<p>Hi- its my first time posting but I have been reading the posts for a while. I was so pleased to see BassDad mention William Paterson because I cant seem to find current information on their Jazz Studies Program. My interest was piqued when I read about it in Downbeats October college issue, and I have been puzzled about why more hasnt been said about it, especially after the very positive experience my S and I had on our visit there.
My S has been selected for Grammy Jazz Ensemble 2011 and has placed William Paterson on the short list with Manhattan School of Music and Boyer School of Music at Temple after our visit to the school. The Jazz Studies Department has Dialog Days where the students play for the faculty and their peers and their performances are critiqued. Many of the instructors were there, and my S even had an unscheduled 45 minute lesson/session with the professor who would likely be his teacher if he attended! We were especially impressed with Dr. David Demsey, the Coordinator of Jazz Studies there who was quick to respond to my emails and was our gracious host during the visit. Other things going for William Paterson:
Small Jazz Studies Program-about 70 students- means everybody gets to play, not just seniors. Because the program is small (and affordable), it is highly selective, so there is a high caliber of play.
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is in residence at WPU, and the musicians are the faculty- so students get a lot of face time with professors, instead of just TAs.
William Paterson is 16 miles from NYC, so students can easily get to the Jazz scene there.
William Paterson offers a dual major in Music Performance/Music Management or Music Performance/Sound Engineering. Few of the conservatories offer instruction in the business side of music.
Since William Paterson is a university, grades and test scores count. My son has strong grades and high SAT scores, so he may be eligible for their institutional scholarships. Also he can pursue his interests outside of jazz, since he also wants to study languages. He can have a college experience on a college campus, and regularly visit/gig in NYC without the drama or expense of living there.
We live in PA and out of state tuition is $18,262-about the same as Temple where my D goes and cheaper than Penn State. And about half the price of MSM and other conservatories.
My S was impressed enough to drop Berklee from his list and add Paterson. I was sold, and I hope he gets in! If you plan to apply, their deadline is February 1st, so you have time. If you plan to visit, go on a Dialog Day instead of or in addition to the Open House- youll really get a feel for what Jazz Studies will be like there. They waive the application fee if you attend Open House (and they waived it for my S when we attended Dialog Day instead, but they dont advertise that).</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>