Jazz Studies in The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz
The Jazz Studies major, founded by American jazz saxophone great Jackie McLean, is one of the nation's top programs in jazz music. Under the tutelage of Hartt's jazz faculty, who are also active performers, students are given the opportunity to perform continually throughout their undergraduate career.
The program focuses on the jazz and African-American idioms, and includes special courses on improvisation, music history, jazz transcriptions, and arranging. Students interact with internationally recognized jazz musicians in their weekly classes, and through special workshops and master class opportunties. Visiting faculty includes Eddie Henderson and Randy Johnston. Students find additional inspiration in the unique cultural relationship the school has with Hartford's community-based "Artists Collective," an organization dedicated to the promotion of African and Caribbean art forms.
Recent masterclasses have featured such world-renowned jazz artists as Hank Jones, Randy Weston, Curtis Fuller, Eddie Henderson (Hartt Master Teacher), Randy Johnston (Hartt Master Teacher), Christian McBride, Larry Willis, Wynton Marsalis, Dena DeRose, Harold Mabern, Tony Reedus, Don Sickler, Cedar Walton, Cecil Payne, Slide Hampton, Benny Green, John Lee, Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, Joe Farnsworth, Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, One For All, and Hartt Alumni Abraham Burton, Mike DiRubbo, and Jimmy Greene.
First Year |
| Subject code | Course Title
| Credits | Credits |
| Sem. 1 | Sem. 2 |
| | Instrumental Study | 4 | 4 |
| AFR 131 | African-American Music 1890-1945 | 3 | - |
| AFR 132 | African-American Music 1945 to Present | - | 3 |
| AFR 242, 243 | Repertory Building | 1 | 1 |
| APC 122 - 123 | Piano-Keyboard Class | 2 | 2 |
| TH 111 - 112 | Diatonic-Chromatic Harmony | 2 | 2 |
| TH 120 - 121 | Elementary Ear Training I - II | 2 | 2 |
| RPW 110 - 111 | Reading and Writing I - II | 3 | 3 |
| HLM 020 | Information Literacy in the Performing Arts | 0 | - |
| MUS 110, 111 | Paranov Performance Hour | .5 | .5 |
| ENS 402, 403 | Jazz Combo Ensemble | 1 | 1 |
| Total Credits | 18 .5 | 18.5 |
Second Year |
| | Instrumental Study | 4 | 4 |
| AFR 220-221 | Jazz Keyboard Class | 2 | 2 |
| AFR 222-223 | Jazz Transcription I-II | 1 | 1 |
| AFR 242, 243 | Repertory Building | 1 | 1 |
| AFR 342-343 | Arranging (Jazz Styles) | 2 | 2 |
| HLM 212 | Music History: Perspectives on Music History | 3 | - |
| HLM 213 | Music History: Classicism to the Present | - | 3 |
| AUC | All-University Curriculum | 3 | 3 |
| MUS 110, 111 | Paranov Performance Hour | .5 | .5 |
| ENS 402, 403 | Jazz Combo Ensemble | 1 | 1 |
| Total Credits | 17 .5 | 17.5 |
Third Year |
| | Instrumental Study | 4 | 4 |
| AFR 110-111 | Jazz Improvisational Devices | 1 | 1 |
| AFR 242, 243 | Repertory Building | 1 | 1 |
| Academic Electives | 3 | 3 |
| AUC | All-University Curriculum | 3 | 3 |
| ES 562 | Acoustics for Musicians | 3 | - |
| ENS 402, 403 | Jazz Combo Ensemble | 1 | 1 |
| Total Credits | 16 | 13 |
Fourth Year |
| | Instrumental Study | 4 | 4 |
| AFR 242, 243 | Repertory Building | 1 | 1 |
| AFR 321 | Core Course | - | 3 |
| AFT 410 | Senior Project | 3 | - |
| MPT 450 | Sound Technology I | 3 | - |
| Academic Elective | - | 3 |
| Mathematics Elective | 3 | - |
| ENS 402, 403 | Jazz Combo Ensemble | 1 | 1 |
| REC 440 | Recital | - | 0 |
| Total Credits | 15 | 12 |
Note: Students are required to demonstrate continued improvement in their performance and improvisation skills. Failure to demonstrate progress for two consecutive semesters may result in removal from the major.