As Rodney Dangerfield might say, jazz canâ??t get no respect at UW-Madison.
“Personally, I wouldnâ??t tell anyone who wants to study music to come to the UW,” says Alyssa Kroes, a graduating senior who majored in instrumental music education and played saxophone with the UW-Madison Jazz Orchestra. “I came here thinking this is a Big Ten school and the crown jewel of the UW System, but the lack of jazz opportunities and respect jazz gets really bothers me.”
Other students, local musicians and jazz instructors are similarly frustrated with what they regard as the universityâ??s withering commitment to jazz, which many view as Americaâ??s most important home-grown music genre.