Overview
The mission of the Master of Music program in Jazz Pedagogy is to provide students with a platform to continue their growth as artists while simultaneously creating opportunities for vocational training in the field of jazz education. The overriding goal is to prepare students for careers as both artists and educators by giving them high-level training and experience in both fields.
Jazz Pedagogy is a unique two-year course of study that includes private instruction on the student’s principal instrument and full participation in the jazz ensemble program at Frost. Students take a wide range of jazz courses that include advanced improvisation, advanced arranging, and composition. Additionally, pedagogical training and experience are garnered through a broad range of courses such as: The Teaching Artist, World of the Working Musician, seminars in jazz pedagogy, and a course in Jazz Cultures taught by renowned musicologist and jazz scholar Dr. David Ake.
The culminating project for this program is a digital portfolio created by the student. The focus of this portfolio is to highlight student skills and abilities in a multitude of areas, in order to enhance job opportunities and sustainable careers in a continually evolving music industry.
Admission Requirements
All applicants to the Frost School must submit the following items:
· An online application
· Application fee
· Resume
· Three letters of recommendation
· Official transcripts from every post-secondary school attended
This graduate degree program also requires submission of certain supplemental materials, including:
· Prescreen/Performance
· Writing sample
· TOEFL/IELTS score, as applicable
For more detailed information, please visit our Graduate Admission website.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Area | ||
| Applied Lessons | 6 | |
| Jazz Ensembles | 4 | |
| MCY 720 | Jazz Cultures: History and Historiography (Jazz Cultures) | 3 |
| MSJ 644 | Jazz Pedagogy and Administration | 3 |
| MSJ 720 | Analysis of Jazz Styles | 3 |
| MSJ 724 | Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy (Jazz Pedagogy Seminar) | 1 |
| MSJ 780 | Advanced Jazz Improvisation Theory | 3 |
| MSJ 805 | Master's Jazz Pedagogy Project (Masters Jazz Pedagogy Project) | 1 |
| Other Studies in Music | ||
| MSJ 715 | Jazz Composition Seminar I | 3 |
| MSJ 620 | Advanced Modern Arranging II | 3 |
| or MSJ 619 | Advanced Modern Arranging I | |
| Electives | ||
| Non-MSJ, Advisor Approved Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| MSJ XX6 Applied Lessons | 2 | |
| MSJ 720 | Analysis of Jazz Styles | 3 |
| MSJ 780 | Advanced Jazz Improvisation Theory | 3 |
| Performance Ensemble | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MSJ XX6 Applied Lessons | 2 | |
| MCY 720 | Jazz Cultures: History and Historiography | 3 |
| MSJ 644 | Jazz Pedagogy and Administration | 3 |
| Performance Ensemble | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| MSJ XX6 Applied Lessons | 1 | |
| MSJ 724 | Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy | 1 |
| MSJ 619 | Advanced Modern Arranging I (unless taking MSJ 620 in the following Spring semester) or 3 credits of Non-MSJ Advisor Approved Electives(s) ) | 3 |
| MSJ 715 | Jazz Composition Seminar I | 3 |
| Performance Ensemble | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MSJ XX6 Applied Lessons | 1 | |
| MSJ 805 | Master's Jazz Pedagogy Project | 1 |
| Non-MSJ Advisor Approved Electives | 3 | |
| MSJ 620 | Advanced Modern Arranging II (unless taking MSJ 619 in the previous Fall semester) or 3 credits of Non-MSJ Advisor Approved Electives(s) ) | 3 |
| Performance Ensemble | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
* This is a suggested Plan of Study. Your actual course sequence may vary depending on your previous academic experience as well as current course offerings. Students should meet with their academic advisor each semester to determine the appropriate course selection.
Mission
The mission of the Master of Music degree in Jazz Pedagogy is to prepare students for careers in advanced level performance, private music teaching, or entry-level jazz teaching positions in community colleges and four-year institutions of higher learning. It will also provide a foundation for further advanced graduate work at the doctoral level. The underlying philosophy is that the best teachers are also skilled performers.
Goals
- Preparing students for careers as teachers in the field of higher education.
- Providing students with advanced jazz performance skills beyond those achieved in pursuit of their degree.
- Providing students with an understanding of jazz tradition, and current professional trends.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will develop proficiency in pedagogical strategies, theory, and historical trends necessary for career preparation in music instruction.
- Students will create and develop digital portfolios of their accomplishments in writing, research, teaching, and performing.
- Students will develop a high level of performance proficiency that will prepare them for sustainable careers as working professional musicians and artists.
