The jazz/pop degree programme aims to train students to become creative, professional and versatile musicians. As well as acquiring a high proficiency in your main instrument, you will be taught basic skills on drums and percussion. All students, with the exception of guitarists, will receive piano lessons. All students are expected to play or sing in the Academy band and perform in their own band. In addition, they are required to stage performances with their own band as part of all major exams, from the Propaedeutic year up until the final graduation exams. The classes are held on consecutive days according to the course timetables, and are given by (guest) lecturers from the Netherlands and overseas.
Band tuition is at the heart of the curriculum. A total of 25 bands, representing a wide array of musical styles, rehearse on a weekly basis under the supervision of a lecturer. During the annual band project weeks, students undertake two week-long rehearsals with a lecturer. The department also boasts a Big Band, a Close Harmony Choir and Maastricht Academy of Music Jazz Ensemble (CMJE). And last but not least, we organize special projects that showcase the music of famous performers, including Sting, Steely Dan, Motown and Afro-Caribbean musicians.
Music also has a commercial as well as a creative edge. The Cultural Entrepreneurship (Musician & Co) component trains students to market their unique, artistic personalities. They are trained to become “all-round professional practitioners”: as performers, band leaders, composers, arrangers, lecturers, organizers and/or managers.