Jazz

Within the BMus syllabus, you will receive the following specialist training:

• Principal Study one-to-one jazz tuition
• Jazz musical awareness/improvisation workshops
• Jazz small bands
• Jazz repertoire class
• Jazz aural class
• Big Band
• Jazz Singers
• Jazz keyboard skills
• Jazz arranging class
• Jazz history class
• Jazz performance platforms
• Rhythm class
• Vintage jazz workshops
• Contemporary jazz workshops
• Jazz masterclasses with international visiting artists

Performance and communication skills are an essential part of the Jazz option. Individual artistic development is as important as the learning of the skills taught within the course.

Read more about the broader BMus programme structure.

Guildhall School promotes a holistic approach to music education and recognises that students who specialise in jazz may also have considerable skill in other genres.
 
For the first two years, your Principal Study one-to-one lessons will be divided between Jazz and Supporting Study. Traditionally, BMus Jazz students have studied with classical professors for their first two years. This hugely successful pathway remains available under the title Supporting Study (Classical). In 2015, the Jazz Department successfully trialled an additional pathway, Supporting Study (Commercial), which is now fully available to all BMus 1 and 2 students.
 
The purpose of the Commercial pathway is to allow students whose background is not in the Western classical tradition to support their core jazz studies with instrument-specific tuition, stylistically encompassing other 20th Century American popular musics, including gospel, funk, R&B and commercial session playing.
 
Places for Jazz Principal Study are awarded on the strength of the overall musicianship displayed at audition and successful candidates will have the opportunity to decide, in conjunction with the Head of Jazz, as to the most appropriate pathway for Supporting Study upon their commencement of studies at the Guildhall School.

Read more about the BMus programme structure.

The MMus/MPerf programme is an innovative and highly personalised training arena for musicians at an advanced level. The programme is designed to elevate a student’s core discipline within a wider context of enhanced musicianship, providing preparation for a career as a contemporary musician. Applications are welcome from both performers and composer/arrangers, and Principal Study lessons may be split between disciplines.

The programme encourages a holistic approach to musicianship, offering training in the processes and styles most relevant to the 21st century improvising musician. Intake is based entirely on candidate suitability; the Department does not run an instrumental quota.

In addition to core classes, discipline-specific provision ensures regular, intensive contact with the appropriate professorial team.

These include:

• Guildhall Jazz Band – a large ensemble which performs regularly, tours and leads workshops. Five-times winner of the BBC Radio 2 Big Band Competition with four albums recorded
• Guildhall Jazz Singers – a close-harmony vocal group with accompanying band
• Small jazz groups – regular mixed groups led by course tutors and visiting performers
• Improvisation – a comprehensive course emphasising fundamental techniques for improvisation and creative development
• Harmony/ear training – a course in recognising, understanding and responding to harmony
• Composition/arranging – a practical course in composition, arranging and orchestration for jazz ensembles
• Jazz history and listening – a comprehensive study of the jazz tradition
• Rhythm classes – a practical course developing time and rhythm skills
• Studio and recording workshops – courses in recording/production techniques, sequencing and using computers.

Principal Study Jazz Composition and Arranging allows musicians to follow the department’s jazz curriculum alongside performers in order to develop and refine craft in contemporary writing.

Following the same assessment structure, Composition and Arranging students will present exams and recitals showing their skill (mid-year) and artistry (end of year) in which material, content, compositional structure and professional standards in presentation will be taken into account. Jazz Composition and Arranging students receive the same allocation of hours and may choose to split them between members of the jazz faculty with a considerable output in this field.

• Guest artists including Rufus Reid, Liane Carroll, Dave Arch, Tim Garland, Joe Stilgoe, Iain Ballamy, Julian Joseph, Yazz Ahmed, Jovino Santos Neto, Larry Grenadier, Women in Jazz, Alvin Chea and Drew Gress 
• Masterclasses with members of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra during their bi-annual residence through our unique partnership with the Barbican Centre
• Masterclasses with Louis Cole, Jerry Bergonzi, Elliot Mason, Katherine Windfeld, Jeff Tain Watts, Kenny Werner, Genevieve Artadi, Eric Harland, Gerard Presencer, Peter Bernstein, Eric Alexander, Phronesis, Mike Lindup, Steve Arguelles, Dick Oatts, Mark Mondesir, Katie Thiroux, Pablo Held and the Tim Berne/Matt Mitchell Duo 
• Guildhall Studio Orchestra performances with Joe Stilgoe, Mark Lockheart, Dave Arch and Liane Carroll
• Guildhall Jazz Band projects with Marvin Stamm, Stan Sulzman, Nikki Iles, Laurence Cottle, Gareth Lockrane, Iain Ballamy
• Guildhall Jazz Singers with Martin Speake, Mike Outram, Paul Clarvis, John Ashton Thomas
  Performances by Peter Bernstein, Julian Siegel Quartet, Interchange, Bobo Stenson, Malija

• NAO (Jazz Voice 2012)
• Natalie Williams (Jazz Voice 2001)
• Stacey Kent (Jazz Voice 1991) 
• Jason Rebello (Jazz Piano 1989) 
• Cleveland Watkiss (Jazz Voice 1988)