Jazz is a big part of my life.

In every moment, no matter what is happening around me, it fits my every mood.

My favorite part of the genre is the older jazz from the ’50s and ’60s, so artists like Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk really soothe my ears. I feel like I belong to a group of few who embrace jazz at a constant rate.

These days the average person doesn’t listen to much jazz. It can be an extremely rare occasion to almost never. But why is that? Music we listen to today has jazz influences in its foundation and we don’t realize it.

Artists like Billie Holiday and John Coltrane become second nature instead of old records collecting dust in a dark closet only used by our parents and grandparents. There is a common fear that this genre will die out. For the fans, this will never happen.

“Jazz is an awakening genre,” John Dodd, a local musician and a patron of jazz. “The only genre where the composer can go any direction, major and minor scales and other scales.”

As in hip-hop, rock and even punk rock you will find that as well, but why not turn the attention towards jazz? It is all about opening another door you haven’t opened before.

Sometimes the problem with entering a new genre is the point of entry.

Where to start?

I normally start at the beginning. Jazz has such a rich, long history it may take a while to get through everyone. I would start with a certain period, like the psychedelic jazz era. But, if jazz isn’t “your thing” no worries, it’s just not for everyone.