Students in This Guide, Providing Another Source of Information About a Particular Jazz Program
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JAZZ THRIVES AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY INSIDE FIND YOUR FIT—207 SCHOOL LISTINGS! • Choosing the Right School • Building Your High School Portfolio • Careers off the Bandstand Portland State University student Nicole Glover (Photo: Daniel Sheehan) Student musicians in the York University Jazz Orchestra in Toronto IF YOU WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER AS A JAZZ MUSICIAN, FEATURES YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. OUR ANNUAL STUDENT 76 Choosing the Right School MUSIC GUIDE PROVIDES ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON THE Factors to consider when seeking WORLD OF JAZZ EDUCATION. the perfect fit At the heart of the guide are detailed listings of jazz programs at 207 schools. Our listings have been organized by region, including an International section. Throughout the listings, you’ll 120 Portfolio Prep notice that some schools’ names have a colored banner. Those schools have placed advertisements Tips to help high school students in this guide, providing another source of information about a particular jazz program. build their portfolios We’ve also included four features that are chockfull of commentary by leading experts. If you’re a high school student who wants to study jazz at the collegiate level, the feature “Portfolio Prep” (page 120) will help you build your portfolio so that you’ll be a stronger candidate who is 146 PSU Expands Horizons better prepared to submit applications and go on auditions. A profile of Portland State The title of our feature “Choosing the Right School” (page 76) says it all. This article will help University’s jazz studies program you narrow down key criteria as you focus in on the programs you want to pursue. This feature is required reading for anyone who plans to study jazz in college. 168 Careers off the Bandstand “PSU Expands Horizons” (page 146) is a profile of Portland State University, which offers top-shelf jazz education in a progressive city that supports jazz. Industry leaders who use Most students who pursue a degree in jazz studies envision a career that involves recording their musical skills to succeed albums and playing festivals around the world. But life has a funny way of throwing us curveballs. Our feature “Careers off the Bandstand” (page 168) examines the career paths of several professionals who found enriching jobs in which their musical abilities and knowledge were essential to their success. These are industry leaders who don’t make their living as musicians— but who never would have achieved such tremendous accomplishments without their musical SCHOOL LISTINGS training. As you begin researching jazz studies programs, keep in mind that the goal is to find one that 80 East fits your individual needs. After you’ve read through this guide, we encourage you to meet with a counselor or teacher to discuss your plans. And be sure to visit the websites of any schools that 104 South interest you. We’ve compiled the most recent information we could gather at press time, but some information may have changed, so contact a school representative to get detailed, up-to-date 122 Midwest information on admissions, enrollment, scholarships and campus life. Congratulations on taking your next step into the jazz community. There are plenty of great 148 West mentors out there to help you on your journey, and we hope this guide helps you 172 International connect with them. DB 74 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2014 CHOOSING ByTHE Matt McCall ,_WLY[Z VɈLY HK]PJL VU RIGHT OV^ [V ZLSLJ[ H ZJOVVS SCHOOL [OH[»ZHWLYMLJ[Ä[MVY`V\ eciding which jazz studies program to pursue is no easy task. There are myriad factors involved, so it’s important to do research on numerous schools and carefully consider the D strengths of each program. Potential applicants should ask themselves a few key questions: What size of school would I prefer? What can I afford? What financial aid or scholarships are available? Where in the country (or world) do I want to live? How can I tell if I’ll be happy in that environment? Experts in the field agree that it is extremely important to get a feel for the institutions that interest you. Your research should include visiting schools, talking to students on campus and identifying faculty members with whom you would like to study. 76 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2014 Matt Carraher (front row, far left) with his students from Central Dauphin High School For graduate students and transferring stu- YouTube channel—check that out. You can com- workforce.” dents, the decisions aren’t as tough because they pare who you are, and what you’re doing, to those But, Daversa added, there might be disadvan- have some experience upon which to base their other students that you hear. It’s good to visit the tages to a traditional, regimented program, too: decisions. But for high school students, selecting a school and sit in on a class to get an assessment of “The drawback is that if you really work on fun- school can be daunting—but it needn’t be. some sort from students.” damentals and getting all of this stuff down, it “There are so many factors, aren’t there?” said Daversa said all institutions have advantages may dampen your imagination. I certainly don’t John Daversa, chair of studio music and jazz at and unique characteristics. Some may be based think you need to do one before the other. Really University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. in an urban environment—where students are it depends where you are in your psyche. There are “You’re going to be there for four years, and your encouraged to be a part of the local scene—while some schools that are kind of right in the middle.” life becomes this university life. So you need to others are more secluded, allowing students plen- Daversa emphasized that schools are rarely trust and value the teachers and the community ty of time to practice individually and enjoy a completely on one end of the spectrum. The that you’re around.” more rural setting. majority of schools can be placed on a gradated “It’s hard to get an idea of a school unless you There are colleges that aim to wildly flex the scale ranging from strict, conservatory-style pro- visit in person,” Daversa said. “Sometimes it’s creative muscles of their students, but there are grams to very free, customizable options. impractical, but it’s really the best. Talk to stu- others with rigidly structured curricula focused Matt Carraher, band director at Central dents—because they know what’s going on. They on jazz fundamentals. According to Daversa, both Dauphin High School in Harrisburg, know the everyday vibe and if there’s inspiration types of schools have benefits and drawbacks. Pennsylvania, said that when determining coming out of those walls, or if it feels like it’s more “In a place where creativity and imagination what kind of school is best for any student, one clinical. [Find out] if they feel they have enough are encouraged, the benefits are obvious,” Daversa shouldn’t underestimate the importance of size time with their mentors. See if they feel vibrant or said. “You’re able to explore anything you dream and location. While the decision of where to enroll feel like they’re just going through motions.” up. You go to your teachers and say, ‘Hey, I want is ultimately up to his students and their families, Matt Marvuglio, a dean of the professional to try and do this,’ and they’ll figure out a way to Carraher offers advice during the decision-mak- performance division at Berklee College of Music make it happen—even if it doesn’t fit into your ing process. in Boston, said students should use the school’s regular curriculum. They might have to create a “There are students who will thrive in a school website as a resource before visiting. With a few class for you or make special arrangements. But of 50,000, and there are students who will just be easy clicks, they could save themselves an expen- by putting all of your energy into that at a forma- totally lost in the dark,” Carraher said. “You have sive trip. tive time, you might miss out on creating real- to weigh the personality of the student and how “You can learn a lot about all these schools by ly solid fundamentals in jazz. That will certain- are they going to function … and how good of an going online,” Marvuglio said. “Berklee has a ly come back to you when you’re out there in the education they are going to get. With a lot of the OCTOBER 2014 DOWNBEAT 77 New York schools, it’s a totally different experi- Lynn Seaton with students at the ence from the Boston schools, the New England University of North Texas schools. It’s a building downtown: That’s school. Some students are expecting a college experience with a [large] campus and football games and all that stuff, but it doesn’t really work that way. You just have to figure out what’s best for each individ- ual student.” Marvuglio said that students should choose a school based on their personal interests, rather than trying to become something they aren’t just so they can study at a certain school. “You’ve got to be true to yourself about what you want to do and what you like,” Marvuglio explained. “A lot of people, when they audition for Berklee, they think we want to hear a Charlie Parker solo. It’s like, ‘No, put your best foot for- ward.’ This is your education and you have to think of yourself as the consumer.