Who We Are

Our curriculum is very comprehensive and is constantly being refined to be current and relevant to today’s music making. Courses include Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Arranging, Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz Composition, Jazz History and of course, Jazz Combos, Jazz Ensembles and Vocal Jazz Lab. Our ensembles meet at least once weekly and perform regularly on and off campus. We host performances and masterclasses with the finest jazz performers and composers in the country. Guest artists include Jeff Coffin, Anat Cohen, Timothy Whalen, James Carter, Tim Armacost, Allen Vizzutti, Byron Stripling and Vince DiMartino. Masterclasses have been taught by Maria Schneider, Lionel Loueke, Melissa Aldana, Darren Kramer, Anat Cohen, Jeff Coffin, James Carter, Amos Hoffman and Alfredo Rodriguez.

We are pleased to offer “Jazz in Europe” as part of the music history study abroad program and “Jazz Fest at The Nest,” our high school jazz festival held each spring. 

Mission Statement

The Jazz Studies Area in the Bailey School of Music at Kennesaw State University seeks to attract the finest aspiring jazz musicians, educate with world class faculty and state of the art facilities and graduate performers, educators and most importantly, human beings of the highest caliber.  

Vision Statement

We aspire to provide a comprehensive, meaningful and inspiring experience in jazz education.  

Values

  • We celebrate the uniquely American art form that is jazz and all the cultural and societal contributions that keep it evolving. 
  • We value the diversity of jazz performers and composers and the uniqueness that each one brings.
  • Entrepreneurship remains our focus. We are committed to equipping our students with the proper skills to be successful performers and educators.

Jazz Ensembles and Combos

The KSU Jazz program includes three jazz ensembles, seven jazz combos, two jazz guitar ensembles and the Vocal Jazz Lab. Jazz Ensembles I, II, and III perform a variety of styles and music by a wide range of composers. Recent performances have included programs of Brazilian and Latin jazz, swing, musical theatre songbook, jazz rock, and retrospectives of composers such as Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Don Ellis, Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, and others. Students in KSU jazz ensembles and combos develop general jazz performance and improvisational skills giving them the flexibility to meet the varying demands of today's musical world. These goals are pursued through rehearsals, workshops, and performances.

KSU Jazz Ensembles and Combos have performed at the Jazz Education Network conference, the Georgia Music Educators Association in-service conference, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards, the International Festival of University Theatre of Casablanca, as well as performances in Montepulciano, Italy. In 2017, KSU Jazz Combo I released Global, an album of 7 original works that can be found on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Performance Opportunities

KSU jazz students enjoy a wide range of performance opportunities off campus in a variety of settings from jazz clubs to musical theater. They also perform a minimum of twice per semester in both Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo concerts in the beautiful Bailey Performance Center.

Our outstanding jazz faculty includes active performers who play nationally and are in constant demand as clinicians and soloists. The KSU Faculty Jazz Parliament performs regularly on campus each semester.

jazz band practice

Jazz Studies

Students interested in jazz may take advantage of our instrumental jazz performance studies program as part of the Bachelor of Music in Performance degree. The jazz concentration is comprehensive and includes courses specific to the jazz idiom in history, theory, arranging, improvisation, performing, and pedagogy. Our jazz majors and faculty are active in the Metro Atlanta and the southeast region jazz scene and mix university experience with real-world performing opportunities and training. The KSU Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Combos develop general jazz performance and improvisational skills, giving students the flexibility to meet the varying demands of today’s musical world. Recent performances have included programs of Brazilian and Latin jazz, swing concerts, music from musical theatre, jazz rock, and retrospectives of such composers as Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, and others. KSU Jazz Ensembles and Combos have performed at the Jazz Education Network conference, the Georgia Music Educators Association in-service conference, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards, the International Festival of University Theatre of Casablanca, as well as performances in Montepulciano, Italy.

Notable Graduates Include:

  • Patrick Arthur: Nationwide freelance guitarist
  • Robert Boone: Drummer, Count Basie Orchestra
  • Zac Evans: Saxophonist & Band Leader, The Rebel Big Band and Monkier
  • Neil Newcomb: Saxophonist and President, Atlanta Pro Winds
  • Chris Otts: Saxophonist and the first NEA Future Jazzmaster
  • Brian Reid: Collaborative Pianist in Jazz, Kennesaw State University
  • Luke Weathington: Artist in Residence in Saxophone, Kennesaw State University
  • Brandon Boone: Bassist, Tedeschi/Trucks Band
  • Michael DeSousa: Trombonist, Glenn Miller Orchestra
  • Jana Graham: Broadway percussionist, West Side Story and Sweet Charity
  • Stacey Novik: Freelance trumpeter,  Colorado
  • Jonathan Pace: Drummer, Glenn Miller Orchestra
  • Noah Vece: Nationwide freelance reed player, Vandoren Inc.
  • Devin Witt: Freelance trombonist, Atlanta

Instruments

 

