School of Performing Arts Introducing New Jazz Minor
Contact: Contacts: Karel Lidral, 581-1256; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO – The UMaine School of Performing Arts’ Music Division has created a new jazz studies minor, to be introduced in the fall of 2006.
Karel Lidral, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies at UMaine, says the new program will substantially round out music performance and music education students’ preparation, plus it will offer non-music majors immersion into improvisation, piano and jazz arranging for piano and virtually any other instrument.
The minor will consist of 19 credit hours in the following subject areas: jazz improvisation; chamber jazz arranging and piano; jazz history; and the performance of jazz in the university’s newly formed Chamber Jazz Ensemble and, optionally for up to two credits, the Jazz Ensemble.
The School of Performing Arts currently offers a bachelor of arts degree in music, a bachelor of music degree in music education, a bachelor of music degree in performance, a master of music degree and a minor in music.
“The overall purpose is for students to develop integrated skills in jazz theory, composition and performance, which will allow them to continue to be involved in this music throughout their future musical lives,” says Lidral, who will teach five new courses created to satisfy requirements of the new minor.
Additionally, the curriculum includes teaching highly specific arranging skills for piano, as well as sufficient piano skills for the performance of arrangements created in the coursework, according to Lidral.
Music majors, particularly those who do not play saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, drums or vibes, rarely have any background or opportunity in jazz, says Lidral.
“For music education majors, this means that they will not be at all prepared in this area, which is and will become more important in school music programs, at both the elementary and secondary levels,” he says. “For all other music majors, a lack of background in this area could seriously limit their opportunities in a musical universe, which is increasingly becoming more diverse and demanding of skills in this area.”
From a state, regional, national and international perspective, Lidral adds that few, if any, institutions of higher education that do not specifically offer degree coursework in jazz studies would be able to offer the intensive study of jazz improvisation available through the new UMaine jazz minor.
Stuart Marrs, chair of the SPA’s music division, says the new minor will add an important component to the education and preparation of future Maine music teachers.
“I think this is going to be a milestone for us and our department,” Marrs says. “I think it’s going to be very well received in the community of music educators as an important addition to our program.”