IASJ Mission Statement

Jazz has evolved into a truly world-wide art form. It is played, taught, researched and appreciated throughout the world. Jazz has assimilated a rich array of musical influences. Through its core values of freedom of expression, group interaction, shared respect and individual responsibility, jazz embodies the highest ideals of art and human creativity. It has emerged as a powerful tool for promoting harmonious relations across highly diverse cultural boundaries.

The IASJ is a worldwide organization committed to promoting these values in both the musical world and society as a whole. With membership from all the continents, ranging from large state-funded conservatories to small privately run schools as well as individual educators and artists, the IASJ achieves its goals through various activities. By embracing the positive qualities inherent in jazz, the IASJ fulfills a unifying mission.

The focal point is the Annual IASJ Jazz Meeting, held in a different country each year. The meetings enable the most promising students from member schools to participate in international ensembles, jam sessions, recording projects and master classes coached by top-level artists from around the world. Attending representatives and teachers from IASJ member schools meet during this period to discuss pedagogical, philosophical and administrative issues. Ongoing student and teacher exchanges have been a definite result from these meetings, as well as more playing opportunities for those teachers who are also performers.

The monthly IASJ Newsletter reports on and promotes further collaborations. The IASJ Journal of Applied Jazz Research is an online, well consulted platform for jazz research that is fed by and feeding jazz performance and education.