Located in one of the world’s most vibrant centers for jazz, this degree will give you advanced performance training and intensive academic course work with exceptional opportunities in the music industry. You’ll perform weekly at landmark music venues, study one-on-one with our internationally acclaimed faculty, be mentored in entrepreneurship, and build a professional career in the modern jazz industry.
Request InfoDegree Details
Official Degree Title
Master of Music in Instrumental Performance with a Focus on Jazz Studies
Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
36
Start Date
Spring
Application Deadline
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline
As a graduate student, you'll build technical instrumental skills, learn how to fluently speak the language of jazz, and develop your own individual musical voice and expression. You'll have intensive rehearsal and performance opportunities, both on and off campus, through our 40+ jazz ensembles; through interaction with our Film Scoring, Music Technology, and Music Business programs; and at some of the world's greatest jazz venues, like Birdland and the Blue Note. Our faculty regularly call on graduate students as substitutes and even permanent members of professional ensembles throughout New York City.
We strive to create an environment modeled after the real-life experiences of our artist-faculty. The program of study consists of core courses such as private instruction, ensemble, jazz arranging/orchestration, and other jazz courses, as well as electives. With half of the degree credits available as elective study, you can tailor your curriculum toward your specific interests, musical goals, and career objectives in areas such as music technology, film scoring, music history, jazz music studies, and music business.
You may design a course of private study that includes two private lessons per semester, focusing on your declared area of study, as well as a secondary lesson selected from within the music department. Choose among musical styles such as bebop, free jazz, third-stream, fusion, and world music as starting points in the development of your individual artistry.
You will achieve a level of performance excellence that makes it possible for you to enter the professional field of jazz performance. You’ll demonstrate and apply entrepreneurial skills essential to the real and varied world of the music profession. Whatever the career path you envision, whether a performer, teacher, researcher, or administrator, our artist-faculty will work closely with you to provide the expertise and opportunities necessary to realize your goals.
Alumni Testimonials
"I studied with an inspiring roster of high-level professional artists. The program provided a great opportunity to network, which eventually led to auditioning and landing a job playing keyboards in the SNL band. In addition to my work as a composer, educator, and pianist, I’m also assistant musical director for the Trilogy Opera Company."
—Tuffus Zimbabwe
“I loved my time at NYU. For me, it was all about the faculty—they recruited the best of the best from NYC. Every week, you couldn't help but be inspired by the people around you. Jazz Director Dr. Dave Schroeder also shared a really unique and positive perspective about how to seize actionable opportunities in order to make a career in music. His attitude and encouragement helped me meet Richard Bona, with whom I toured all over the world for eight years, among many others. Those relationships snowballed, and I continue to work with my heroes on diverse musical projects that have taken me to over 40 US states, 60 different countries (and counting), and the Broadway stage.”
—Adam Stoler
“Getting my MM in Jazz Studies at New York University was one of the best professional decisions of my career. Not only did I improve my composition and arranging skills by studying with some of the best composers in the field, but getting my degree also led to securing a number of college teaching jobs later in my career. It was definitely worth the investment.”
—David Pietro
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