Hi, sorry I took so long to respond.

I've been doing a lot of research and wanted

to know enough information to ask the right questions so I could receive answers
that would help me better understand the way music majors experience
university life at UNT.

I've been reading the "Undergraduate Majors and Interests" section online about
the different music majors, and I have decided after careful consideration that I
would place jazz studies to be one of my top three majors to choose from, since it
better appeals to my interests than the others that I've mentioned. So here are
my questions for you:

1. What are the types of professions are available for those majoring in jazz
studies once he/she obtains his/her Bachelor's, then Master's? What profession
will you go into once you graduate?

2. How proficient in piano were you before you entered jazz studies? I know that
one should be familiar with the piano when highly considering becoming a music
major (since piano is required), but how much would you recommend to have for a
prospective jazz studies major or just a music major in general so that the
transition into studying piano in college is not difficult?

3. Why did you personally choose jazz studies instead of the other music majors?

4. What are all the reasons that you would recommend jazz studies to a
prospective music major at UNT?

5. What measures would you suggest for a high school student to take in
preparation for jazz studies?

6. What kind of scholarships are offered for music majors? Are there scholarships
offered to those hs students who have made the Texas All-State Choir?

7. How is the music preparation in jazz studies different than the things one
would learn in vocal performance?

8. What are juries like?

Although I do enjoy jazz as a genre, I'm not quite sure that I would like such
intensive study of it. I am very interested in the things one would study under
Vocal Performance (i.e. "balanced repertoire of songs and arias from many
different musical styles and periods," "vocal literature") and I think that I might
prefer it to jazz performance or arranging. But I also hear that Vocal Performance
is a risky major, in that it is truly designed for those with undoubted God-given
talent, which is rare to find, and also difficult to make a living from, if you're not
one of those extremely talented people. Would you validate this please?

I really feel that UNT is the place for me to go to study music. From what I've read
and researched from several colleges, everything about UNT just feels right (call
me a hopeless romantic), even as you say that it is "intensive" and "rigorous,"
because I'm already used to such manner of study (I embrace academic
challenges!). But I feel almost helpless in deciding what I want to do. I'm only a hs
sophomore, but I feel as if I should know exactly what I should do/study once I get
there, although I know that that's not the case and that my advisers will infallibly
guide me in deciding what I truly want to do. But I just need to hear advice from a
current UNT music major to calm my panic! Help!
Jackie

P.S. Your help is really, really very much appreciated. Thank God for Eagle
Ambassadors to help us naive, worrying kids out. :)

Hi Jackie,

I’ll try to answer all of these questions as thoroughly as possible.

1) For an undergraduate in jazz studies, you will be able to teach lessons privately, or with an
independent studio. Other than that, your job opportunities will depend entirely upon how well you
play/sing. Gigging, writing, recording are all only marketable if people want to hear you. So if you’re
good, you’ll probably have work. It’s not the best major if you are wanting a 9-5 job. It’s going to be
mostly hit and miss.

a. With a graduate degree, you will be eligible to teach at a university or college

campus. Otherwise, the job opportunities are the same as with a bachelor’s.

2) I was a classical pianist before I came to UNT, but didn’t know much about jazz piano. You DO need
to learn piano, but you don’t need to do it before you come. A lot of people come to UNT without
having studied any piano. So don’t worry about that. If you want to get ahead, you can check out
any of Dan Haerle’s books. UNT uses those to teach voicings.

3) I chose jazz studies because I love jazz. If I hadn’t gotten into the jazz studies program at UNT, I
wouldn’t have been a music major at all. So for me, it wasn’t between jazz studies and other types of
music majors, but between jazz studies and British literature. Most of the people who choose jazz studies
choose it because they really and truly love jazz music. It is a very demanding major—many would say
it’s more demanding than any other music majors at UNT—so it’s not a major you should choose
unless you are really dedicated to the genre.

4) I would only recommend jazz studies to someone who loved jazz more than any other genre of
music. Otherwise, I would recommend the classical performance degree at UNT. Many people enter
UNT as jazz studies majors, and drop out because the major isn’t what they expected. I especially urge
you, as a singer, to consider this. Many singers choose jazz studies because they think it is a
contemporary alternative to classical music. It is not. The jazz studies program is not segregated
between vocalists and instrumentalists. In most of my classes, I am the only singer. So, as I said before,
unless you really love jazz, it’s probably not what you’re looking for.

a. Note: You CAN, however, major in classical performance, and still take a lot of
jazz classes as electives. That way you could still have some contemporary experience,
without having to focus so much on the particular genre.

