Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Improvisation

University of Delaware

The Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Jazz and Improvisation is for musicians pursuing careers in jazz, studio recording, and performance in contemporary idioms (popular, world, experimental). The core classes in jazz and improvisation provide innovative learning opportunities covering jazz harmony, theory and improvisation, history and analysis, composition, arranging, and global improvisation. In addition, students choose elective classes that provide opportunities across disciplines to engage in creative ideation and problem-solving through sound production. Students who graduate from this program will have a competitive edge as they enter the professional world or apply to graduate programs in jazz and contemporary improvisation. Students in this program will benefit from instruction and mentorship from some of the leading jazz and improvisation artists in the United States and beyond. UD faculty in this program include members of well-established, internationally esteemed jazz, contemporary, and Broadway ensembles that perform regionally in New York, Philadelphia, and across the United States and abroad. In addition, students collaborate with guest artists and clinicians. Most importantly, students benefit from an innovative, student-centered curriculum. In addition to numerous big-band and jazz chamber opportunities, students discover and create through hands-on application, for example, by learning jazz harmony at the keyboard, and by studying jazz theory and improvisation with instruments in hand.

College of Arts and Sciences