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Vocal Studies

Doing Jazz Vocals at Conservatorium Maastricht means you choose to spend an intensive period developing your individual talent. You will develop as a musician, working together in a band, combo or choir, or in close harmony projects.
The supporting curriculum aids this development and gradually adds challenges: writing charts, solo transcriptions, scat-singing/improvising, writing your own songs/lyrics/compositions, forming your own band/ensemble, leading a band, performing live in exams, jam-sessions, gigs, and more.
The combination of individual attention, an international group of students, and a curriculum with substance will inspire you to achieve your full potential. Our diverse team of vocal teachers will enable you to choose and develop your own path in creating and performing music, working on any of the countless ways to develop your voice; range, dynamics, sound, belting, blending the registers, posture, breathing, grounding, resonance, diction, interpretation, and carrying and delivering a tune.

In the Bachelor’s programme, you will focus on traditional jazz; swing, ballads, bossa/Latin and - last but not least - the blues. You will be encouraged to write your own tunes in a style you love (pop, folk, soul, (new) jazz, funk). Over the course of the four-year programme, you will develop and define your own profile and vision as an artist and singer in the sense that, from among all the styles imaginable, you will find your own music.

Admission requirements

Meet our team

Meet your lecturers

Sabine Kühlich

Jazz Vocals / Vocal Skills / Methodology / Master Research Coach

'I love teaching, I love developing each student's individual strong points a

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Nadine Nix

Jazz Vocals

Belgian singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and creator of imaginary and 

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Esmée Bor Stotijn

Jazz Vocals / Backing Vocals

Esmee Bor (born 1976) teaches Vocals as a main subject in the Jazz department

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Susanne Schneider

Jazz Vocals

Vocalist Susanne Schneider has been teaching at Conservatorium Maastricht sin

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Compilation video Jazz Vocal

Master student vocals Sara Wittazscheck

Jazz Combo Session with Nadine Nix

Curriculum

Curriculuum

Major Vocal Studies

More info

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Main Subject and Components related to the Main Subject

25

17

38

40

Main Subject Singing

18

13

33

37

Choir Jazz (specialist)

2

2

2

Artistry

2

2

Vocal Impro Lab

2

Anatomy

1

1

Vocal Skills

2

2

Close Harmony Group

1

Band Performing

10

10

10

10

First Year Vocal Combo

10

Band

10

10

10

Composing & Arranging

6

Arranging Jazz

6

Recording & Producing

2

2

1

Studio Recording

1

Capturing and Shaping Sound

2

2

Tools in Creation

18

18

Aural Skills Jazz

6

6

Applied Theory Combo

1

1

Choir Jazz (General)

1

Theoretical Analysis Jazz

6

6

Rhythmic Solfège Jazz

1

Percussion & Pulse

2

Applied Piano Jazz

3

3

Research & Development Skills

2

2

Critical Listening

2

2

Health & Well-being

1

1

Health & Well-being

1

1

International Career Center

2

2

2

2

Your Art as a Business

2

2

2

2

Teaching & Outreach Programme

2

2

Basic Teaching Skills Lectures

1

Basic Teaching Skills Instrument Specific Methodology

1

Vocal Outreach

2

Minor

9

6

Elective Modules

9

6

Before you apply

Admission
requirements

Video Requirements

Share your un-edited video recording links in the portfolio. Videos should be uploaded to your YouTube channel ( if you don’t have one, make one). Set your videos to ‘unlisted’ so only you and we can see them. IMPORTANT: DO NOT send the actual video(s): ONLY LINKS to the video(s)
 

  • Videos should have good audio quality, where we can hear your playing very well. You can make separate short videos or one longer one.
  • The candidate presents him/herself in English at the start of the video
  • The video is maximum 10 minutes long
  • The video shows you, singing the necessary repertoire

 

Recital Pieces

Singing three recital pieces of contrasting character, to be chosen from the following styles:

  • Blues
  • Candidate's own composition
  • Jazz standards
  • Ballad
  • Latin jazz

Please note: the recital pieces must be performed from memory.

Extra notes from the vocal department

A video from a phone is good - you don’t have to book somebody for a professional video. A recording from a concert is also fine - so we really want to see you make music - the way you like it.
Interesting for us vocal teacher is:

  • The music YOU love
  • Swing
  • Latin
  • Ballad or Blues
  • Some scat-singing?
  • Do you compose yourself? - then show it :-) - and no prob if not
  • In the motivation letter you can tell us about why you want to study and what you wish for your development during studying. In your musical biography you write about your teachers, instruments you learned, concerts or combos – tell us the important music-steps you took.

What you also need to know

  • Intervals - scales – chords: performance of all intervals within the octave and the common three- and four-note chords
  • Singing all major and minor scales
  • Sight-reading: sight-singing to a satisfactory standard (jazz-specific)
  • Improvising a simple variation
  • Prima Vista: Prima Vista singing to a satisfactory standard (jazzspecific)

In case that your material is selected you will get an invitation for an online theory test and if necessary, an online meeting with the main subject teachers.

General admission requirements