    • Jazz bass students receive instruction in a broad range of skills and concepts relevant to the contemporary jazz bass player. Instruction focuses on double bass technique, basic bow skills, solo and bass line improvisation, transcription, and various jazz and world music rhythmic concepts. Bass guitar is also taught, as necessary, to better support the student’s growth as a versatile professional musician.
    • Marc Miller, Artist in Residence in Jazz Bass
    • The jazz set studio is focused on the areas of stick and brush techniques, snare drum performance, four-way coordination, and stylistic authenticity. Students will learn the tradition of drum performance through the rudiments, classic drum set texts, and transcription of drummers in jazz and other popular American music, as well as folkloric rhythms from across the world.
    • Justin Chesarek, Artist in Residence: Jazz Percussion
    • Jazz Guitar students in the Bailey School of Music study a wide range of guitar techniques Including chord comping, improvisation, jazz standard repertoire, neck knowledge, sight reading, and arranging chord melody and guitar ensemble pieces.  In collaboration with the classical guitar studio, students also study fingerstyle techniques and their application to solo jazz guitar performance. 
    • Trey Wright, Senior Lecturer in Jazz Guitar/Jazz Combos
    • Sean Thrower, Artist in Residence in Classical & Jazz Guitar
    • For more information, contact Professor Wright.

      E-mail

    • The jazz piano studio at Kennesaw State University offers a rigorous yet rewarding curriculum.  This curriculum includes harmonic content analysis, genre specific voicing instruction, improvisation, transcription study, jazz composition, and sight-reading. Additionally, jazz piano students learn proper hand technique, fingerings, scales, and fundamental repertoire.
    • Tyrone Jackson, Senior Lecture in Jazz Piano/Aural Skills/Jazz Improvisation
    • For more information, contact Professor Jackson

      E-mail

    • Saxophone students receive instruction in all aspects of saxophone performance. This includes classical study for mastery of the instrument, jazz styles and articulation, transcriptions, and improvisation.
    • Sam Skelton, Director of Jazz Studies and Senior Lecturer in Saxophone
    • Luke Weathington, Artist in Residence in Saxophone
    • For more information, contact Professor Skelton

      E-mail

    • The Kennesaw State University Jazz trombone studio focuses first on the understanding and fundamentals of both music and trombone.  The program also includes understanding of jazz phrasing and style, articulations, range development, improvisation, and sight reading.
    • Wes Funderburk, Artist in Residence in Jazz Trombone/Jazz Ensemble II
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More info...

The KSU Faculty Jazz Parliament:

Name
Position

  • Director of Jazz Studies and Senior Lecturer of Saxophone

    sskelton@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-7762
    WA 1110

    Faculty Page

  • Senior Lecturer of Jazz Studies and Jazz Piano

    tjacks80@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

  • Artist in Residence and Part-Time Instructor of Jazz Trumpet

    ropitz@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

  • Part-Time Assistant Professor of Music

    jchesare@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

  • Artisit in Residence in Vocal Jazz and Part-Time Instructor of Vocal Jazz

    kharr276@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    MU 107

    Faculty Page

  • Senior Lecturer of Jazz Studies and Jazz Guitar

    cwright1@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-2872
    WA 1100

    Faculty Page

  • Part-Time Assistant Professor of Music

    wfunderb@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

  • Artist in Residence and Part-Time Instructor of Music

    lweathin@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

  • Part-Time Assistant Professor of Music

    mmill132@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6151
    WB 111

    Faculty Page

 

 

About Jazz at Kennesaw State University

The Jazz Performance Area at Kennesaw State University began in 2003 under the direction of Sam Skelton with one large ensemble. The program quickly grew and Trey Wright was brought on faculty to teach jazz guitar and jazz combos. Professors Skelton and Wright co-wrote the Jazz Performance degree; now in its third year, it boasts two large ensembles, seven combos and a jazz guitar ensemble. The ensembles perform regularly on and off campus and cover the full history of the jazz idiom, including student works. Student jazz groups have performed at Churchill Grounds in Atlanta, the Georgia Music Educators Association In-service Conference, the Jazz Education Network Conference, the International Festival of University Theatre in Casablanca, Morocco, and La Fortezza di Montepulciano, Italy.

jazz combo global cd cover
Michael Opitz (tenor saxophone), Brandon Radaker (alto saxophone), Patrick Arthur (guitar), Brandon Boone (bass) and Jonathan Pace (drums)

Available Now

Released in September 2017, Global is the first recording released by the Jazz Studies program at Kennesaw State University. Global features seven original student compositions including tributes to Thelonious Monk (Brandon Boone’s “Brother Monk”) and an homage to the Netflix TV series Stranger Things (Jonathan Pace’s “Upside Down”) by KSU Jazz Performance Majors Michael Opitz (tenor saxophone), Brandon Radaker (alto saxophone), Patrick Arthur (guitar), Brandon Boone (bass) and Jonathan Pace (drums).. This new recording is the culmination of the four years these students spent together performing in KSU’s top jazz combo. Global was recorded at the Murray Sound Lab in Kennesaw and was produced by Joseph Greenway, School of Music Assistant Director for Production and Technology and KSU Jazz Combo Coordinator, Trey Wright.

 

 

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