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Educator

In addition to performing, one of Dr. Wetzel’s over-riding passions is teaching and working with young musicians.

Currently, he holds many different positions that reflect his interest in music education and jazz pedagogy. These include:

Associate Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Moravian College
Hurd Chair for Art and Music at Moravian College
Director of Summer Music Camps, Moravian College
Director of the Big Band at the Karel Velebny Summer Jazz Workshop, Frydlant, Czech Republic
Educational Director of the SteelStacks Jazz Band Showcase presented by ArtsQuest

Other educational activities include:

Adjudicator at national jazz and music festivals
Clinician at conferences, schools, and symposiums
Guest conductor for bands and jazz ensembles

I am available for:

leading clinics
leading masterclasses
appearing as guest conductor
guest performer with ensembles

What is a jazz musician to do? I mean, REALLY! Where will I work when all the gigs are gone?

There is a very good documentary originally produced and aired a few years ago on PBS that examined jazz and hip-hop. In comparing the two types of music, the producers focused on both types of music and how each was scorned by many at first but eventually became accepted by white, mainstream audiences. The video,… READ MORE »

The allure of the musical “Value Meal.”

Is musical taste derived from “free will” or are listeners programmed to like what is easy and available—conditioned to like what is spoon-fed by the media? Are music consumers falling for mass-produced musical products that are easily marketed and sold? Is pop music like a newspaper that needs to be written at a 6th grade… READ MORE »

NEIL WETZEL

info@neilwetzel.com