Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, is among the OCTOBER 2020 DOWNBEAT 51 212 schools listed in this year’s guide.(Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt University) SMV Dr. Jeremy Fox of The School for Music Vocations helps students achieve their educational and professional goals. Music Degrees Open Many Doors FOR MANY YEARS NOW, YOUNG, GIFTED success. And it might not have happened had es at The School for Music Vocations at players have been asking themselves, “Why he not gone to college. Southwestern Community College in Creston, should I go earn a degree in music?” Given “It doesn’t mean that all of a sudden I can’t Iowa. SMV offers an associate of applied arts the tuition costs of many institutions, and the swing anymore because I want to teach at a uni- degree in professional music, and its stu- abundance of private music instructors, it is a versity,” Jackson said with a chuckle. “When I got dents have gone on to earn bachelor’s degrees legitimate question. hired at [The Hartt School], I talked to three peo- from Berklee, Manhattan School of Music and The global pandemic has added new wrin- ple: Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Heath and Sonny the Frost School of Music at the University of kles to the question. Many players now wonder, Rollins. They all said, ‘Get in there, and do it the Miami. “Why should I enroll in a music program when same way you play the saxophone, the same way “The more skills our SMV students learn, much of the instruction might be conduct- you study songs. Give it that same energy and the better we feel they will fare,” Fox wrote ed online?” And that question often leads to show students the rich history of jazz.’” via email. “Online music collaboration will another one: “Because I can’t earn a living play- Bob Sneider—a jazz guitarist who toured no doubt continue to expand. So, it stands to ing live music these days due to the pandem- with Chuck Mangione and has been on the jazz reason that if we are courageous and open to ic, why shouldn’t I go try to improve my perfor- faculty at the Eastman School of Music at the learning new software, apps and skills to help mance skills—and other skills—by enrolling in University of Rochester for 24 years—pointed our students in their remote and online stud- an institution?” out that the ability to play an instrument, com- ies, they will be inspired to continue that jour- DownBeat set up Zoom videoconference bined with technological know-how, is particu- ney on their own afterwards.” interviews with several industry professionals larly important in the COVID-19 era. Drummer Jimmy Macbride, 29, feels that in to get their take on these topics. “Students who are learning to operate in addition to honing his musical chops at The “I get those questions a lot,” said tenor saxo- these challenging times are going to come Juilliard School, he built a network of profes- phonist Javon Jackson, who enjoys a dual career out [of the university] with a greater skill set,” sional connections. Among the Juilliard-trained as a recording artist and educator. “People ask, Sneider noted. “I’m not saying that they’re musicians with whom he has collaborated are ‘What value does [enrolling in a music pro- going to get better musical advice than what pianist Samora Pinderhughes, tenor saxophon- gram] have?’ And I look at them and say, ‘Look they [would have] received from the very same ist Lucas Pino and guitarist Alex Wintz. what it did for me.’” In addition to his work as colleagues four years ago. But I think students “There is value in going to school because a bandleader, Jackson serves as the director of who have developed these skills—like being it’s a great incubator for you to get your feet the Jackie McLean Jazz Studies division of The able to record and combine tracks from their firmly on the ground and then have a jumping- Hartt School at the University of Hartford. peers [into an asynchronous recording], and to off point.” Macbride said. “A lot of the people Jackson, who was a member of Art Blakey’s make decent recordings with Audacity, Logic that I still play with and who are some of my Jazz Messengers toward the end of the iconic or Pro Tools—[are going to excel]. And I think closest friends and favorite musicians are peo- drummer’s life, graduated from Berklee College students will start to realize that if you want to ple that I went to Juilliard with. ... I benefited of Music and earned a master’s degree from the be a teacher in these times, knowing the tech- another way at Juilliard, too: I was [awarded] State University of New York at Purchase. nology matters so much.” pretty generous scholarships. So, that certainly For Jackson, the combination of playing Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr. took a lot of the guesswork out of [the decision] and teaching has been a recipe for sustained Jeremy Fox, a Grammy nominee who teach- to go there.” —Bobby Reed 52 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020 DOWNBEAT 53 Tuition: In-state undergraduate, $3,365/semester; out-of-state undergraduate, $600/credit; in- state