A wide variety of performance opportunities await our students each year, with orchestras, bands, choirs and opera, jazz nonets and combos, small ensembles, and more.
A variety of programs and initiatives operate continuously or annually to enhance learning experiences and help students prepare for their future in music.
The MSU College of Music supports and challenges students, values innovation and creativity, and helps every community member achieve professional excellence.
Juries for undergraduate Jazz Studies Majors occur twice a year, at the end of each semester during Michigan State University’s finals week. All juries consist of tunes (songs), technical studies and transcriptions.
All Jazz Majors are required to perform a 20-minute barrier jury in the fourth semester. This jury will display technique and improvisational skills over the first 2 years. Students who do not successfully pass this jury will not pass to 300 level lessons and be placed on probation and may not be able to continue in applied studies. The barrier jury consists of the following:
Students should be prepared to perform from the first two years of study
•Blue Monk
•So What / Impressions
•Tune-up
•Doxy
•Blue Bossa
•I Got Rhythm
•Summertime
•In A Sentimental Mood
•Caravan
•Take The “A” Train
•Sandu
•Oleo
•Mr. PC
•Autumn Leaves
•The Nearness Of You
•Alone Together
•A Night In Tunisia
•All The Things You Are
•In A Mellow Tone
•Lady Be Good / Hackensack
•Raise Four
•Rhythm-A-Ning
•How High The Moon/Ornithology
•Just Friends
•All God’s Children Got Rhythm/Visitation
•Body & Soul
•Sweet Georgia Brown/Dig
•Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
•Someday My Prince Will Come
•Giant Steps
•Billie’s Bounce
•Anthropology
•What Is This Thing Called Love?/Hot House
•Blues For Alice
•Confirmation
•My Funny Valentine
•Ladybird/Half-Nelson
•Indiana/Donna Lee
•There Will Never Be Another You
•Cherokee
•Birdlike
•Eternal Triangle
•Just You, Just Me / Evidence
•Giant Steps
•Stella By Starlight
•‘Round Midnight
•Emily
•Invitation
•Love For Sale
•Joy Spring
•Isotope
•Crazeology
•Nardis
•Yes Or No
•Stablemates
•Epistrophy
•Stardust
•Just One Of Those Things
•One Finger Snap
•Serenity
•Blues On The Corner
•Inner Urge
•Along Came Betty
•The Way You Look Tonight (minimum 350bpm)
•Dear John
•Four In One
•Fe-fi-fo-fum
•Milestones (old)
•Lush Life
•Moment’s Notice