Hey all, I am a current high school senior who has been admitted to the Columbia University Class of 2021. I am deeply involved in the study, practice, and performance of jazz. After college I want to try and pursue jazz professionally but I also want to get exposed to a number of other disciplines and schools of thought while in college. It is for this reason that I am leaning towards Columbia instead of some of the conservatory programs in the country.
I was wondering if anybody had any insight on the jazz program at Columbia University. Is it impossible to practice say 3-5 hours a day and still do well in the Core? Any insight would be great!
Columbia has one of the best jazz programs outside the conservatory/music school setting. It’s not the full immersion that you’d find at a conservatory, of course, but there are some very high level musicians at the school who could easily have attended a top music school had they chosen to do so. (My son, who graduated last spring, was admitted to some excellent music schools and chose Columbia instead.)
No doubt, it is harder to find the time for the music when you’re juggling a significant academic load, but I would guess that my son spent at least 3-5 hours a day on music and was still able to handle the academics. Time management skills help, as does being careful not to overload yourself academically. Columbia’s location in NYC also allows students who are sufficiently motivated to take advantage of music resources outside the school, with top jazz musicians around the city at Juilliard, Manhattan School, New School and the like.
My son is now pursuing music as a career and, while he’s still at the very early stages of the great adventure, so far he seems to be doing well.