<p>Nonmusicmom, my S was also in the All Va. Jazz Ensemble! Of the schools you mention, the in-state options are clearly not equivalent to UNT or Peabody; however, VCU has a strong program and it is definitely the better of the two in-state options, particularly for Jazz. We live in Richmond, and my two sons are very connected with the VCU jazz scene. You can’t beat the price of VCU, and Rex Richardson is very highly regarded for both classical and jazz trumpet, and tours internationally for both. Also, my sons know at least one person who is a classical major and is in VCU’s top big band, so it’s clearly not a problem for classical instrument majors to participate in the jazz ensembles.</p>
<p>My S has been accepted at VCU, but has decided not to go, though the primary reason is that he wants to go away to school. His best friend is a top tenor sax player, and has decided on VCU for jazz. I hear that several others from AVJE are going as well, including the 1st chair trombone and trumpet players, and one of the drummers, so VCU is going to have a strong entering class in the fall.</p>