The Bachelor of Arts in Global Jazz Studies encourages students to think globally about the capacity of jazz to transform the musical and political worlds it engages, while building upon UCLA’s strong jazz studies and world music foundation. Designed for students seeking careers as jazz performers, producers, teachers, and/or jazz scholars, coursework includes scholarly courses on the history and culture of jazz, studio instruction, participation in jazz and world music ensembles, and courses in music theory, musical structure and instrumentation, improvisation, expression, composition, and arranging. The major is interdisciplinary, drawing from various areas across the school of music as well as UCLA’s African American Studies department.
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Guest Artists Offer Students Unique Insights
The Global Jazz Studies program provides significant opportunities for students to engage with a wide range of distinguished jazz artists, including visiting artists and faculty brought by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA. By offering meaningful interactions with jazz greats, we help students master their instruments and prepare for professional performance careers. Recent opportunities to participate in masterclasses have included such esteemed artists as Jimmy Heath, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Childs, Steve Coleman, Benny Golson, Vijay Iyer, Nicole Mitchell, Danilo Pérez, and Jen Shyu.
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ABC News recently covered explosion of Mexican genres in American popular music. To understand the music’s regional roots, they turned to Steven Loza, professor of Global Jazz Studies at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Student Spotlight, Summer 2023
Bruins at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music have had a busy summer. Check out what they've been up to!
Remembering the Incomparable Barbara Morrison
Everyone has a story about Barbara Morrison. The L.A. legend was a force unto herself—a powerhouse interpreter of the blues, a jazz singer equal parts suave and sonorous, a scintillating performer who held audiences in thrall. On Saturday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m. The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music will play host to Vocal Night:
The 2023 Grammys Have Been Awarded, and UCLA Has Scored
It was another good year for America’s #1 public university, with School of Music faculty and alumni bringing home several 2023 Grammy Awards.
2023 Grammy Nominees from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
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The video “Proof” by K-Pop super band BTS garnered 12 million views in its first day and now (at least, as this article was finalizing) is approaching 20 million views.
Oct 6 Fri
7:00pm
Free
Free
jazz
Freedom First Concert featuring jazz artist and political activist Keith LaMar, who is an African American man on death row falsely accused of murder in the Lucasville Prison Uprising in Youngstown, OH. He has caught international attention and has become a symbol of the injustices of the Criminal Justice System. A symphonic work by UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology graduate student Dexter Story was commissioned for this historic concert. The concert will also feature the Freedom First Ensemble featuring Albert Marquès and new UCLA Global Jazz Studies faculty member Salim Washington on saxophone.
Schoenberg Hall
Oct 21 Sat
12:00pm
Free
Free
contemporary, jazz
Root Progressions - A Workshop with Gloria Cheng and star Jazz Composer-Improvisers In partnership with Angel City Jazz, Piano Spheres, and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Grammy-winning faculty pianist Gloria Cheng launches her latest commissioning project: Root Progressions (named for a seminal jazz theory method). The intent is to bridge two genres steeped in experimentation and exploration—jazz and contemporary classical music—yet perennially divided by genre
Lani Hall
Dec 4 Mon
7:00pm
Free
Free
jazz
UCLA Jazz Combos and Ensembles Concert 1 UCLA student combos and ensembles directed by world-class jazz artists will be performing well-known jazz standards, contemporary works, and pop songs, as well as compositions by the faculty directors and the students. The December 4 concert will feature the UCLA Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by Arturo O’Farrill, along with other UCLA jazz combos and ensembles.
Schoenberg Hall
Explore Our Degrees
Conducting
Graduate study and training in choral, orchestral, or wind conducting
Ethnomusicology
The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work
Global Jazz Studies
Jazz performance and musicianship courses are paired with African American Studies
Music Composition
Mentorship in the creation and realization of music for concerts, opera, and visual media
Music Education
Preparation for music educators leading to a B.A. and teaching credential in just four years
Music History & Industry
Combining Musicology and the Music Industry minor for practical hands-on training with the study of music within the context of different societies, cultures, and theories
Music Industry
Industry professionals and UCLA faculty prepare students for music-related careers
Musicology
The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making
Music Performance
Study and training towards professional performance careers in Western classical music