Jazz Arranging and Composition Minor (B.Mus.) (18 credits)
Degree: Bachelor of Music
Program credit weight: 18
Program Description
The Minor in Jazz Arranging and Composition allows B.Mus. students who are not Jazz majors to explore the jazz idiom with an emphasis on arranging composition and jazz theory. In theory courses, students are trained in fundamental jazz materials, compose jazz tunes, and develop analytical skills; in arranging courses, they gain practical experience by writing for various small and large jazz ensembles; and in the jazz history course, they explore the repertoire and history of the jazz tradition. The program is aimed primarily at classical students who love jazz and who have already acquired facility with rudimentary classical materials.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (18 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUJZ 160 | Jazz Materials 1. | 3 |
Jazz Materials 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental aural and theoretical skills associated with the jazz idiom. Nomenclature, chord construction, chord/scale relationships, harmonic progression, circle of 5ths, simple turnarounds, simple substitution, symmetrical scales and chord relationships, voice leading. | ||
| MUJZ 161 | Jazz Materials 2. | 3 |
Jazz Materials 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Simple and advanced substitution, borrowed chords, reharmonisation, modes of harmonic minor and melodic minor diatonic systems, unresolved tensions, odd and infrequent modulations, mixed two-five-ones, introduction to polychords, slashchords and non-functional harmony. | ||
| MUJZ 187 | Jazz History Survey. | 3 |
Jazz History Survey. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory study of the principal recordings, artists and musical trends in jazz from its origins to the present day. | ||
| MUJZ 260 | Jazz Arranging 1. | 3 |
Jazz Arranging 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to concepts and techniques commonly used in jazz arranging. Notation, calligraphy and score preparation are discussed; including study of classical and contemporary scores by prominent jazz arrangers. | ||
| MUJZ 261 | Jazz Arranging 2. | 3 |
Jazz Arranging 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Consolidation of knowledge of basic concepts and techniques used in jazz arranging. | ||
| MUJZ 262 | Applied Jazz Theory. | 3 |
Applied Jazz Theory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of harmonic practices and compositional styles in post-1960 jazz. Various theoretical approaches to jazz harmonic analysis will be addressed. Students analyze and compose jazz tunes and longer forms. | ||