graduate, $5,385; out-of-state KELLY DAVIDSON graduate, $830/credit. Jazz Degrees: BM in Jazz Studies; MM in Jazz Studies. Faculty: Steve Wilson, Suzanne Pittson, Mike Holober, Ray Gallon; part-time faculty and private instructors include Ed Neumeister, Jeb Patton, Carolyn Leonhart, Ben Kono, Kenny Berklee College of Music Wessel, Adam Cruz, Carl Allen, Vincent Herring, Amy London, Nasheet Waits, Vanderlei Pereira. Musicology, M.A.; Sonic Arts, M.F.A. Jazz Bands: Small Ensembles, Large Ensemble, EAST Faculty: Daniel Blake, Ronnie Burrage, Yayoi Brazilian Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Vocal Ikawa, D.D. Jackson, Marcus Rojas, Ensemble. A color banner indicates there is an ad for the Jeffrey Taylor. Alumni: Ira Gershwin, Stanley Kubrick, Frank school in this guide. Jazz Bands: See brooklyn.cuny.edu. Loesser, Theo Bleckmann, Allan Mednard, Vitor Goncalves. Berklee College of Music Auditions: See brooklyn.cuny.edu. Auditions: See jazz.ccnysites.cuny.edu/ Boston, Massachusetts Financial Aid: See brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/ auditions. and Valencia, Spain offices/financial.php. Financial Aid: See ccny.cuny.edu/financialaid. Student Body: 5,223 undergraduate on-campus Scholarships: Need- and merit-based. See students, 1,216 online bachelor’s brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/ Scholarships: See ccny.cuny.edu/admissions/ degree students, 560 graduate offices/financial.php. scholarships-awards. students. Apply by: Feb. 1. Apply by: Feb. 1. Tuition: Undergraduate, $23,615/semester. Contact: Contact: Music Dept: (212) 650-5411; Graduate tuition varies by program. (718) 951-5000, adminqry@ brooklyn.cuny.edu, undergraduate: [email protected]. Jazz Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Professional edu; graduate: [email protected]. Diploma, Master of Music. edu. See jazz.ccnysites.cuny.edu. Faculty: Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano, John J. Cali School of Music, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Walter Montclair State University The Collective School of Music Smith III. New York, New York Jazz Bands: Thelonious Monk Ensemble, Montclair, New Jersey Student Body: See thecollective.edu. Wayne Shorter Ensemble, Rainbow Student Body: 21,300. Big Band, Berklee Concert Jazz Tuition: See thecollective.edu. Tuition: Undergraduate in-state, $13,073 Orchestra. Jazz Degrees: Two-year diploma program, (2019); out-of-state, contact Oscar certificate programs. Alumni: Esperanza Spalding, Branford Perez, [email protected]. Marsalis, Diana Krall, Gary Burton. Faculty: Ian Froman, Peter Retzlaff, Joe Jazz Degrees: Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies; Fitzgerald, Hilliard Greene, Chris Auditions: All applicants must participate in a Bachelor of Music in Music live audition and interview. Education with a jazz concentration. Biesterfelldt, Fernando Hernandez, Steve Marks, Bob Quaranta, Mark Financial Aid: (617) 747-2274, financialaid@ Faculty: Oscar Perez (Jazz Studies Flynn, Adriano Santos, Jason berklee.edu. Coordinator), Kevin Bene, Stephen Gianni, Noriko Tomikawa. Scholarships: Need- and merit-based. (617) 747- Benson, Mike Boschen, David Cook, Jazz Bands: Student Performance group, 8681, [email protected]. Kate Cosco, Steve Johns, Aubrey Johnson, Mike Lee, Jason Marsalis, Advanced Performance Program Apply by: Nov. 1 (early action), Jan. 15 (regular Bill Moring, Dylan Pramuk, Marcus group, Latin Jazz Ensemble. action). Printup, Dave Stryker. Alumni: Billy Martin, Will Calhoun. Contact: Office of Admissions, (617) 747- 2222, [email protected]; Jazz Bands: Two large ensembles, vocal Auditions: In-person, video or taped auditions. ensemble, five small groups. [email protected]. Financial Aid: Contact admissions@thecollective. Auditions: Must submit video. See montclair. edu. edu/music for all procedures. Brooklyn College, Scholarships: Merit-based. Conservatory of Music Financial Aid: See montclair.edu/financial-aid. Apply by: See thecollective.edu. Brooklyn, New York Scholarships: Merit-based. All applicants Contact: [email protected], (212) Student Body: See brooklyn.cuny.edu. considered. 741-0091. Tuition: In-state: $3,465/semester; out-of- Apply by: Rolling admissions. It is recommend state, $620/credit. that potential freshman apply by The College of Saint Rose February; transfer students by May. Jazz Degrees: B.Mus (Composition, Education Albany, New York and Performance); B.M., Global Contact: Oscar Perez, Jazz Studies and Contemporary Jazz Studies, Coordinator, perezo@montclair. Student Body: 200 music majors. M.Mus.; Media Scoring, M.F.A.; edu. Tuition: $32,152. Music Composition, M.Mus.; Jazz Degrees: BM Performance, BS in Music Music Education, Advanced City College of New York Industry, BA in Music, BM in Certificate; Music Performance, (City University of New York) Performance. Advanced Certificate; Music Performance, Advanced Diploma; New York, New York Faculty: Paul Evoskevich, Matthew Finck, Music Performance, M.Mus.; Student Body: 16,544 total; 80 Jazz Students (65 Andrew Lee, Mary Anne Nelson, Music Teacher (all grades), M.A.; undergraduate/15 graduate).