CSU Home Page > Schwob School of Music > Jazz Studies

CSU offers a wide variety of opportunities for students interested in jazz performance, theory, ear training, composition, history and pedagogy. Consult the information bar on the left hand side of this page for more information about courses, faculty and upcoming performances.

News and Events

Registration and information for the Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation Workshop (Dr. Christopher Azzara, Eastman School of Music) can be found here.

Calling all band directors!!! In April of 2009, the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts will be hosting the first-ever CSU Jazz Festival, with special guests the Mingus Big Band. We're looking for high school and middle school Jazz Bands and Combos to perform at this Festival, and be critiqued by an esteemed panel of professional jazz artists, from Georgia and beyond. The Mingus Band performs on the evening of April 3rd, and the school groups will perform during the day on April 4th. Interested? E-mail Dr. Beddage ASAP.

Audition Information: Want to audition for Jazz Band or Jazz Combo for Fall semester 2008? The Jazz Combos and Jazz Band are open to all instrumental students (and vocalists for the Jazz Band) by audition. The auditions will occur on Saturday, August 16th, from 9am-5pm in Dr. Beddage's office, rm. 2707; please sign up for a time on Dr. Beddage's door. (Note: This is also the same day as most of the Wind Ensemble auditions.)

Rehearsal schedule: The CSU Jazz Band meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:50-11:20am in rm. 1717. Jazz Combo schedules are TBA until the personnel have been determined in August.

To prepare for the audition: No prior experience is necessary. If you have never played in jazz band or combo before, just sign up for an audition time and bring your instrument! If you have some jazz experience, feel free to prepare a jazz standard that you can play the melody to and improvise over. (Eg. A blues tune like "Tenor Madness", "Blue Monk", or a standard like "Autumn Leaves" or "Little Sunflower".) Sightreading material will be provided.

Check out our new videos and pictures from concerts with the Dan Tepfer Trio and Sam Skelton on the Ensembles page. A promotional video for the Jazz Department, including comments from Sam Skelton, can be found below.

March 8, 2008: New on reserve in the Music Library: The Charlie Parker Omnibook (C Instruments); Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History (ed. Walser); The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of John Coltrane

Check the blue section to your left for upcoming performances, and look for more details on the Events page.

The CSU Jazz Band rehearsal schedule is now located on the Ensembles page.