5) To prepare for jazz studies, I would recommend that you listen to as much good jazz as possible.
Stay away from mainstream “jazz singers.” Listen to quality jazz singers (ella fitzgerald, billie holiday,
Carmen mcrae, Shirley horn, betty carter, anita o’day) and most of all, listen to instrumentalists. You
should especially immerse yourself in bebop, as it is usually the most foreign to singers. Try Charlie
parker, miles davis, john Coltrane, art blakey, sonny stitt, chet baker . . . among others. Also, I would
recommend reading through Dan Haerle’s book “jazz fundamentals” to get a basic handle on jazz theory.
Practice jazz piano voicings. Buy some aebersold books/recordings, and begin to practice improvising.
If you want more preparation tips, feel free to email me or any of the professors to ask for more.

6) There are scholarships available to all music majors. One thing that is good to understand about
the music program at UNT is that it is one of the top five best music programs in the
country—and one of the best in the world. Jazz studies, in particular, is within the top three
in the world. As a result, extremely talented people come from all over the world, and especially
throughout the country to study here. The music program is 80% out-of-state students.
Most every student at the school has participated in all-state. So there are no scholarships
based on all state. The scholarships are based 100% on the audition—as a
freshman. As a returning student, the scholarships are based on the audition, and grades. Each year,
scholarships are given to freshman and returning students alike. So if you don’t get one your first year,
you can always try again the next.

7) As I began to mention before, the jazz studies program is drastically different from the vocal
performance degree. In vocal performance you will be working on literature specific to vocalists.
You would be studying intense vocal technique, as well.

In jazz studies, you are taking ALL of the same classes as the instrumentalists. There is a heavy amount
of improvisation. All of my improv classes have been 95% instrumentalists. You have to work on your
vocal technique separately from school work. Your classes will not be largely singer friendly. If you
are really dedicated to jazz music, this is a great thing—since you will be equipped with all of the same
skills as a horn player, and will thus be more marketable in the jazz field. If you are mostly wanting to
be a great singer, I would recommend the vocal performance program. Of course, like I mentioned
before, if you would like experience in jazz, you can take some jazz classes, and audition for jazz
singers ensembles.

a. I’m not trying to dissuade you from jazz studies, but I see SO many singers come
into the program expecting one thing, and finding another, and so many people drop
out of the program and switch to vocal performance. So if you want to choose jazz
studies, that’s great! I just want you to be aware of what the degree is really like.

8) Juries are all different depending on your major. For jazz studies, you have to prepare 10 songs
of different styles (ballad, bebop, reggae, funk, rhumba, New Orleans street beat, samba, bossa, odd
meter, etc . . .) and you come to the panel of faculty choosing one of your songs, the head of the
department chooses the other. You will play with a live rhythm section—piano, bass, and drums. It is
likely that you will never have played with that particular rhythm section before. You prepare these songs
all on your own. They are not directly worked on in lessons. You will need to improvise on at least one
song.

a. for vocal performance juries, you prepare six songs all from classical repertoire.
Your teacher will select these six songs at the beginning of the semester, and you will
work on them in lessons the entire semester. You choose one, the panel of faculty
chooses the other.

9) What you said about vocal performance being for extremely talented people is not true in my
opinion. I think you could hear any music major described that way. Vocal performance is certainly
no different from any other major, in that regard. Of course, if you are extremely talented, you will be
more likely to succeed in music, but I believe that work ethic can make up for a lack of immense
natural ability. It is harder for those of us without too much natural skill to succeed, but not
impossible. Many people come to UNT already completely equipped with all the skills they need, but
they just want a degree. Others come not knowing much, and if they work hard, they leave as a
marketable musician. It all depends how much you are willing to work. In my personal opinion, jazz
studies (for a singer) is MUCH more difficult than vocal performance. Jazz singers are required to take a
lot of the vocal performance classes to fulfill proficiencies, and my jazz classes are all harder than the
vocal classes I’ve taken. But of course, it all depends on what your voice is like. And what your ears
are like.

10) Don’t worry about it! :) UNT “felt right” to me too—which is why I came here all the way from
Phoenix, AZ, not knowing a single person in the state of Texas. I paid out-of-state tuition for a year, all by
myself, because I knew that this was the best place for me to be. You should definitely come here—
especially if you are from Texas—but it sounds like maybe jazz studies is not quite the right major for
you—since you said you didn’t know how you felt about intensive study of the genre. If I were you, I
would choose either vocal performance, or composition (the composition program is GREAT!) If
you have specific questions about composition, I would email the composition professors. I don’t
know a lot of specifics about the degree. You could also consider music history, or ethnomusicology.
Those two degrees lend themselves much more easily to full-time stable jobs.

If you decide that jazz studies IS indeed right for you, please continue to email me if you have any
other questions. If not, I can give you information for contacts in whichever program you choose.
Take care, and DON’T WORRY so much. You still have a ton of time. :)

Emily