<p>Does anyone know whether there are conservatories that offer electives to classical performance majors (especially strings) in jazz theory and/or style?</p>
<p>My daughter was able to take secondary Jazz bass lessons most semesters in addition to her primary classical bass lessons at Oberlin. She also took their two-semester Intro Jazz class. That class is cross-registered in the Jazz, Music History and African American Studies departments, so it is possible to use it to satisfy several different requirements.</p>
<p>I do not know what opportunities there are for violin, viola and cello players. I don’t think that they have a specific Jazz teacher there for those instruments like they do for bass. It may be that one of the classical teachers on those instruments also has an interest in Jazz, however, if you are looking for applied lessons.</p>
<p>They do have several classes in Jazz theory, composition and arranging, and improvisation that are nominally open to Conservatory students. I’m sure that Jazz students get first crack at registering for them and do not know whether or not there are usually openings in them for classical performance majors. Perhaps one of the CC members who is a current student at Oberlin Conservatory could answer that question.</p>
<p>Oberlin recently completed an incredible annex to their conservatory building mainly for the Jazz department. The facilities and collections of historic recordings and original memorabilia are quite impressive.</p>
<p>Thanks BassDad. The reason I’ve asked is that a representative from our daughter’s conservatory is coming to our city and has invited my husband and I to meet with her, to get parent comments and insight. The conservatory is forward-thinking, in terms of creating entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary opportunities for students, but there is no crossover between classical and jazz players, other than what the students forge themselves. I was wondering if other conservatories had these opportunities. I would think that jazz theory for jazz players would be too steep for classical players— they would need their own section, like a “viola for violinists” class. But a course like that could be life-changing.</p>
<p>There are not a lot of crossover students at Oberlin and they pretty much have to seek out the opportunities themselves, but the resources are there for those who have the interest. I don’t think being classically trained necessarily takes away from someone’s Jazz chops. Its just that a lot of people who are classically trained do not have much interest or aptitude for Jazz. I expect those who love both types of music and have the talent and drive to get into a major conservatory would be able to handle Jazz theory classes with the full-time Jazz students. Those more interested in dipping their toes would do better to stick to the Intro classes.</p>
<p>While my daughter was classically trained, it was not her intention to look for orchestral jobs. She now plays in all sorts of groups ranging from indie rock to bluegrass to folk to Jazz to Klezmer to Early Music and has found having both the classical and the Jazz training with a dash of Ethnomusicology thrown in to be really useful.</p>
<p>Considering that jazz theory starts with the basics (just like classical theory does), I wouldn’t think you’d need a dumbed-down section for classical folks. Doesn’t mean they’ll be able to blow with any proficiency, but the theory is pretty similar.</p>
<p>Tuba-- all the way through? But how do jazz players learn to improvise? I’m also interested in knowing if conservatories offer electives for classical players to learn jazz styling (or other alternative styles of playing.)</p>
<p>There are generally classes separate from theory that cover improv.</p>
<p>A typical curriculum for Jazz performance would include principal applied lessons every semester, perhaps four semesters of regular music theory/aural skills, another two semesters of theory specific to Jazz, about four semesters of Jazz improv class plus ensembles, music history classes, maybe an intro level class or two in arranging and composing, and some electives.</p>
<p>I think that this is an area where conservatories can be quite a bit different. Some don’t even have a Jazz program, some have programs that have very little crossover with the classical majors and some have programs where there is more interaction between the departments. Depending on what you mean by alternate styles, such classes may be offered at some schools but are rarely required for the classical majors.</p>
<p>Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I just want to say that I’m a classical player. However, the basic theory of jazz is very similar to the basics of classical: functional, tonal harmony. There’s nothing there to make it incomprehensible for a classical musician, particularly one with any theory background. </p>
<p>I can only speak in terms of how the theory/improvisation/writing stuff worked in the Jazz Studies department at my alma mater (and anyone can feel free to chime in on how it works elsewhere), but jazz players started off with a one-semester Jazz Theory class, which covered some basic conventions about performance practice and form, chord voicings and substitutions, and things like 2-5-1s. The only playing in the class was on piano. It then branched out into jazz composition 1 & 2, jazz arranging 1 & 2, and improvisation 1 & 2. From what I understand, the improvisation class involves playing, but much of the class is about transcribing solos of the masters and analyzing how they’re improvising. However, a lot of jazz studies majors didn’t take that until their upper class years. Most of the improvisation instruction took place in their jazz lessons. I think this isn’t as common, but our jazz studies majors all studied their instruments with the classical studio teacher and then took separate jazz lessons. I’m sure most conservatories are more divided than this. Anyway, I don’t think most jazz theory involves improvising in class any more than classical theory involves performing orchestral works or madrigals.</p>
<p>My point, mostly, was that jazz theory shouldn’t be anything a classical musician can’t handle as long as they start from the beginning. I think, too, that once you get too far out there as far as jazz theory, it becomes just as nebulous as classical does at its outer reaches, and the line can blur very easily.</p>
<p>Edit: I took a long time to respond, and see that I cross-posted with Bassdad. Good to know, it looks like mine was a little unusual. I do think he’s right in that conservatories seem like they separate classical and jazz players earlier. I hear that Juilliard’s jazz students never set foot in the same theory classes as the classical students; at universities, many jazz students have to sit through the full complement of theory classes that classical majors do.</p>
<p>They also get the full complement of classical theory/aural classes at some conservatories in addition to whatever Jazz theory classes are required.</p>