Courses, Workshops, and Ensembles

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Jazz through the Prism of History I

This course is a two-semester course and will explore the history of the black American art form called jazz from its roots to the late 1960's against the backdrop of American History. We will explore and gain a deeper awareness of the provocative history of jazz from an economic, social, and political perspective. Students will identify key jazz players and examine how their lives and their innovative contributions have often reflected societal inequalities. In addition to surveying the history of jazz, students will also gain listening skills that will enable them to identify style, instrumentation, historical and musical content within the jazz idiom. Class size: 15

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Jazz Through the Prism of History II

This course will explore the history of the black American art form called jazz from the late 1960's to the present against the backdrop of American History. We will explore and gain a deeper awareness of the provocative history of jazz from an economic, social, and political perspective. Students will identify key jazz players and examine how their lives and their innovative contributions have often reflected societal inequalities. In addition to surveying the history of jazz, students will also gain listening skills that will enable them to identify style, instrumentation, historical and musical content within the jazz idiom. Class size: 15

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Womens Composer Ensemble

This ensemble explores compositions by women composers like Mary Lou Williams, Alice Coltrane, Geri Allen, Nicole Mitchell, Melba Liston, Carla Bley, and many others. This is an intermediate class and students should be proficient at reading and have some experience improvising in the jazz idiom. Interested students are encouraged to sign up at registration, although confirmation of participation will only be given after auditions are held. Auditions will be conducted during the first scheduled class meeting.

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The Spontaneous Composition Ensemble

This ensemble explores spontaneous composition through improvisation. Students will develop musical language and intuition by developing improvisation that explores motific development, texture, color, inflection, articulation, and rhythm to create dialog and form. This class will also explore and create graphic scores that will be performed at the end of the semester. Students should be proficient at all major, minor scales and intervals.

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Jazz Harmony l

Introduces the basic harmonic structures that are components of the Blues and the Tin Pan Alley songs that modern Jazz musicians used as vehicles for improvisation. Basic keyboard skills are learned including transposition. The semester includes a short historical survey of Blues and of Jazz from Ragtime to the Swing era as part of the effort to understand the practice of the technical/aesthetic fundamentals specific to Jazz as a 20th century African-American music including an introduction to the contribution of female musicians to the Jazz legacy. There is an ear-training component to this course. The melodic component includes singing the basic 20th century harmonic materials, Blues melodies and transcriptions of solos by Jazz masters. It includes the practice of the syncopated rhythmic language underlying linear melodic phrasing. The harmonic work includes singing the basic 20th century harmonic materials, Blues melodies and transcriptions of solos by Jazz masters. This course fulfills a music theory/performance requirement for music majors. Required course for moderating into the Jazz program.  Class size: 25

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Jazz Harmony ll

Part II - This course will include acquisition of the basic skills that make up the Foundation of all Jazz styles.  We will also study the Jazz Language from the Bebop Era up to the 60's. This course fulfills a music theory requirement for music majors.  Class size: 15

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Bebop Masters l

This performance based course is a survey of the principal composers and performers of the BEBOP Era. Musicians on whom we focus are Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. The course will include readings, recorded music and films. The students and instructor will perform the music studied in a workshop setting. Prerequisite: Jazz Harmony I or permission of instructor. This can be taken as a companion course with Jazz Harmony II. This course counts towards the music history requirement for music majors. Class size: 15

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Bebop Masters ll

This performance based course is a survey of the principal composers and performers of the BEBOP Era.  Musicians on whom we focus are  Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. The course will include readings, recorded music and films. The students and instructor will perform the music studied in a workshop setting. Prerequisite: Jazz Harmony I or permission of instructor. This can be taken as a companion course with Jazz Harmony II. This course counts towards the music history requirement for music majors. Class size: 15

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American Popular Song I (1900-1929)

This performance-based course surveys the major American popular song composers of the Tin Pan Alley era, whose work forms the core of the jazz repertoire. Composers studied include Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, Ellington, Warren, and Rodgers. Students and the instructor perform the music studied in a workshop setting. Repertory subjects have also included John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and bebop masters. Prerequisite: Jazz Harmony II or permission of the instructor. This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors. Class size: 15

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American Popular Song ll (1930-1950)

This performance-based course is a survey of the major American popular song composers of the Tin Pan Alley era, whose work forms the core of the jazz repertoire. Composers studied will include Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, Ellington, Warren, Rodgers, and others. The course will include readings, recorded music, and films. The students and instructor will perform the music studied in a workshop setting. Prerequisite: Jazz Harmony II or permission of the instructor.  Class size: 15

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The Music of John Coltrane l

An immersion in the music of a Jazz master; includes readings, recorded music and films.  Coltrane's music will be performed in a workshop setting by students and instructor.  Visiting artists will play and discuss the music. Prerequisites: Jazz Harmony II, or permission of Instructor. This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors.  Class size: 18

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The Music of John Coltrane ll

An immersion in the music of a Jazz master; includes readings, recorded music and films.  Coltrane's music will be performed in a workshop setting by students and instructor.  Visiting artists will play and discuss the music. Prerequisites: Jazz Harmony II, or permission of Instructor. This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors.  Class size: 10

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Advanced Contemporary Jazz Techniques l

