<p>AllMusic -- sorry to take so long to reply been busy with the process. Yes he is looking at New School, not NYU. Which ones are you looking at?</p>
<p>What about schools with good vocal jazz faculty and programs?</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>So i'm still in high school(a junior) but i've been told start looking at colleges and i want to study music preferably jazz. What schools should i look at and consider? I'm currently studying with Rusty Holloway at the Univeristy of Tennessee, should i consider UT? How does that compare to other music schools?</p>
<p>Sorry, I've gotta alotta questions about all of this.</p>
<p>Eastman
Berklee
NEC
SUNY Purchase
MSN
Julliard
New School Jazz
Steinhart - NYU
McGill</p>
<p>As for the Ivy League - Princeton and Columbia</p>
<p>Not much instrumental jazz to be found at Yale</p>
<p>Wait, so...
University of Pittsburgh apparently does have a really good jazz program? This is really interesting to me!!
Since I live maybe 15 minutes from the campus (or did when I was in high school.)
So...could you get trained in jazz VOICE then? Or is it justlike really good at instrumental jazz?</p>
<p>I woudn't go to Pitt for classical music, but I think they have a well regarded jaz program. It is run by Nathan Davis. Here's the link:
Jazz</a> at Pitt</p>
<p>I have a senior son now, in the middle of auditions. He is mostly applying to Conservatory programs, but has already auditioned at UMass Amherst. He is interested in all kinds of creative jazz, not so much "straight ahead" jazz, and thus was never interested in Julliard (it's quite a brand-name jazz orchestra, which would appeal to some musicians, of course)--UNT seemed more traditional, too. UMass is very appealing--you have a very small music department in a big university, and the 5-college consortium, which offers other ensembles to audition for, and other classes to take. </p>
<p>In terms of University jazz programs, we found these to be interesting:</p>
<p>University of the Arts (not a traditional college but a great jazz program)
Temple University
UMass Amherst
and the conservatory jazz programs:</p>
<p>MSM
NEC
The New School
Purchase </p>
<p>Jazz comes in different forms, and it depends on what the student is drawn to--tradition or free jazz, or some schools (Indiana, Eastman) even require a classical audition on top of your jazz auditon, which will exclude certain jazz musicians who have not had a grounding in classical.</p>
<p>I would consider looking at Tulane in New Orleans!!!!</p>
<p>Son is really enjoying his first year in U Michigan Jazz Studies!</p>
<p>HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
hamptomjp,</p>
<p>i like your sense of humor. i'm at tulane right now as a voice major, there is no sense of jazz at all which is actually hilarious. besides their jazz orchestra, yeah lol.</p>
<p>I'd love to revive this a bit, as we're putting together a list of schools to visit over Spring break. Son, jazz drummer, had an epiphany last Summer and became passionate about music school/conservatory. Parents want a campus experience for a very well-rounded good student, albeit great musician, son to provide the potential for other career options. So we're visiting Boston and NYC (NEC, Tufts, Berklee, NYU, MSM and the New School). We'll visit Oberlin at a later date, as we have Spring break the same week. I couldn't be more unfamiliar with this world, so I have a few questions: (1) Should we expect to see/make an appointment with a drum instructor at each school? (2) Son really wants a vibrant city with a great jazz scene, but not in the South, dangit. AND we really need to have some safety schools, preferably near a vibrant city with a great jazz scene, but also that have a thriving jazz department with more than just a few jazz students. Suggestions? (3) and thanks also for the tips on other boards here at good old CC regarding the audition scene and other music school info. Older son applied ED last year, got in and that was all she wrote. This road is going to be a LOT more.....circuitous and is pretty scary to me. Thanks!</p>
<p>Temple in Phila. has a phenomenal jazz program.Temple</a> University Undergraduate Bulletin - Boyer/Jazz Instrumental</p>
<p>Uarts good program....horrendous college experience</p>
<p>I'd be happy to extend my knowledge... I'm in the midst of the application/audition process for some schools (namely NEC), and have applied to many academic schools as well - but I know loads and loads of people who have gone the conservatory route -</p>
<p>1) You should definitely try to set up an appointment with a drum instructor at each school (some will have more than one). If possible, try to set up an appointment with the jazz department head also (this will be harder, presumably). This helps you because not only can you start to establish a relationship with the jazz department already (which can most definitely help you when it comes to audition time to feel more comfortable and relaxed), but also, if your son really hates the instructor for some reason, you can find that out now, rather than going through the whole audition and finding it out later. Keep in mind that setting up appointments may be hard to do. At Oberlin, for example, I know the drum instructor is Billy Hart. Hart is also an instructor at NEC, and is pretty active in the Boston scene, so he probably isn't at Oberlin too much. Schools like Berklee have tons of drum instructors, so if your son meets with one of them, there's no guarantee he'll end up studying with that person. I wouldn't sweat it, though, if you really can't make an appointment. Remember, kids from all over the country are applying to these schools - not all of them can visit, and the school can't put you at a disadvantage for that reason. If anything, meeting the drum instructor might just show your son where he doesn't wan to apply, because believe me, if the instructor and your son don't mesh, it'll be a loooong 4 years.</p>
