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Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation
Department of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation
about
Art forms evolve through the interplay of two contrasting, yet complementary forces--the ongoing quest for new possibilities, and the continual inquiry into past forms and practices. When this present-past interplay is centered at the heart of artistic training, students not only gain optimal mastery of skills and concepts within their field, they also experience their field as a vehicle for a broader, cross-disciplinary exploration.
The Department of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation has harnessed these principles and emerged as a leading new educational voice. Combining the finest in traditional jazz training with systematic study of jazz's eclectic offshoots, along with innovative, interdisciplinary options which are at the cutting edge of pedagogical thought, the department offers students a variety of educational pathways few schools can match.
faculty
Ellen H. Rowe (Chair, piano)
Geri Allen (piano)
Andrew Bishop (saxophone)
Michael Gould (drums/percussion)
Associated Faculty
Sean Dobbins (drums)
Marion Hayden (bass)
Ingrid Jensen (trumpet)
Mark Kirschenmann (Creative Arts Orchestra)
Robert Hurst (bass)
Edward W. Sarath (flugelhorn)
Dennis Wilson (trombone)
William Lucas (trumpet)
Frank Portolese (guitar)
Martha Travers
news
Robert Hurst, associate professor of jazz and contemporary improvisation, was featured in a Q&A article in AnnArbor.com on the occasion of the release of his new CD, BOB: a palindrome.
See more department news
"One of the most positive aspects of my time at U-M was the encouragement
from both faculty and peers to bring one’s own musical interests and passion
to their studies. This helped to broaden my musical sensibilities and added
to my understanding and love for the exploratory tradition in creative and
improvised music."
Chad Hochberg, BFA Jazz Studies, 2006
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Photography Credits
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© 2006 - 2013 The Regents of the University of Michigan
Contact Webmaster: music.webmaster@umich.edu
© 2006 - 2013 The Regents of the University of Michigan
