|
 tudents in the School's
Studio Music and Jazz Instrumental Program study with some of the finest jazz instructors
in higher education. Students develop their jazz and studio performance skills to a
professional level with the goal of pursuing careers as jazz or studio musicians,
composers, arrangers, conductors, or instrumentalists.
To prepare for their chosen career, jazz majors concentrate on tone
development, musicianship, and technical mastery of their instrument. Courses stress
development of style, improvisation, jazz composition, and arranging. Special sections of
jazz theory and ear training are also offered.
Approximately three dozen studio music and jazz performing ensembles are
available. Large and small jazz ensemble groups provide outstanding performance
opportunities. Students also benefit from contact with the many national and international
guest artists who perform and lecture on campus each year. Guest artist and
faculty/student performances are scheduled for each Jazz Forum. 
In addition to numerous on-campus performance opportunities, there exists in
the Greater Miami metropolitan area unique international, multiethnic sites for work and
study. Opportunities abound to gain professional experience in South Florida area jazz
clubs, recording studios, Latin bands, cruise ships, theaters, and opera and symphony
orchestras.
Students have state-of-the-art recording opportunities in the School's own
professionally equipped multitrack recording studios, equipped with automated mixing
consoles, 24-track digital recorders, 2-track digital recorders, synchronizers, timecode,
video recorders, distributed video displays, networked computers, and media workstations.
A joint program between Instrumental Studio Music and Jazz and Music
Education enables students to earn teacher certification in music education concurrent
with the jazz major.
tudents wishing to work in the recording studio and/or music entertainment industry
should consider the Studio Music and Jazz/Vocal major. Graduates pursue careers as jazz
and studio musicians, jingle singers, composers, arrangers, conductors, and lyricists.
Some vocalists work in Broadway shows; others in nightclubs, pop, country and rock
concerts, and more.
Through this unique, first-of-its-kind program, students develop skills in
interpretation of styles, musicianship, arranging, conducting, sight-reading,
ear-training, keyboard, and large and small ensemble singing. Training is also provided in
vocal techniques, repertoire, historical and current musical styles, and improvisation.
Basic knowledge of the recording industry also is stressed. Master classes are frequently
offered with jazz and studio professionals who regularly appear in the Greater Miami
metropolitan area.
The School offers several jazz vocal ensembles. Jazz Vocal I enjoys a
reputation as one of the finest jazz vocal groups in the country. In addition to releasing
its third album, Jazz Vocal I consistently wins Down Beat Magazine's "dB"
competitions. Other vocal ensembles provide a variety of classical, pop, and jazz
performance opportunities. In addition, students have access to the School's recording
studios for hours of valuable recording experience.
In addition to many on-campus performance opportunities, the
Greater Miami metropolitan area offers all jazz majors a unique international, multiethnic
environment in which to work and study. Students have many opportunities to gain
professional experience by performing in a wide variety of venues.
 he School offers three
Master's degree programs in jazz studies:
Jazz Performance (instrumental or vocal) includes performance
study, improvisation, and jazz composition, culminating with a degree recital and recital
paper.
Jazz Pedagogy combines jazz performance writing and analytical
study with special emphasis on educational methods and materials for jazz instruction. The
program culminates with a comprehensive examination or thesis.
Studio Jazz Writing is a unique advanced writing program designed
to prepare composers and arrangers for work in a variety of fields. Students study
instrumental, vocal, and electronic writing techniques. Harmonic techniques as well as
orchestration practices are applied to large and small jazz ensembles, symphony orchestra,
and computer-based MIDI/synthesizer ensembles. Composition and arranging projects are
rehearsed, recorded, and critiqued. Models for study include master composers, arrangers,
and producers from throughout the history of jazz, rock, pop, and classical music. A final
written project concludes the degree program.
The Doctor of Music Arts (D.M.A.) degree is offered in Jazz
Performance and in Jazz Composition. These programs require a
minimum of 60 credits beyond the master's degree, including studies in performance, jazz
composition and arranging, and general core courses in music history, music theory, and
music education. A doctoral essay culminates each program.
tudio Jazz Writing
and Jazz Composition. The portfolio should include approximately
five arrangements and/or compositions for a variety of ensembles. At least one work
must be for a large ensemble, for example big band or symphony orchestra. The
portfolio should also include works for small instrumental or vocal ensembles and lead
sheets of original compositions. All arrangements must include complete scores (and
recordings if available). At least one work must demonstrate melodic, harmonic, and
rhythmic jazz vocabulary.
hree award-winning jazz
ensembles: Concert Jazz Band, Bop Brothers, and Jazz Vocal I; are actively involved in
touring and/or producing recordings. Besides Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival and the
North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, the Concern Jazz Band has performed in Brazil and
Central America. The Concert Jazz Band and Jazz Vocal I have performed at national
conferences of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the International
Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). The Bop Brothers have been honored several times as
"Best Small Group"; at the National Collegiate Jazz Competition. All three
ensembles record regularly.
|
|
Degree Programs
Bachelor of Music in Studio Music
and Jazz/Instrumental
Bachelor of Music in Studio Music
and Jazz/Vocal
Bachelor of Music in Studio
Music and Jazz/Instrumental and Performance (Double Major)
Master of Music in Jazz
Performance/Instrumental
Master of Music in Jazz
Performance/Vocal
Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy
Master of Music in Studio Jazz
Writing
Doctor of Musical
Arts in Jazz Performance
Doctor of Musical Arts in
Jazz Performance
"I've always been
proud to be an
alumnus of the
University of
Miami. One's
degree is only as
good as the school
which grants it. A
UM music school
degree is first
class."
Jack A. Bullock, Ph.D., is director of
instrumental music at CPP/Belwin, Inc. music publishers. |
