UNT Home | Undergraduate Majors and Interests | College of Music | Jazz Studies
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University of North Texas
Undergraduate Admissions
1155 Union Circle #311277
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
www.jazz.unt.edu
E-mail: jazz@music.unt.edu
Phone: 940-565-3743
Fax: 940-369-7227
University of North Texas
College of Music
Neil Slater,
Jazz Studies Chair
1155 Union Circle #305040
Denton, Texas 76203-5040
Undergraduate Majors and Interests
UNT's jazz studies program in the College of Music is widely regarded as one of the most respected programs in the nation. Established in 1947, UNT was the first university in the U.S. to offer a degree program in jazz.
Alumni of UNT's jazz studies program include:
By choosing jazz studies as your major, you will be prepared for a career as an accompanist or a soloist. Jazz musicians perform with bands on television shows, movie soundtracks and advertising jingles. Jazz musicians can also work solo or with an ensemble to provide music for on- and off-Broadway musicals, cruise ships, clubs, restaurants, vacation resorts and special events. Joining a branch of the American Federation of Musicians may help you become a professional musician. Through this organization, you will learn about job auditions.
In addition to performing, you may teach at an elementary or secondary school, a music store or a university. You will need to major in general, choral and instrumental music to become certified as a full-time music teacher in the public schools. To perfect your technique as a performer, you may want to earn a master's degree.
UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can assist you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies and interview preparation.
As a jazz studies major, you will take courses in:
The jazz studies program also includes a lecture series for which you will receive academic credit. The series has attracted legendary performers Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker to UNT. After your first two years in the program, you will choose an emphasis in either jazz performance or arranging. You must pass a jazz proficiency exam before choosing an emphasis.
All jazz studies majors must audition for and enroll in a jazz laboratory for six semesters and in another student performing group for two semesters, regardless of their emphasis. Lab bands, named after their rehearsal times, are open to 20 students each. The showcase band, the One O'Clock Lab Band, has an international reputation for its world tours and recordings. Two of the band's recordings were nominated for Grammy Awards for best large jazz ensemble.
Vocal jazz students must enroll in the UNT Jazz Singers for two semesters, in a traditional student choral ensemble for two semesters and in another student ensemble for two semesters, regardless of their emphasis.
All jazz students must also present a recital during their senior year.
Approximately 75 jazz majors are recipients of endowed jazz scholarships. Other financial assistance is available through UNT's office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Jazz studies faculty members are dedicated teachers as well as nationally and internationally known performers. The director of the jazz studies program, who also directs the One O'Clock Lab Band, was nominated for a Grammy Award for an original composition. Two faculty members were named a Regents Professor for their outstanding research and teaching. Regents Professors devote half of their teaching load to introductory-level courses. Two faculty members received UNT's 'Fessor Graham Award, named after a former music faculty member, for outstanding and unselfish service to students.
As a jazz studies major, you will have many opportunities to perform with on- and off-campus groups. The College of Music has many student ensembles in addition to the lab bands and the Jazz Singers. If you are a vocal student, you may enroll in the A Cappella Choir, the Concert Choir, or men's or women's choruses. If you become a member of the A Cappella or Concert Choir, you will automatically be a member of UNT's Recital Choir, which has appeared at Dallas' Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.
If you play an instrument, you may audition for the Concert or Symphonic Band or the Wind Ensemble or orchestra. The UNT Marching Band is open to you if you were in your high school marching band. A smaller group performs at all home basketball games. The college also has an electric guitar ensemble, two electronic keyboard ensembles and several small-group ensembles.
UNT's Murchison Performing Arts Center allows you to learn and perform in two distinctly different venues with superior acoustics.
Off campus, you may audition and perform with bands and at nightclubs and restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:
You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year.
To prepare for a major in jazz studies, you should participate in your high school's musical performance groups, study music theory and improvisation, and take piano lessons.
As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.
If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.
You must be admitted to the College of Music through an audition before declaring a major in jazz studies. Auditions are held on and off campus during the spring semester for enrollment the following fall. If you cannot audition in person, you may submit an audio recording. Once you are accepted into the college, you will take placement exams in music theory and piano.
Degree plan advisors in the College of Music will help you select courses necessary to earn your degree. Your professors also will provide guidance on selecting courses and give you career advice. The jazz studies office is in the Music Building, Room 284.