<p>2) It's been said on this board repeatedly, but I'll echo the others - there's really no such thing as a safety music school. The only safety you'll find is by applying to an academic safety school with a music department - and chances are, if your son really wants a music school, he may be unhappy there. With that being said, I can speak for the reputation of admissions at some schools - </p>
<p>Berklee will probably be the easiest to get into on the list you offered, just because it is so big, and has room for drummers. DO NOT confuse this with "at Berklee, my son is a shoe-in." The school is getting a lot more competitive, and there's not room for everybody. Just make sure your son doesn't haphazardly audition because "it's only Berklee" - it really is a great school for what it does, and one thing I've noticed is that the absolute best jazz players (like people who should be famous already in high school) I know end up going here. While the weakest players at say, NEC, are probably miles above the weakest players at Berklee, the top players at Berklee are probably some of the best anywhere.</p>
<p>Schools like NEC, MSM, Oberlin, and to a somewhat lesser extent, New School, are kind of a crap shoot. If your son really deserves to get in, he will, but here's the problem - schools of their size really can't have a lot of jazz drummers (what are they going to do with them all?)... Quotas are established because of the number of drummers already enrolled in the program. Just play your best, and remember that some schools don't accept kids for silly reaons like quotas, and it's generally not personal.</p>
<p>Others to consider - Umass Amherst, Umichigan, Michigan State, etc... I know they aren't in the most "vibrant" jazz scene, but they definitely have a lot going on, and remember - the school doesn't define the musician your son will be!</p>
<p>Scary it is, and we are in the throes of it right now.;)</p>
<p>I think the best advice is to visit, meet with teachers and students, and attend programs on these campuses, etc. We had a big list which my son whittled enormously as the result of doing this. It was more time consuming up front, but did save us time and money by not submitting applications or going to auditions to places he didn't want to go.</p>
<p>The audition process is also exhausting; we know of people who have signed on for 12 auditions, which I can't imagine. </p>
<p>If you are going to NY, you might want to look at SUNY Purchase, and I echo the Temple in Philly rec. There is a smaller jazz program at Hartt, but I don't know much about it, aside from a kid who went there working in active jazz performance about five or six years post grad (a good endorsement). The jazz program at Peabody is also newish and small, but for kids looking at double degree, is might still be worth a look-see.</p>
<p>New York and Boston, (and Philly to a lesser extent) all have a very active jazz scene. In most of the metro areas you should be ok.</p>
<p>I echo the sample lesson, critical for all.</p>
<p>Also want to add that even though Amherst, MA is not a big city, it is a very vibrant college town with many sophisticated people and plenty of jazz happening...not bad at all if you want the college experience along with the music.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. We've added Umass/Amherst to the list and will try to figure out how to get to Philly for Temple and maybe see SUNY/Purchase in NY as well. I know that he will find the "personalities" at each school and will have the ability to figure out if its "his" kind of place prior to the application process--the obvious point of it all. If I had my way, we wouldn't look at Berklee, as we'd really rather he have something a little more approximating a campus experience, though as you point out, as a drummer there are probably more slots. We're pretty confident that academically he can be admitted--it's all going to be about "is it a big jazz drummer application pool" or not. sigh. We're from the west coast, so we can only afford so many trips for auditions. </p>
<p>Sax, what did you mean by "Uarts good program....horrendous college experience"? </p>
<p>Good luck Jazzguitar and Allmusic. It's a scary and exciting time!</p>
<p>Any more advice, folks, I'm ready to absorb. Thanks so much again!</p>
<p>Dear SJTH,
If you are looking for a 'campus experience', consider also visiting U of Michigan when you visit Oberlin (3 hour drive apart).
UM</a> School of Music, Theatre & Dance - Department of Jazz & Improvisation</p>
<p>If you are going to NYC, might as well visit Purchase, Columbia and Julliard as well.</p>
<p>If you are looking at Tufts academically - might also consider Princeton.</p>
<p>Might also look at Hartt and Eastman</p>
<p>I'd be interested in hearing any more info on UArts as well. I believe that "horrendous college experience" could refer to the lack of cohesive traditional student life there. It's not a college in the sense of UMich being a college or even UMass. No student activities, school spirit, etc. But the jazz faculty looks amazing, the number of ensembles they list is huge and varied. My S is auditioning there, but is going in just based on the faculty. It's one of the only schools he did not look at or have a trial lesson at. So, let us know, Sax, what you think.</p>