This course introduces methods for the jazz improviser to deconstruct and reorganize the basic harmonic and rhythmic elements for a composition. Issues addressed will include reharmonization, remetering, metric modulation, variations in phrasing, tempo, and dynamics; that is, the arrangement and reorganization of compositional elements. This is performance oriented class and repertoire will include jazz standards and compositions of the instructor. This class is open to moderated upper college students who have successfully completed Jazz Harmony I and II, and previous jazz repertory classes. This course fulfills an upper level music theory requirement for music majors. Class size: 10

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Advanced Contemporary Jazz Techniques ll

This course continues methods for the jazz improviser to deconstruct and reorganize the basic harmonic and rhythmic elements for a composition.  Issues addressed will include reharmonization, remetering, metric modulation, variations in phrasing, tempo, and dynamics; that is, the arrangement and reorganization of compositional elements.  This is a performance oriented class and repertoire will include jazz standards and compositions of the instructor.  This class is open to moderated upper college students who have successfully completed Jazz Harmony I and II, and previous jazz repertory classes.  This course fulfills an upper level music theory requirement for music majors. Class size: 10

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Advanced Contemporary Jazz Techniques lll

This course will focus on strategies for improvisation without predetermined chord structures or rhythmic frameworks and on methods for shaping performances spontaneously.  We will also explore collaboration with artists from other disciplines such as dance, spoken word and visual arts. This class is open to moderated upper college students who have successfully completed advanced contemporary Jazz techniques A & B. Class size: 10

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Advanced Contemporary Jazz Techniques lV

This course will focus on strategies for improvisation without predetermined chord structures or rhythmic frameworks and on methods for shaping performances spontaneously.  We will also explore collaboration with artists from other disciplines such as dance, spoken word and visual arts. This class is open to moderated upper college students who have successfully completed advanced contemporary Jazz techniques A & B. This fulfills music theory requirements. Class size: 10

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Improvisation Workshop I

2 credits This class serves as an introduction to Jazz improvisation. It is intended for incoming Jazz ensemble players who would like to develop as improvisers, or classical players who would like to explore improvisational techniques in a Jazz framework. Class size: 15

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Improvisation Workshop II

This class is structured as a continuation of Jazz Improvisation I. The goal will be to gain mastery over all of the basic scales used in traditional Jazz improvisation, and to attain the ability to improvise over basic two-five patterns and simple modal progressions. Prerequisite: Jazz Improvisation Workshop I, or consent of the instructor. Class size: 16

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Contemporary Composers Ensemble

2 credits This class will involve the interpretation of contemporary composers works, ranging from sextet to big band. This will be an advanced class restricted to instrumentalists (and vocalists) who have the necessary reading, technical, and interpretive skills to perform demanding music. There will be a featured composer who will visit as a guest artist and perform in concert with the ensemble each semester. Pieces written by student composers involved in the jazz composition classes will also be performed. Class size will vary according to the amount of qualified instrumentalists and the instrumentation requirements of the featured composer. Interested students are encouraged to sign up at registration, although confirmation of participation will only be given after auditions are held. Auditions will be conducted during the first scheduled class meeting. Class size: 12

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Jazz Composition I–II

This course covers the practical aspects of notation, instrumentation, Sibelius/Finale, and score/parts preparation that are necessary for the remainder of the two-year sequence. The first semester’s focus is on the less-structured realm of modal harmony. Students compose and have their pieces performed in class on a weekly basis, allowing them to find their voice and master the techniques necessary for a successful performance of their work. The second semester covers diatonic jazz harmony, starting with traditional forms of functional harmony and the interplay between the major and minor systems, followed by the progression of its breakdown into a more fluid, chromatic, and open-form system.

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Jazz Arranging I

This composition class will focus on the various techniques used in jazz ensemble writing from trio to quintet ensembles with heavy emphasis on rhythm section arranging. Final projects will be recorded or performed live at the end of the semester. This is an advanced seminar class for moderated music majors. Prerequisite are Jazz Composition I and II or the permission of the instructor. Class size: 15

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Jazz Arranging II

This class will focus on the various techniques used in Jazz ensemble writing from sextet to big band ensembles.  Classic drop-two voicings and tertiary approaches will be covered as well as more contemporary cluster, quartal and line part writing.  The various approaches to textural issues that arise in each particular instrumentation will be examined as well as various approaches to section writing.  Final projects ranging from Sextet to Big Band will be recorded or performed live at the end of the semester.  This is an advanced seminar class for moderated music majors.  Prerequisites are Jazz Composition I and II or the permission of the instructor. Class size: 12

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Jazz Vocal Workshop

2 credits  A performance workshop designed to familiarize the beginning singer with the components of a successful Jazz performance. How to begin a song (intros) and how to end a song (outros and turnarounds), how to pick a key, a song and a tempo. Rhythmic and melodic alterations are explored.  How to utilize simple (and not so simple) arrangements. Particular attention is paid to phrasing. The language of scat singing is explored, with emphasis on practice in every class. The forms of the blues, rhythm changes and 32 bar song form, and practical applications are taken from The Great American Songbook. There is one (or more) concert(s) scheduled during the semester and students are encouraged to seek out and perform in many local venues. Jazz chorus meets separately. There is a final exam in this class. Class size: 25

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Sight Reading Workshop

2 credits  This workshop is designed to improve basic music reading skills.  Drawing from a varied selection of material such as lead sheets, Jazz fake book charts and simple to intermediate classical etudes, students learn to read melody and rhythm more confidently. This course works well for C (concert) instruments and may be adapted for other instruments as well.  Class size: 12