music dealt Its international reputation for excellence
primarily with the European art music was earned through the hard work
tradition, it quickly attracted national of generations of students who were
attention. The flagship ensemble, the coached to a professional standard; a
Two O’Clock Lab Band, later renamed yearly recording tradition that began in
to the One O’Clock Lab Band, showed 1967 and has resulted in seven Grammy
through its performances at competitions nominations; and a busy schedule of
and on tours and recordings that our national and international tours.
students were playing and arranging on a
professional level.
By 2008, when Neil Slater’s tenure ended,
This university became known as a the program had firmly established its