Jazz Performance Core Curriculum

The Private Lesson is individualized and tailored to the level, background, and needs of each student. It stresses a solid foundation in technical skills and covers a wide range of literature.  Private study includes studio classes which provide students an opportunity to perform for their peers in an informal setting. 

The IAA Orchestra performs major pieces of the symphonic repertoire, full staged ballets, concerti, new and classic music, and performs with choir and other ensembles. The Orchestra presents numerous concerts each year and frequently collaborates with renowned guest artists and conductors. Woodwind, brass and percussion students are placed into either Orchestra or Wind Symphony based on preliminary auditions. 

The IAA Wind Symphony provides a wide variety of performance experiences. Rehearsals offer the opportunity to develop and refine fundamental playing technique and ensemble skills.  The Wind Symphony presents multiple concerts annually of original compositions, representative transcriptions, and works for smaller ensembles. Placement within the ensemble is determined by audition with the studio faculty. 

Academy Choir is a requirement for all Voice majors and is open to all students. The choir participates in numerous concerts during the year, performing works from a diverse range of styles, time periods and composers.

This select ensemble is one of the most popular concert groups on the campus. The twenty-piece ensemble in big band instrumentation, studies and performs the music of the foremost big band composers, past and present. Students must audition for placement in the Jazz Orchestra.

The jazz combo is a select group of 4-8 musicians who rehearse twice weekly.  Auditions for the Jazz Combo occur in conjunction with the Jazz Orchestra auditions, and requires auditioners to take an improvised solo in their audition. During the course of the year the students involved in the combo work to improve their understanding of various styles of small group jazz and consistent growth as creative improvisers will be expected.  The jazz combo performs on all of the concerts with the large jazz orchestra. All members of the jazz combo are encouraged to enroll in a section of Jazz Improvisation.

This hands-on, project-based course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and tools of audio technology and music production. Students explore the science of sound, including waveform characteristics such as amplitude, frequency, harmonic content, and phase. The class explains room acoustics, resonance, and signal flow—from sound source to listener—while developing an understanding of microphones, speakers, and equalizers. Through visits to our own performance venues, practical PA setup exercises, and guided DAW instruction, students gain experience with recording, mixing, and stereo mic techniques. The course culminates in the creation of original music using the Digital Audio Workstation of their choice.

Music theory classes at Interlochen offer instruction in musicianship skills essential for the serious music student. The class objectives are to provide complete and thorough training in all basic musicianship skills; to offer advanced, college-level theory for the highly motivated student; and to stimulate and encourage exploration of the creative process through music creation (classical) and arranging (contemporary). 

This course is an extension of private lessons. It addresses many of the same concepts, but in a group setting. It is designed to be flexible to meet the varying levels and needs of students.

Jazz Improvisation is divided into sections based on skill set.  In this class the students apply jazz rhythm, harmony, and melody to their instrument in order to successfully improvise over a variety of song forms.  The application of scales, chords, scale and melodic patterns to the chosen music, and transcribing solos from recordings form the basis by which the student learns to improvise.

Jazz Improvisation I: (Theory I pre-requisite required) Jazz Improvisation I is an introductory course centered around piano proficiency. This class is specifically for musicians with the knowledge of Theory I and rudimentary reading skills, but might not be a pianist.

Jazz Improvisation II: (Jazz Improvisation I pre-requisite or special director placement required):  Jazz Improvisation II takes the processes of Improvisation I and begins applying it through each student's instrument. Students in Improvisation II will add more standards to their repertoire whole also digging deep on one jazz musician, transcribing and integrating ideas from three different solos. Students will also be learning how to craft solos by composing solos that they perform and present in class. Students in this class will learn at least four songs in this class.

Jazz Improvisation III: (Jazz Improvisation II pre-requisite or special director placement required):  With the process of learning repertoire and solos solidified from Improvisation I and II, Improvisation III takes a more rigorous approach of learning. Students will learn tons of repertoire, how to approach flexible tunes like the Blues and Rhythm Changes, and will begin the study of advanced rhythm and harmony making.  Students in this class will learn 6-8 songs in this class.

Jazz Improvisation IV: (Jazz Improvisation III pre-requisite or special director placement required):  Geared towards students with a strong working knowledge of jazz repertoire, chords, scales and improvisational methodologies, Improv IV offers advanced students the opportunity to further develop their skills as an improviser and group player. In this class students will focus on more challenging repertoire, learning solos from the jazz tradition, and interacting at a high level with their peers. Ear training, memorization and rhythmic techniques will also be key components of this course. An in-depth assignment featuring a longer transcription and analysis presented to the class will make up a large percentage of the grade.

Jazz Improvisation Independent Study: (Jazz Improvisation IV or special director placement pre-requisite required):  Students in Jazz Improvisation Independent Study meet once a week to be assigned repertoire and solos to learn, play altogether, and get detailed improvisation and performance feedback.

Jazz History is a chronological study of jazz beginning with its origins in African and African-American folk music music, through the most recent trends. Emphasis is placed on learning the subtle differences between the various eras and styles associated with jazz (New Orleans, Swing, Bebop, etc.).  There is a considerable amount of time devoted to listening and discussing recordings by important jazz stylists.  Additionally the students gain an awareness of the cultural events throughout the 20th century that affected jazz and the musicians who performed it. Jazz History will also involve the studying of interviews of renowned jazz musicians through the books "Notes and Tones" by Arthur Taylor and "Griot" by Jeremy Pelt. 

In this course, students will develop the beginnings of the skill set required to compose and arrange for small jazz ensembles of varied instrumentation. The course will be a combination of analysis of great jazz compositions throughout history, and a writing workshop where students will share their compositions by having them played by their peers in class. Submissions for each assignment will be in PDF format. Notation software (Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore, etc) is not required but is recommended; neat hand-written charts will be accepted. The majority of the course (Weeks 1-10) will explore fundamentals of jazz composition by dealing with various forms that are regularly encountered in the jazz tradition. Students will develop their compositional skills by attempting to write within those structures we have studied. The second section of the course will introduce students to the fundamentals of arranging (making charts for the rhythm section, the range and transposition of horns commonly used in jazz, articulations, and multi-horn arranging). The final project will be a fully realized three-horn chart of an original composition from each student.