Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies/Composition

Students of Temple's Jazz Studies program have the opportunity to participate in both large and small ensembles. Jazz Band, Lab Band, Brass Ensemble, Fusion Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, and New Music by Temple Composers provide a comprehensive performance experience in solo as well as ensemble playing for both instrumentalists and vocalists. All of the performing groups are coached by an experienced faculty of musician-educators. Graduates are prepared to begin a career as professional performers. The Music Composition Program encourages in its students the development of creative musical thought and expression in all media, including electroacoustic music and visual music, through studies of innovation and craft, research and expressive effect. Students become knowledgeable about contemporary practices, theories, and techniques through the study of post-romantic music literature. Creativity, the development of personal expression through music, and assessment of music’s viability in twentieth century societal context are focal points for composition majors. At the completion of the program, undergraduate students are expected to present a portfolio of compositions demonstrating notational fluency and the ability to compose convincing and intelligible music. Regular concerts of new student compositions provide the essential experience of hearing their works performed, and allows them to gauge their own progress in relation to that of their peers. Works of established twentieth-century composers are performed by the Contemporary Music Ensemble.