MUS 214 Jazz Ensemble
The Jazz Ensemble allows music majors to refine their professional skills while providing others an opportunity to continue making music at a high level. Music from the swing, jazz, funk, rock, Latin, and popular repertoire representing many genres and stylistic periods will be explored. This course focuses on providing students with experience playing their instrument in a small ensemble context. The jazz ensemble rehearses two times plus sectionals each week and performs several concerts each semester. Membership is open to all with high-school-level proficiency, as assessed by the conductor.
Offered
Fall, Spring
Student Learning Outcomes
- Performance: Students will learn large ensemble performance skills through playing repertoire that includes the best new works for jazz band as well as classic literature.
- Every Day I Have the Blues by Ernie Wilkins
- Moten Swing by Benny Moten
- Harlem Airshaft by Duke Ellington
- Intimacy of the Blues by Billy Strayhorn
- Basie Straight Ahead by Sammy Nestico
- Four Brothers by Jimmy Giuffre
- Ya' Gotta Try by Sammy Nestico
- Woodchoppers Ball by Bishop/Herman
- Bijou by Ralph Burns
- Cruisin' for a Bluesin' by Andy Weiner
- Improvisation: Students will work on developing improvisation skills through soloing in the performance of various works for jazz band.
- Technology: Students will use technology to achieve course objectives by the recording, play back, and critical listening of performances, rehearsals, and personal practice. Students will also use websites and databases for research. Ensembles will incorporate metronomes, video and audio recording devices and tuners. Band-in-a-box is available for use in improvising.
- World Music: Students will study music from various cultures such as American jazz bands, Salsa and Latin jazz music from the Caribbean and Brazil, and rock and funk music.
- Music Pedagogy: Students will learn a variety of pedagogical techniques with regard to performing solos on their instrument, section playing, ensemble playing, sight-reading, as well as developing teaching and rehearsal techniques as future band directors.
- Music Literacy: Students will study and learn a large variety of jazz repertoire during their years of study. The following list represents a sample of works jazz band students will learn during membership in the jazz band program.
- Splanky by Neal Hefti
- Li'l Darlin' by Neal Hefti
- The Kid from Red Bank by Neal Hefti