New academic program introduced: Bachelor's in Global Jazz Studies
In a groundbreaking move, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is set to launch a new undergraduate program - the Global Jazz Studies Major - starting in fall 2018. This exciting initiative will offer students the first opportunity to earn a B.A. in jazz studies at UCLA.
The Global Jazz Studies Major is a cross-disciplinary project that draws from various areas within the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the African American Studies department. The program aims to build cultural bridges, providing students with an international perspective rooted in U.S. history.
At the heart of this program is the development of advanced performance skills in multiple jazz styles, both historical and contemporary. Students will delve into jazz performance, history, and theory, as well as studies on global musical traditions and their cultural contexts. The curriculum will also incorporate dance and performance elements, analysis of jazz's social, cultural, and historical contexts, and the study of jazz-related literature and cultural texts.
Steve Loza, an expert in Latin Jazz, trumpeter, and composer, will serve as the inaugural chair of the program. Loza also directs the music school's Center for Latino Arts. James Newton, a distinguished professor and renowned jazz flutist, led the faculty committee that created the interdepartmental program.
The Global Jazz Studies Major builds upon UCLA's strong jazz studies tradition, acknowledging that jazz has transcended international borders. It continues to advance the work of Kenny Burrell, a UCLA distinguished professor, composer, and recording artist, who successfully directed the program for two decades. Burrell, also a jazz icon and Duke Ellington scholar, hired top jazz musicians from the greater southern California region to serve as expert studio faculty.
The Global Jazz Studies Major is a direct descendant of the school's popular jazz studies concentration, which was founded by Burrell. This new major deepens students' experience of how jazz promotes individual expression, dialogue among cultures, and respect for human dignity.
James Newton is thanked for his devotion to creating a cross-disciplinary program that is international in scope. The major offers individual studio instruction, participation in small combos and large ensembles, and courses in arranging, composition, improvisation, and theory.
According to distinguished professor Robin D.G. Kelley, immediate past chair of the African American studies department and Thelonious Monk's biographer, the Global Jazz Studies Major is the most exciting cross-disciplinary project at UCLA. The news release was originally posted on UCLA Newsroom.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, part of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, offers a Master of Music in Jazz Performance degree and emphasizes intensive study in jazz. However, the search results do not provide specific information about a new interdepartmental global jazz studies major at UCLA. For more detailed information, additional information from UCLA's academic departments or course catalog would be necessary.
- The Global Jazz Studies Major, with its focus on advanced performance skills, jazz history, and global musical traditions, provides an avenue for students to explore education-and-self-development through the lens of entertainment, such as music.
- As the program delves into jazz's social, cultural, and historical contexts, and incorporates studies on global musical traditions, it fosters both entertainment and education-and-self-development, offering students an unique learning experience that transcends traditional boundaries.
