<p>This has been coming for a long time. The program has been in decline for the past few years. i feel sorry for the jazz majors still there. Jazz is collaborative and students need to spend just as long jamming in combos as practicing alone. Obviously, the Scool of Music at Northwestern, which can easily afford to keep the program, has decided to spend this money elsewhere.</p>
<p>I thoguht this might be coming; the program was without leadership for far too long. We nixed it months ago. Too bad.</p>
<p>Well...it certainly wasn't a surprise.</p>
<p>I remember about three years ago being at NU to visit my son (in the Communications School)--his jazz studies roomate was complaining about the quality of the department, and he jumped ship and became a Comm Studies major, maintaining a bit of a role in music by continuing to play with one professor's combo. I am sad that such a long-standing jazz studies department would fold like that.</p>
<p>We are planning to visit Northwestern in the early fall, as we have heard very good things about the violin faculty. But in addition to this sad news about the jazz department, I've also heard and read some concerns/mild complaints about their music facilities. And the online account in the Daily Northwestern seemed a little unsatisfactory, in terms of the administration's position. </p>
<p>I know we'll come to our own conclusions once we've visited and are a little more more familiar with the school, but do you any you who know Northwestern's current music program have any general insights or opinions?</p>
<p>The dean's side of the story:</p>
<p>More from students:</p>
<p>I suppose they couldn't recruit a director for the Jazz program b/c the candidates were aware of the insipid support the major had,including no graduate program.
OrchestraMom..we visited a few years back for D's audition on flute.while the University overall is lovely,in a wonderful setting (but fierce temps and winds in winter),we found the music facilities neglected and lacking,with the added discomfort of being spread out across the campus.when you are doing auditions in many places in a concentrated time period,you tend to evaluate the facilities against each other,much like when you are house hunting.Seeing other schools that have been putting $$ into facilities,or at least keeping up the older ones put NU's at a disadvantage.
And did I mention how cold and windy it was in February?LOL</p>
<p>Jazz is always seen as the poor cousin of classical. My son was disgusted by the NFAA audition page, which lists "MUSIC" (including all instruments of classical) and "JAZZ". Hmmm. So jazz isn't really music? Alrighty then.</p>
<p>We always knew that as a double NU legacy, with strong academics and excellent skills in both classical and jazz, our son would have a good shot at the music school. But even if the jazz department wasn't in disarray (and now defunct), the music school, in general, is ignored, compared to the rest of the university. We would never have encouraged him to audition there, even before the jazz dept went belly up. </p>
<p>I just find it very sad that an excellent university, with what should be an excellent music school, has allowed this to happen.</p>
<p>Well, jazz also has the problem of simply fitting into the Classical establishment that's been around for much longer. Most people I know do not think that jazz is in anyway inferior to Classical...it's just that no one knows how to fit it in to the already established Classical system in place at most institutions. </p>
<p>Look at the recent Pulitzer for music...it was given to a jazz artist (Ornette Coleman, a master in my opinion) instead of some 'classical composition' that most likely lesser in quality. Yet, there are still many people (including some who love jazz) who found themselves uncomfortable with the award because it didnt 'fit' into the traditional system. </p>
<p>Some schools are much better at it; Berkelee being an exception. Juilliard has also done well with it--primarily because there is the ridiculously strong anchor of quality with Jazz at Lincoln Center (at the same time, that also causes the program to be more conservative than it could be). </p>
<p>As with your specific complaint -Allmusic-, I think the NFAA's designation is simply because they're not quite sure of how to incorporate jazz into the traditional classical system.</p>
<p>And one more point...
I think academic programs in jazz tend to be conservative...which leads to bad jazz anyway.</p>
<p>WCU, to my S, it seemed like a no-brainer for the NFAA: list each instrument, and under each, delineate audition requirements by genre, whether it be classical or jazz. He's not losing any sleep over this, though.;)</p>
<p>I agree with you completely on your second post.</p>
<p>This is an interesting topic to us as a "jazz family". Our HS junior son is passionate about jazz, knows far more than I could ever know about the soul of jazz. He has zeroed in on certain jazz programs that are geared toward the freedom factor of jazz: MSM, New School, NEC. Hence, he is convinced that Julliard is not for him. Or Eastman. The buzz he hears from pre-college faculty at MSM is that Julliard jazz is way conservative (a little rivalry here, perhaps!) --but, I think there is validity to that. We had inside scoop on the jazz studies decline at NU because our older son went to school there from 2002-2006, so that one was never on the radar. I think it's wonderful to have the knowlege and experience to be a completely well-rounded musician, drawing from classical and jazz, but any student planning on being a "jazz studies" major should be aware of this tradition vs. freedom factor in looking at programs. As my son would say, jazz is about breaking rules. </p>
<p>This controversy at NU is making them look bad I am afraid!</p>
<p>jazzmomm: reading your comments about tradition vs. freedom factor in jazz programs leads me to wonder if your son has given any thought to the University of Michigan jazz department. UMich does a lot with improvisation outside of the traditional jazz realm and has a Creative Arts Orchestra which is a free improvisation ensemble. Don't know if this is the type of "freedom" your son is thinking of, but just thought I'd mention it, since I haven't seen UMich mentioned on posts concerning your son.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up about Michigan, FiddleMom. That's one of my favorite schools, anyway, and both older sons applied there (not for music) Ended up in different places, though. I'll let my son know about this and have him take a closer look!</p>