2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

How are jazz concert audiences in the 21st century

different to jazz concert audiences during the early 20th
century?

Secondary research questions

• In what way does the audience affect musicians on stage
during jazz concerts?
• How has the role of the audience in jazz concerts
developed over the years?
 • How do jazz musicians influence their listeners during a
concert?

1 BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION 3 Literature Review

A genre that was once greatly influenced by the likes of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Duke Jazz has become a lot about class, race, jobs, and money but very little to do
Ellington, is now overshadowed by a flawless representation of jazz from the 1950s and 1960s. with music. This is why it is refreshing to experience a jazz musician expressing
Today, jazz is rumoured to be of the olden days and is associated with “older people’s” type of him/herself through improvisation (Kemp & White, 2013, p. 36). Jazz musicians
music (Kemp & White, 2013, p. 1). show that they enjoy the performance when they tap their feet, bob their heads,
or move their hips to the rhythm of the beat (Pits & Burland, 2013, p. 13). Concert
In their 2004 Popular Music Genres essay, Borthwick and Roy explore today’s popular genres of
music, which include genres such as soul, progressive rock, punk, reggae, synthpop, heavy
goers feel as though they belong and are a part of something great when they
metal, rap, etc. These genres are exposed to a wider audience and promoted on a level at attend concerts, even if they attend alone. One may recognise a famous
which jazz corporations cannot compete with. Jazz is one of the more complex genres of music, performer, music critic, or politician who is perhaps part of the concert. These
with an astounding history and remarkable rhythms. It is an original and intellectual form of concerts may serve as a showcase for a city, and can attract tourists (Van Aalst
music that every musician will come to know about in their musical journey. & Van Melik, 2012, p. 197).
Before, jazz was popular music. It has since become a higher class of music, and its audience Call-and-response dates back to the early days of jazz and is often enjoyable for
and demographics now resemble that of classical and opera music (Kemp & White, 2013, p. 35). audience members to recognise; it creates a sense of accomplishment for
Why? This study aims to investigate how audiences react to live jazz concerts during the 21st musicians. There is a shared experience and a psychologically positive outcome
century compared to the 20th century. The study questions which styles/sub-genres of jazz (Brand, 2012, p. 635). Music technology has made making music as simple as
the audience respond to more and how the musicians on stage react to audience participation.
sharing it; people have the freedom to listen to their preferred type of music on
their cell phones, iPods, computers, etc. However, some concert goers enjoy
being in the presence of people who have similar interests in music (Pits, 2013,
p.7). Deveaux claims that many people who attend jazz concerts are well-off,
well-educated, youthful, and culturally diverse.
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5 Preliminary findings
The study addresses a gap in literature with regards to 21st century
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consumers of jazz services (live concerts). I will contrast historical

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research to my research through collection of data from various people

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who attend jazz concerts (including jazz musicians, performers, and fans).
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I plan to find and compare experiences and beliefs regarding

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expectations when attending jazz concerts. I also aim to investigate the

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jazz concert audience preference for various sub-genres of jazz.

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4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research method used for this study will be qualitative, therefore includes interviews, questionnaires,
and historical data. I chose to do a qualitative study as my research may be subjective, interpretive and
descriptive. Maxwell explains that qualitative research requires a broader and less restrictive concept of
design. The study makes use of open-ended questions, and requires me to interpret data to form thematic
ideas. The interviews conducted and historical research of specific situations, will be in the form of loose
observations (Unowacademics, 2014).

Brand, G., et al. 2012. The reciprocal relationship between jazz musicians and audiences in live performances: A pilot qualitative study. Psychology of Music 40(5): 634-
651.
Borthwick, S & Moy, R. 2004. Popular Music Genres. Popular Musicology Online. Available at http://www.popular-musicology-online.com/issues/05/rojola-borthwick-
REFERENCES

moy.html. Accessed on 5 May, 2018.

Deveaux, S. 1994. Jazz in America: Who's Listening? NEA Draft Report.
Kemp, E. and M. G. White 2013. Embracing jazz: exploring audience participation in jazz music in its birthplace. International Journal of Arts Management 16(1): 35
Maxwell, J. A. 2008. Designing a Qualitative Study. The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods 2: 214-253.
Pitts, S. E. and K. Burland. 2013. Listening to live jazz: an individual or social act? Arts Marketing: An International Journal 3(1): 7-20.
Pitts, S. E. 2014. Musical, social and moral dilemmas: Investigating audience motivations to attend concerts.
Unowacademics. 2014. UniversityNow: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCuwX35MHyE.
Van Aalst, I. and R. van Melik. 2012. City festivals and urban development: does place matter? European Urban and Regional Studies 19(2): 195-206.