posterX

Whether or not any particular school has all the same jazz "programs" as some other school, the top schools always have talented musicians and instructors who form excellent jazz ensembles.

Yale and Juilliard are the best music schools in the country, and both have ensembles that would compare favorably to any of the ones at some of the other more jazz-oriented (one sided) music schools.

Some other good options might include Eastman, University of Hartford, Ithaca, Cornell and Indiana-Bloomington.

jazzguitar

That's a good point. For eample, the monk-mingus ensemble from princeton recently won the best student jazz ensemble over Eastman, UNT, Oberlin, etc... it was an upset, to say the least.

Of course, that's probably not likely to happen again for very many years, but I think that the best ensembles come from the students going there, not necessarily the faculty (though it helps) or the program.

posterX

Yes, I totally agree. The ensembles from Yale, anyhow, have traditionally dominated, and Harvard and Princeton have had a few winning teams as well.

pianoman2

I'm a little biased as a student at New England Conservatory, but having done the whole college search only a couple years ago, I believe NEC has one of the very best jazz programs in the country, especially for performance. The faculty includes some of the best improvisors on the planet (e.g. Danilo Perez, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill Hart, etc.) and the students are at an extremely high level of musicianship. Also, the environment is friendly and supportive.

In addition to offering B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. programs in performance or composition, NEC also offers combined/dual degree programs with Tufts and Harvard, for those who'd like to continue their academic pursuits alongside music. I'm in the Tufts/NEC program, so if you have any questions let me know.

pianoman2

To make the point more clear, Yale is a graduate-level only school, with little or no jazz. Julliard does have a small jazz program, but one should be warned that the atmosphere there (I found when visiting) is quite antagonistic, cold, competitive, etc. Oberlin, NEC, Eastman, Indiana, USC, etc. are/have great music schools that include classical, jazz, and other musical studies.

posterX

Yale, the world's best music school, is not graduate level only for music. First of all, it offers a joint B.A./M.M. Second of all, the undergraduate music scene there is by far the most vibrant of any university in the country.

Beethoven's 10th

posterX "Yale, the world's best music school"

The world is an awfully big place. There are many wonderful music schools in the U.S., let alone the rest of the world. How about:

Yale, one of the world's best music schools

Also, "the undergraduate music scene there is by far the most vibrant of any university in the country"

I'm glad you are so passionate about Yale, but once again, this is hyperbole.

By the way, I went to a very fine university conservatory and I am a professional musician. Never once in my life did anyone who gave me a job ask where I was educated, nor did they care. All that was important was my ability. Most of my ability came from learning on the job and very little from my formal music education.

pianoman2

The School of music at Yale is indeed a graduate-level only school. Of course I'm sure there's a great undergraduate music scene, and perhaps undergraduates in the College can collaborate with those in the School of music, but I was just pointed out that in terms of music degrees Yale will only suffice at the graduate level, the BA/MM notwithstanding (though that too, is a graduate degree!)

Also for you jazzers out there, I don't believe Yale's music school has much.

sac

Did anyone mention USC or NYU yet? Know some excellent high school jazz musicians who, after much investigation, have chosen programs at one of those two universities.

Most of the professional jazz musicians we've encountered went to Berklee in Boston, but it's not for those who want a more rounded college experience.

(I agree about Yale. Excellent conservatory, of course, but we didn't find much jazz there when we looked a few years ago.)

-Allmusic-

Jazz at Thorton is supposedly excellent. Have heard very mixed reviews about NYU; MSM, Juilliard and Mannes all have better jazz programs than NYU, if one wants to be in NYC (according to those in the know).

sjg

AllMusic -- sorry to take so long to reply been busy with the process. Yes he is looking at New School, not NYU. Which ones are you looking at?

singermom2

What about schools with good vocal jazz faculty and programs?

masterbasser7

Hey,

So i'm still in high school(a junior) but i've been told start looking at colleges and i want to study music preferably jazz. What schools should i look at and consider? I'm currently studying with Rusty Holloway at the Univeristy of Tennessee, should i consider UT? How does that compare to other music schools?

Sorry, I've gotta alotta questions about all of this.

OdysseyTigger

Eastman
Berklee
NEC
SUNY Purchase
MSN
Julliard
New School Jazz
Steinhart - NYU
McGill

As for the Ivy League - Princeton and Columbia


Not much instrumental jazz to be found at Yale

Jeremybeach

Wait, so...
University of Pittsburgh apparently does have a really good jazz program? This is really interesting to me!!
Since I live maybe 15 minutes from the campus (or did when I was in high school.)
So...could you get trained in jazz VOICE then? Or is it justlike really good at instrumental jazz?