As the last month of the year slowly melts into the first month of the new one, reflections on what was or wasn’t accomplished in the past 12 months, as well as the setting of goals for the new year, pass through our thoughts. This is especially true for me this year as I ponder the present state of creative music in general and the state of the local music scene in particular. For the most part, the positives for both outweigh the negatives, which is encouraging. But, as technology and media expand and change, how we view live and recorded music performances seems to be changing as well. It becomes somewhat of an old refrain, but with the numerous choices people have to entertain themselves, especially in the comfort of their own homes, the more savvy and creative musicians and other artists will have to become about marketing what they do to encourage people to come out to see and hear their performances.

Certainly, there were some wonderful performances in the area over the past year. The Music Hall is still the jewel of the local music scene and presented some fantastic performances, including Maria Schneider and her jazz orchestra, Suzanne Vega and Bruce Hornsby, among others.

The two leading clubs for live music were very active as well. The Press Room celebrated 30 years as a prime destination on the Seacoast, with the venue’s Sunday Night Jazz series celebrating 25 years of music in August with the saxophone tandem of Harry Allen and Ken Peplowski. The Stone Church had terrific shows, including dates by the Headhunters, Marcia Ball, Odetta, Henry Butler, Karl Denson, Bobby Previte’s Coalition of the Willing and Skerik’s Syncopated Taint Septet.

Dover’s Barley Pub continues to be another alternative for good and varied music, especially with their weekly residencies, which included Ryan Montbleau’s remarkable solo shows in July and Jen Kearney’s equally terrific series of shows in November and several appearances by the quartet Organism, a smokin’ organ-based combo from Boston. The Barley Pub also provided me with the chance to hear Coles Whalen, a wonderful singer-songwriter from Colorado. If you have not heard her yet, check her out. You won’t be disappointed.

The local area does lag when it comes to jazz-based recordings. Still, a few did hit the street this year. Jose Duque’s Zumbatres released their newest recording, “Far Away,” in November, while the Jim Howe Trio with guest Harry Allen released “Covering All My Basses” in August. The University of New Hampshire Jazz program released another recording featuring its various big bands and combos. And T.J. Wheeler’s student ensemble, The Funky River Band, released their first CD, “Play It Forward,” in June. Still, with the wealth of talent in the area, it would be good to see more. I would especially enjoy seeing new recordings from Charlie Jennison and Matt Langley. And the Seacoast Big Band is long overdue to release a recording as well.

On other fronts, the Web site www.nejazzscene.com got off to a good start with numerous site visits. But lately, the site has been less prominent. However, an off-shoot site, www.avantcoast.com, is an exciting development, as the site seeks to promote creative improvised music without resorting to rigid stylistic classifications. Here’s wishing the site, and its musicians, success.

Speaking of improvised music, the University of New Hampshire’s Traditional Jazz Series hosted excellent performances by the trios of Geoff Keezer and Bill Mays, with both groups displaying beautifully the infinite possibilities within spontaneous creative music. Legendary saxophonist James Moody performed at the Clark Terry UNH Jazz Festival this year, exhibiting a youthful vigor and energy that belied his 81 years. Having heard the UNH Jazz Band on a couple of occasions over the past few months, I’ve been impressed by the level of ability in several of the students, including trumpeters Chris Burbank and Chris Klaxton, pianist Yvonne Aubert and saxophonist Anthony DiBartolomeo. And the local music scene has benefited from the emergence of several new groups, including Mac Tough, Equal Time and the Vipers, saxophonist Nick Mainella and pianist Ryan Parker, all of whom are poised to take the local scene in some interesting directions.

Nationally, the scene for jazz based music is mixed. The demise of music superstores Tower Records (What? All the money I spent there couldn’t keep them afloat?) and Virgin Megastore marks the end of giant retail music establishments in general, as downloading and Internet sales, etc. become the norm. Smaller regional chains such as Bull Moose Music and Newbury Comics seem to be holding their own in the face of the online competition. Major record labels like Sony and Verve seem to be in a state of suspended animation (Sony is still in the process of merging with BMG), with a downward trend in new releases, while Blue Note and the recently invigorated Concord Music Group seem to be thriving. Artists such as Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland and Christian McBride all released significant new recordings this year, and there have been several talented newcomers, including vocalists Mina Agossi and Roberta Gamborini, saxophonists Jimmy Greene and Stacy Dillard, and trumpeter Sean Jones.

Still, what does it all mean? Time and space prevent me from getting into detail here, but some issues that I’m currently pondering (and will elaborate on in future columns) include the state of instrumental music versus the vocal side of the coin; the idea of jazz musicians, specifically instrumentalists, engaging their audiences more than they do; how to better market instrumental jazz music to an ever increasing audience that has little or no frame of reference as to what good instrumental music is all about; whether or not terms such as jazz, funk, blues, etc. are even necessary, including using the word jazz in the name of this column, as musicians strive to create music without stylistic barriers; and the state of live music performance in general. To say the least, these are interesting times in the music world. Where it goes is anyone’s guess. It should make for an intriguing ride.

Finally, I’d like to wish Peter Hamelin of The Stone Church all the best as he prepares to depart the Newmarket venue and move on to the next phase of his life’s journey. Peter helped resurrect The Stone Church and return it to its position as one of the best live music venues in the area. His commitment to quality music and his eclectic tastes resulted in a broad range of musical artists appearing on the famed stage, which is something I hope continues to happen. And as he moves on to his next destination, I’m sure he’ll bring the same class and humor to his future endeavors that he brought to The Stone Church.