<p>My son is a high school junior and he plays jazz trumpet. He is playing with a number of combos in town mostly with 40 and 50 year old men. He is best at improv and probably lacking some in technique because he has been taking lessons from a jazz sax player since junior high. He just took some trumpet lessons recently and he said it had really improved his range. Will he have difficulty getting into music school because he has not been playing any classical pieces? Should we focus on that? Also what schools would be top of the list. They know him at UNT so I know that is a possibility.</p>
<p>UNT may be a possibility for him, but be aware that they have a very highly respected program, so the competition is going to be tough. Continuing lessons with the very best trumpet teacher that he can find would be the best way to maximize his chances there. </p>
<p>Some schools have classical music as part of their jazz audition process, but many do not. Your son needs to start researching schools quickly to find out what the audition requirements will be at the ones that interest him. He may indeed have problems putting together both a good jazz audition and a good classical audition if he has not been studying classical pieces with someone who plays trumpet. It sounds like studying classical technique and repertoire would benefit your son, but the question is whether he has time to do that and prepare his jazz audition as well. That is probably a question that his trumpet teacher will have to answer.</p>
<p>It would also probably be a good idea for him to audition for some competitive summer programs. That will be one way for him to find out where he stands in relation to the competition for places in music schools. Many of those summer programs are auditioning now or in the next month or two, so you will also want to start researching those.</p>
<p>Many top school don't require a classical audition, but still are looking for excellent technique.</p>
<p>It's important for your son to determine the type of jazz he likes to play. Different conservatories or music schools have very different emphases, and there are more "conservative", straight ahead jazz schools (the Wynton Marsalis type of jazz), and those that focus on more eclectic, cutting edge (some might think it "weird" or "out there") kind of jazz. Generally, the teachers are of the same genre as the overall focus of the school. Usually, kids will click with one type more than the other.</p>
<p>After visiting, listening to groups, and/or jamming with other players, these differences were very apparent to my son, and it helped him solidify his final list. </p>
<p>Your son should also decide if he wants a fully urban experience (a MSM, Juilliard, New School, Berklee, McGill or NEC type) or a more small campus oriented one like Oberlin. Or is he looking for a small conservatory program like Eastman or even Peabody or Hartt. Then there are university jazz programs like the new one at Northwestern, or UMichigan or USC. UNT, Purchase, William Patterson, UIllinois are other considerations. These programs are all quite different from one another. And there are a lot more!</p>
<p>There is no right or wrong in the type of school, and there are plenty of choices, depending on what your son is looking for in size, location, and type of music. And of course, his level of play and overall potential will figure in significantly as well.</p>
<p>If he improvs well, and is looking at jazz for his future, that's a skill that a lot of college programs are looking for.</p>
<p>Another important skill is sight-reading. He should be working to make sure he can read and play any chart that's plopped in front of him.</p>
<p>I am so glad to have found this discussion site. Thank you for the great advice. We will keep at the trumpet lessons and start looking at the audition requirements for the schools that best meet his needs. </p>
<p>I didn't know about the opportunity for summer auditions but would like to learn more. He has been asked to go to a clinic at NYU but the information is still sketchy on that. </p>
<p>His jazz preferences seem to change quite a bit but I guess now is the time to hone in on where his main interest are. All the jazz people who hear him say he sounds like Chet Baker so I think that is more of a straight forward jazz sound.</p>
<p>Obviously I am not a music expert so the information from this discussion has really helped me feel a bit more confident about supporting his college plans. Any other help is more than welcome!</p>
<p>Do you have access to a conservatory prep program? It's a great way to get everything accomplished in an organized way: a typical program would include theory, ear training and ensemble and private lesson playing, all of which would get him ready to apply to music school. </p>
<p>Many schools have recordings of their students ensembles on the internet, either through the school website or through you tube. It's a good way to see what direction the jazz is going at any particular school.</p>
<p>The other question is whether you have a youth symphony nearby? Some have midyear auditions, and its possible he can get some classical playing under his belt that way.</p>
<p>If you're in the NY area, I would have you look into sending him to the New York Summer Music Festival in Oneonta. It's a six-week program, done in two-week cycles. They have a very active jazz component, and a lot of opportunity to explore one's artistic muse. Check out their website (Summer</a> Music Camp - NYSMF - New York Summer Music Festival - for Outstanding Young Musicians). They get great jazz instructors from the NYC-area colleges, and have had some impressive trumpeters come up for master classes. Their website will indicate that NYSMF is stronger in classical, and I wouldn't dispute that -- but the jazz component is pretty dynamic.</p>
<p>He should really work hard for the rest of hs on improving his technique, ie. working with a good trumpet teacher, whether classical or jazz. Any good school will demand that he fully master the technique of his instrument. </p>
<p>Sightreading is another important skill that we often forget about, and it's the bane of many music students' existence. S2 spent a full year before his audition beginning every practice session with sightreading for his warm-up, sometimes classical, sometimes jazz, and different kinds of notation. One time he was given a piece with the piano accompaniment, so that he had to pick his line from the score. One time he was given a jazz piece with funky notation. However, sightreading is a skill like any other that can be improved with diligent practice.</p>
<p>I am heeding all the advice on getting a good trumpet teacher. I have S lined up to see a trumpet instructor at the local university who came highly recommended. Also exploring options to play with orchestras other than the high school. The summer program in New York looks wonderful and we will definitely consider applying. Thanks again for all the great suggestions.</p>
<p>Jazz majors at UNT have to take theory, music history and at least two semesters of chamber music (classical). And, according to DS, they don't like it, but they do it anyway!</p>
<p>Following up on UNT, I know that jazz vocalists have to pass a classical audition before they will even be considered for jazz studies. Is it the same for instumentalists?</p>
<p>Found this thread from last year that is on topic for some current threads so I thought I would post to bump it for Coronet440 and TrumpetDad, in case they did not see it.</p>