Do you know what the #AtoZChallenge is?
I know many of you do because I met you during last year’s challenge, but for those who don’t, the A to Z is a blogging challenge.

It happens every year in April. We’re challenged to blog every day during the month, except on Sundays. And following the order of the letters of the alphabet. You can do it any way you want, about anything you want, as long as your post is inspired by the letter of the alphabet on a specific day. Last year I read blogs about storytelling, travels, films, serialised stories, writing craft, crafts in general.
Some bloggers go random, many others have a theme. As soon as I hear ‘theme’, I thought, ‘I’m doing it!’
I know, some bloggers think that a theme is constraining. Personally, I don’t think so. I think a theme gives you direction, and for me, it was inspiring. Sure, some of the letters are hell to come up with, because you can’t choose anything you want, but that’s a little price to pay for a challenge that in my opinion ends up being more cohesive and satisfying.

Last year I blogged about the Roaring Twenties, and I’m sorry for you, that’s what I’m going to do this year too, except my theme will be even more specific.

Are you ready? This is what I’ll be blogging about.

Just like last year, most of what I’ll be blogging about comes from my research for my stories. This year’s challenge is based on one of my favourite research books, The Jazz Revolution by Kathy J. Ogren.

Many people don’t realise (I certainly didn’t before I started researching) that jazz had a huge impact on 1920s America (and partly Europe). There’s a reason why the 1920s are also called the Jazz Age – and not just because jazz was the most popular music of the time. As Ogren thoroughly exposes in her book, jazz was the expression of a profound change in the American society of the time, but it was also part of the cause.

Jazz was the expression of a profound change in 1920s American society, but it was also part of the cause #JazzAge #Jazz #HistoryofJazz Click To Tweet

Born in shady places in the South of the US, inside the African American community, jazz finds its roots in blues and the hardship it expresses, but also looks with hope to the future. In the 1920s, it spoke of the freedom a prosperous society can offer and the change working on the minds of people even when that freedom isn’t achieved. Black musicians of the Jazz Age gained recognition, and advanced integration as white musicians went to listen to them to learn that music that crossed every line.  Women vocalists gained and advanced freedom of expression for every woman, even while battling commodification of their image. Jazz expressed the fast life of the new century, the unpredictability, the fear and excitement.

I have 26 posts to bring you on this journey. I hope you’ll come along.

A – African American Origin
B – Blues
C – Call and Response
D – Dixieland
E – Emotions
F – Films
G – Great Migration
H – Honky Tonk
I – Improvisatoin
J – Jazz Controversy
K – Kansas City
L – Lindy Hop
M – Musicianers vs jazzmen
N – New Orleans
O – Oral Tradition
P – Primitivism
Q – Quotes
R – Race Records
S – Sensuality
T – Tempo
U – Union
V – Vaudeville
W – White Audience
X – XX Century
Y – You Ain’t the One
Z – Zest

Today is Theme Reveal Day. Bloggers are revealing the theme they will blog about during the challenge. You can find the complete list here. Now excuse me as I delve into it.

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