Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place. Jazz music is one of the few art forms that is genuinely American. Some of the unique characteristics that help to define Jazz include the rhythmic interaction between the performers, the freedom to improvise, and the way in which the personality of the performer expresses itself through the music and vice-versa. Jazz is always associated first with New Orleans, Louisiana. But believe it or not, the earliest known reference to the word “jazz” came from Portland, Oregon! During this week in 1912, a sports reporter from the Los Angeles Times wrote about a pitcher from the Portland Beavers baseball team, who said, “I’ve got a new curve this year. I call it the Jazz ball because it wobbles and you simply can't do anything with it.” The name first became associated with the music three years later in Chicago, even though the music itself had been played in New Orleans prior to that. Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as New Orleans, Louisiana or Portland, Oregon to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today!
