Ensembles: Jazz

About the Program | Student Jazz Ensembles | Faculty | Outreach

2007-2008 Concert Schedule | MSU Professors of Jazz

Auditions

For Prospective Music Majors

About the Program
The MSU Jazz Studies began in 1959, with the inauguration of an undergraduate degree program in Fall 2001. Currently, 60-65 jazz majors are enrolled with 100 additional non-jazz majors participating in classes, private lessons, or performing with one of 11 jazz ensembles. The program creates a jazz environment in a university setting conducive to the development of the next generation of jazz musicians. It does this through commitment to performance, mentoring, community outreach, and an integrated music education program.

Jazz Faculty

One of the best in the nation, the MSU jazz faculty is committed to mentoring, performance, integrated education, and community outreach. The Jazz Studies area makes an effort to incorporate renowned jazz performers into its faculty, and every member has performed extensively with top-notch recording/performing artists and groups. Having such a well known, talented faculty has fostered a campus environment conducive to the development of jazz musicians.

Together, the faculty performs and tours professionally locally and nationally as the MSU Professors of Jazz, one of the most exciting and innovative jazz ensembles in the country. The MSU Professors of Jazz and international guest artists are featured in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Jazz Club Series. These concerts are held at the new Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. The group also performs concert series through the Michigan Arts League (Detroit), Creole Gallery in Lansing (Mich.), and throughout Michigan. 

Jazz faculty members include:

Outreach

One of the main components of the Jazz Studies area is the participation in community residencies throughout Michigan. It started with the MSU College of Music’s Detroit Public School Music Partnership (DPSMP), in which the jazz area conducts programs, workshops, concerts and master classes with students in Detroit public schools. The jazz area now takes similar outreach activities to cities throughout the U.S., while at the same time actively recruiting talented students.

The Jazz Studies area has partnered with the Arts League of Michigan (Detroit), a community-based arts organization dedicated to developing, presenting, promoting and preserving African and African-American cultural arts. Through thea Arts League, the jazz faculty members run an annual summer jazz camp for students in grades 9 through 12. In addition, MSU jazz students, under the direction of a jazz faculty member, participate in the Artist Mentorship Program where they teach junior high and high school student musicians in a 16-week jazz program. In January 2006, the MSU Jazz Orchestra I performed at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City’s Lincoln Center. In October 2007, the Jazz Studies area partnered with the MSU Community Music School (outreach arm of the MSU College of Music) to create the Community Music School Jazz Orchestra, made up of high school-aged jazz musicians.