Thomas G. Everett:
25-Year Honorand in Extension

In the fall of 1972 Thomas G. Everett began his teaching career at the Harvard Extension School with a course titled Introduction to Jazz: Its History and Appreciation. Over the past quarter century he has been a mainstay in the music section of the catalogue, offering such courses as Twentieth-Century American Music, Jazz and Twentieth-Century Music, Introduction to Jazz: 1900-1945, Introduction to Modern Jazz: 1945 to the Present, and Miles Davis: The Evolving Artist.

Thomas G. Everett

In June 1999, Mr. Everett will be honored for 25 years of distinguished teaching by the Harvard Extension School Alumni Association at its annual banquet during Commencement Week.

Mr. Everett also has served as Director of Bands at Harvard University since 1971. He is the Founder and Director of the Harvard Jazz Program (1971) and the Harvard Summer Pops Band (1972). A graduate of the Ithaca College Conservatory of Music with a BA in Music Education (1966) and a MA in Music (1969), he pursued postgraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, where he polished his playing of the bass trombone.

As a performer, Mr. Everett has played with the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Bands, the Dizzy Gillespie Band, the Ray Charles Orchestra, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Boston Opera Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Orchestra, among others. He has won numerous awards as a musician.

Mr. Everett says that he most enjoys the rich diversity in backgrounds, ages, and interests among the many hundreds of students he has taught in his Harvard Extension School courses over the years. "My courses are designed for anyone interested in modern American music, especially jazz, not only for conservatory students or music majors," he states. He finds that students with no formal training in music often ask him questions about jazz that force him to keep the material fresh and readily accessible to his audience. Mr. Everett learns about music from his adult students, too. When discussing the swing era, for example, students who danced to the live music of Benny Goodman share their experiences and insights.

Jazz groups often perform in class to illustrate the musical subjects that Everett discusses. Students then have the opportunity to question the performers. This interaction between students and performers enlivens the class and makes it more memorable.

What is most gratifying to Mr. Everett is the knowledge that his passion for modern American music, notably his love for jazz, is shared with interested and caring students who, in turn, disseminate that joy to others. The Harvard Extension School Alumni Banquet at which Thomas Everett will be honored is scheduled for June 8 in Quincy House.