A Constructivist Analysis of Jazz Pedagogy in European Sinti Communities

Abstract

Jazz found its way into the fabric of Sinti families and communities through the work of innovative Manouche guitarist, Django Reinhart. The Sinti people are a subgroup of the Romanies, pejoratively called “Gypsies.” How did jazz become an essential part of the European Sinti identity and culture? How do Sinti musicians develop skills as fluent jazz improvisers? In this article, I draw from Constructivist learning theory as developed by psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, and applied to music education by Jackie Wiggins, to describe the significance of the social environment in Sinti jazz pedagogy. I analyze the responses of eight Sinti jazz musicians whom I interviewed about their early music learning experiences, Sinti identity and culture, and activism. My interlocutors discuss the essential role of social interaction in the music learning process. The cultural practices of intergenerational learning, performance-based learning, and aural pedagogy facilitate environments wherein young learners develop an embodied knowledge of jazz improvisation, and a contextual understanding of jazz as a social practice, essential to Sinti identity and community building. Following the research article, there are programs and program notes from two dissertation recitals, as required for the completion of my Doctor of Musical Arts degree.