A: Sociocultural history and survey of African American music covering Africa and its impact on Americas; music of 17th through 19th centuries; minstrelsy and its impact on representation of blacks in film, television, and theater; religious music, including hymns, spirituals, and gospel; black music of Caribbean and Central and South America; and music of black Los Angeles. B: Sociocultural history and survey of African American music covering blues, pre-1947 jazz styles, rhythm ’n’ blues, soul, funk, disco, hip-hop, and symbiotic relationship between recording industry and effects of cultural politics on black popular music productions.

Traditional and popular musics from many different countries, with introduction to basic ethnomusicological concepts and development of listening and analytical skills. B: Africa and Near East. C: Asia. (Global Jazz Studies majors are required to take either B or C.)

Exploration of assimilation and retention of jazz from U.S. in various countries, with particular emphasis on cultural and social features that form basis for new jazz-ethnic music blends.

Music of Duke Ellington, his life, and far-reaching influence of his efforts. Ellington’s music, known as Ellingtonia, is one of largest and perhaps most important bodies of music ever produced in U.S. Covers many contributions of other artists who worked with Ellington, such as composer Billy Strayhorn and musicians Johnny Hodges, Cooties Williams, and Mercer Ellington.

Examination of various aspects of jazz composition. Differentiation between improvisation and notated composition, as well as between composition and arranging, and introduction to basic arranging concepts. A: Early Jazz to Swing Era. B: Bebop to Avant-garde. C: Jazz since 1960s.

Study of jazz harmony through use of piano keyboard.

Elements of jazz theory and improvisation. A: Basic jazz harmonic constructions, as well as melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic concepts, and how to apply those elements to personal efforts in improvisations. B: Medium-level jazz harmonic constructions. C: Advanced-level jazz harmonic constructions.

With approval from faculty advisers, students develop and prepare one-hour recital consistent with global dimension of major, and reflect on process. In lieu of recital, students may develop research-based project, which includes comparable public event (e.g., lecture-demonstration or lecture-recital).

With approval from faculty advisers, students perform (or have compositions performed in) one-hour recital consistent with global dimensions of major, contributing substantial program notes. Students who have developed alternative capstone projects present work in public event comparable to recital (e.g., lecture-demonstration or lecture-recital).

Global Jazz Studies majors enroll in individual instruction on their primary instrument or voice for 12 quarters.

Global Jazz Studies majors participate in large jazz ensembles and combos. Learn more about the performance ensembles.

Global Jazz Studies majors participate in World Music Ensembles at least for 4 quarters. Students participate in Music and Dance of Ghana and/or Music of African American ensembles for 2 quarters, and in any other World Music Ensemble or Ensembles for 2 quarters. Learn more about the performance ensembles.

Sociocultural history and survey of blues music tradition from its roots in West Africa to its emergence in African American oral culture, with emphasis on philosophical underpinnings and social and political impact of blues and its influence on development of country, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock, hip-hop music, and other mediums.

Survey of development of jazz in American culture. Discussion of different compositional/performance techniques and approaches that distinguish different sub-styles of jazz from one another, as well as key historical figures that shaped development of jazz from its early years through modern jazz. Important historical social issues (segregation, Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movement) that intersect with history of U.S. and jazz music. A: Late 19th Century through 1940s. B: 1940s to Present.

Introduction to basic economics of creative industries, focusing on unique ways music works as industry in U.S. and abroad, how power has shifted but still is held in musical oligopolies, and where career opportunities for musicians and other industry professionals will be in next five to 10 years for students.

Fundamentals of American law as it applies to entertainment business, with special attention to music and its use in film, television, and new media. Legal relationships in entertainment business and basic business practices. Exploration of legal aspects of process of producing works in entertainment field, from acquisition of rights and talent through production and distribution.

Equally for singers using microphones or beat makers using samplers, electronic equipment and procedures permeate music making, and ability to understand their logic is key for any musician today. Practical technical aspects and procedures of equipment and software (sequencers, recorders, mixers, microphones, and so on) most commonly used in contemporary music making. Main sound processing types (equalizers, compressors, reverberation). Fundamental aspects of most widespread music production software and hardware.

Exploration of techniques, methods, and process of music production and larger issues in art of making music. Students learn how to foster and capture performance and emotion in music through variety of methods and tools, including artistic direction in studio and choices made in sound, arrangement, and application of technology.

Sociocultural history of women in jazz and allied musical traditions from 1880s to present. Survey of women vocalists, instrumentalists, composers/arrangers, and producers and their impact on development of jazz.

Introduction to development of rap music and hip-hop culture, with emphasis on musical and verbal qualities, philosophical and political ideologies, gender representation, and influences on cinema and popular culture.

Examination of various aspects of jazz composition. Differentiation between improvisation and notated composition, as well as between composition and arranging, and introduction to basic arranging concepts. A: Early Jazz to Swing Era. B: Bebop to Avant-garde. C: Jazz since 1960s.

Investigation and exploration of musical time and rhythm in 20th- and 21st-century classical, jazz, world, and popular music. Concepts explored include meter, pulse, rhythmic cycles, hemiolas, and polyrhythms.

Aesthetics of jazz from point of view of musicians who shaped jazz as an art form in 20th century. Listening to and interacting with professional jazz musicians who answer questions and give musical demonstrations. Analytical resources and historical knowledge of musicians and ethnomusicologists combined with those interested in jazz as cultural tradition.

Survey of historical and stylistic development of musical style referred to today as Latin jazz.

Evaluation of important musical concepts and approaches to enable students to develop greater compositional technique and understanding. Ways composers of jazz, European classical, and other musical genres have successfully approached use of extended compositional forms. Examination of way in which world music traditions have interfaced with jazz and other types of music to create new musical languages. Use of concepts, structural paradigms, and inspiration from literature, visual arts, and other sources to develop student compositions.

How has jazz come to symbolize so many different political tendencies — freedom and democratic values, threat to order and civil society, possibility of integration and racial harmony, black liberation and nationalism, conservatism, surrealism, socialism, etc., throughout the 20th century? What about jazz enables people to read their political aspirations and hopes in what is primarily instrumental, improvised music? Exploration of history of ideas about jazz, specifically how writers, activists, movements, and musicians understood politics of jazz. Exploration of political imaginations — here and abroad — in particular in jazz and question of freedom — social freedom, political freedom, cultural, and artistic freedom.

Exploration of musical genre known as funk that emerged in its popular form during late 1960s and reached popular high point, in black culture, during 1970s. Funk, fusion of gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and many other musical styles, offers students unique window into recent African American history.

Survey of Afro-American experience, with emphasis on three great transitions of Afro-American life: transition from Africa to New World slavery, transition from slavery to freedom, and transition from rural to urban milieus.