Course details

Summary

Expand your musical technique and understanding within your choice of classical or jazz performance, composition, popular music or musicology at New Zealand’s largest tertiary music school.

Jazz Performance Major

Core training in jazz revolves around developing a great understanding of improvisational based music, and as such, improvisation is at the heart of our programme. With a focus on improvisational methods through memory, transcription and analysis, students also advance their instrumental proficiency, and deepen their knowledge of jazz history and theory to provide a well-rounded knowledge of the genre.

Throughout the programme, the opportunity to perform in recitals and concerts act not only as assessment tools, but preparatory gigs as students develop the skills required to perform as both band leader and band member. Collaborations are a major part of the jazz community, and these are actively fostered within our programme. A benefit of the University’s School of Music is that the students of the jazz, classical and popular music majors have opportunity to work together and learn from each other’s practice.

Performing is often the main career choice for our graduates, however many supplement a successful playing career with roles in teaching, composing, arts administration or management, or academic research.

Degree structure

In the first year you will develop your instrumental technique and improvisational skills through in-depth study of scales, rhythm, harmony and relevant music analysis. In your second year and beyond, you will continue to develop your performance practice through stylistic, interpretive and literary methods. Working in large and small ensembles refines your musical literacy within the context of performance. With repertoire anywhere from the 1920s to contemporary jazz, you will develop your musicianship style, improvisation, composition, arrangement and performance. Advanced studies of theory, arranging and composition allows for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of music making and will help to fuel your creativity.

Further study

The BMus, and associated conjoint programmes, lead into further study options at the School of Music. Our postgraduate degree programmes encourage initiative, critical analysis and independent thought about music in social, cultural and academic contexts as well as creative excellence.

Research programmes

• Master of Music (MMus)
• Doctor of Music (DMus)
• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Taught programmes

• Bachelor of Music (Honours) (BMus(Hons))
• Postgraduate Diploma in Music (PGDipMus)
• Graduate Diploma in Music (GradDipMus)

Jobs related to this programme

• Arranger/composer
• Arts administrator/manager/director
• Conductor
• Music director
• Music journalist
• Performer
• Radio/television/digital media/recording producer
• Sound engineer

Entry criteria

Secondary school qualifications

You need to have one of the following:

International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum total score of 24.

General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level. You must have completed a minimum of three A-Level subjects with at least a 'C' grade or higher. General Studies or similar general papers cannot be included.

GCE ‘A’ Level requirements apply to ‘A’ Level qualifications examined by bodies such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA, Pearson Education Limited and CIE taken outside of New Zealand.

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.0; TOEFL (iBT) 80; TOEFL (paper-based) 550; CAE or CPE 169; PTE 50; MELAB 80.