Course Work
Students wishing to study jazz are required to take Jazz Harmony l (a music theory course). If they are planning on specializing in performance, it’s also strongly advised that they take Jazz Improvisation I or II (depending on experience) during their freshman year. Students are also required to take at least one semester of the Sight Reading Workshop, unless they already read music well. Jazz students must be able to sight read to moderate into the upper college. It is also recommended that students take Jazz Through the Prism of History I, II MUS 177
The Contemporary Jazz Composers Ensemble is open to all jazz students who have advanced sight reading and performance skills.
Moderation and Senior Project
For their Moderation project, most students give a 25- to 40-minute concert of their own music and/or music by other composers; a substantial music history or theory paper written for a class may also be accepted. The Senior Project consists of two concerts of approximately 45 to 60 minutes each. In certain cases, a produced recording or a substantial (70 pages) research or analytical paper on an approved topic, overseen by an adviser, may be substituted for one of the two concerts.
Private Lessons
Students who play an instrument are required to take private lessons in conjunction with their course schedule. All students are eligible for private music instruction. Instruction is available for piano, voice, guitar, trumpet, bass (both classical and jazz), cello, violin, viola, flute, saxophone, trombone, drum set (Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop, Afro Cuban, Brazilian), and mallet percussion (vibes, marimba, and timpani). Afro Cuban percussion and Gamelan Orchestra lessons are available through the Ethnomusicology Program. Lessons are taught by adjunct professors. Lessons can be taken for either one or two credits or audited (no credit).