Restorative Approaches in Jazz Education: Structural Initiatives for Cultivating Safe and Supportive Environments

Abstract

When university jazz programs center and privilege male, straight, white, cisgender, and other dominant identities, individuals with identities beyond these dominant categories often face systemic disadvantage and harm as they begin careers in jazz. Various forms of harm—including those based on gender, race, sexuality, ability, and other social categories, as well as sexual harm—are frequently embedded in institutional structures and pedagogical norms. In response to the persistence of harmful environments in higher music education, many institutions have turned to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, though those efforts often fall short when implemented in isolation or without accompanying structural change. A more comprehensive approach has been taken by the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, which has worked to reformulate university-level jazz education by grounding it in feminist and antiracist principles. But many institutions with jazz programs lack the resources, prestige, or institutional support to launch a program at the same scale. This article suggests that, even in situations where resources are limited, positive change toward a safer and more equitable jazz education for students of all genders, with their many intersecting identities, is possible. Drawing on intersectional feminist perspectives, the article outlines several systemic initiatives grounded in restorative justice principles that were implemented in a university jazz program, and discusses their impact. By suggesting that restorative practices are closely aligned with the collectivity and care at the heart of jazz, the article offers a starting point for those envisioning safer, more equitable, and more vibrant jazz spaces to begin implementing restorative practices in jazz education and other jazz environments.