[TPIN] 30+-year mystery solved

[Paul Kurtz]

All of you classical people can smile and say, "Yeah, I knew this," but
I didn't. 
Fresh out of grad school, doing my first job, I used to ride the bus
home with 12 LPs in one hand and a cane in the other. I'd taken a
20th-century music history course and suddenly learned about Debussy,
Ravel, Mahler, Brukner, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and so many
others! I got dispensation from our downtown library to check out twice
the number of records normally allowed and I listened!! 
Well, I kept trying to figure out how theoretically you could go from
common practice to Debussy having jazz chordes in his music! It just
wouldn't fit!! Later, I realized that there truly were bridges
theoretically between common practice theory and modern 20th-century
music, but couldn't put this part together. 
Then I learned about the strong connection between the French and New
Orleans musically and rethought my Arban material. But! That didn't
answer Debussy! 
This January, I began an independent study theory course on 20th-century
music under Dr. Bill Schirmer at Jacksonville University. (great guy and
true teacher in the giving sense of the word! Bill fits all of those
qualifications we've talked about in terms of teacher inspiration of
students and giving for free!) Anyway, we were talking about Debussy and
I had to ask Bill about his music and putting in of jazz licks. Well,
Bill told me that Debussy's teacher, Guirideau, (hope spelling's right)
came from none other than New Orleans and lived there for most of his
young adult life! That put a good plank in my historical and theoretical
bridges. Guirideau had very early New Orleans influences back to the
early brass bands. 
BTW, Bill's a great testimonial educationwise to both Eastman and Ohio
State where he got his advanced education. 
Hope this little fact of Debussy's influence is as interesting to some
as it was to me. He has some great trumpet work in his stuff that goes
right back to this thread and his influences. 
Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL