About Jazz Studies

The UNC Jazz Studies program serves as one of the University's most effective recruiting and public relations organizations, having been recognized as one of the most outstanding jazz programs in the United States. The Jazz Studies Program at UNC is designed with the hope of perpetuating an art form both unique and indigenous to the American people.

Beginning in the Fall of 2005, Bachelor of Music - Instrumental Jazz, and Master of Music - Instrumental Jazz Degrees are now offered. These programs afford numerous opportunities for performance with a number of outstanding small jazz combos, large jazz ensembles, small vocal groups and large vocal jazz ensembles. A wide variety of academic classes are also available, including Jazz History, Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz Arranging, Jazz Theory and Jazz Improvisation. Plus, with the new degree programs, students will receive eight semesters of individual performance (lessons) in jazz on their specific instrument.

The University of Northern Colorado is one of a few institutions in the United States offering a doctorate in Jazz Pedagogy as a secondary emphasis.

Download the following PDF files for specific information.

Bachelor of Music - Jazz Emphasis
PDF BM- Audition Requirements

Master of Music - Jazz Emphasis
As a result of the success and growth of the Jazz Studies Program, there are presently 9-10 part-time graduate assistants employed annually, each of whom specializes in a specific area of jazz. The support staff includes an Associate Director (administrative), an Assistant Director (administrative and teaching) and studio faculty. The doctoral program is supervised by a Jazz Pedagogy Committee consisting of five full-time music faculty. The introduction of the two new degrees in Jazz, the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Instrumental Jazz will certainly take the Jazz Studies Program well into the 21st Century.

Ensembles
Performance standards are such that future musicians/educators/listeners establish attitudes toward music and performance that will be of critical importance in their musical and cultural endeavors. UNC's jazz ensembles support the cultural, educational and career goals of a large number of students while at the same time provide an enjoyable, refreshing, aesthetic experience for all students as well as for the audience.

By participating in the performing jazz ensembles, the student who aspires to become a professional player will perform in a professional atmosphere with many of the same professional responsibilities. Likewise, the student who has aspirations of becoming a music educator will have the opportunity to work under many excellent teaching assistants who come to UNC from different parts of the United States. In both rehearsal and performance situations, the future music educator and/or aspiring professional jazz musician will be exposed to many different teaching techniques and concepts, in addition to the many administrative realities dealt with by competent music educators.

Although the top jazz ensembles are performance-oriented, certain performance quality expectations are made of all jazz ensembles. It is through the medium of performance quality that students can learn to judge musical values and eventually apply what they have learned. Students tend to teach as they are taught and demand of their students what was demanded of them.

At UNC, we take great pride in having placed graduate jazz teaching assistants in some of the finest institutions of higher education in the United States. It is also important to note that many of the UNC graduate jazz teaching assistants continue their professional jazz playing after leaving UNC, choosing to enter the teaching field at a later date.

Follow this link for Jazz Studies History.