Jeff Farley

My research centers around the relationship between jazz history and contemporary music, education, and cultural practice.  I have focused on the Jazz Preservation Act (1987) and its implications for American cultural policy, as well as concepts such as jazz as "America's classical music."  I believe jazz presents an interesting crossing point between ideas of race, modernity, commerce, national identity, and popular culture in America in the twentieth century, and I particularly like to see how these ideas are/have been interpreted in the twenty-first. 
Due to my international experience, I also like to see how these ideas have played out in America's foreign policy, with programs like the "Jazz Ambassadors" from WWII and the current "The Rhythm Road".  On a more practical level, I am interested in promoting academic/cultural exchange. As it has been a big part of my life personally and professionally, I know its many benefits and hope to do all I can to promote such experiences for others.