DEGREE PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemplative Studies

This highly interdisciplinary program combines a solid grounding in jazz and improvised music study with courses which involve meditative practices and other areas related to creative development.

Music Requirements

• One year of piano or the equivalent by examination

• Twenty-four hours of private performance instruction in the student's principal instrument (or voice) or the equivalent by proficiency examination

• Eight terms of ensemble including large and small jazz ensembles, and Creative Arts Orchestra (an eclectic improvisation ensemble)

• Four terms of Contemplative Practice Seminar

• One term of the course Creativity and Consciousness

• Two terms of music theory including the study of the structure of primarily tonal music through ear-training and sight-singing, written work in construction and composition, and musical analysis

• Two terms of Musicology exploring European and American music history, as well as the sounds and concepts of many world music traditions

• One term each of Music in Culture and Music of Asia

• Twelve hours of jazz studies including jazz improvisation and jazz composition

• Electives in music to total ninety hours

Non-music courses:

A minimum of thirty hours including the University's two semester English writing requirement. The remainder of non-music courses are to be selected from among courses in Art History (e.g., Art and Spirituality), Judaic Studies (e.g., Models of Jewish Renewal), Psychology (e.g., Psychology and Spirituality Development), the Residential College (e.g., Consciousness and the Brain), Religion (e.g., Islamic Mysticism, Jewish Mysticism, or the History of Christian Thought), and Asian Studies (e.g., Buddhist Studies)

Core Curriculum

Information on Dual Degree Programs