Help for auditions at UNT!

marktrumpet · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 7:32 pm Post subject:

When I went there it seemed like they accepted everyone as a music major. Does anyone know of someone being turned down to study, based on a bad audition?

I would study with Jay Saunders if you are seriously into jazz, he really had an open mind and helps you figure out your own path and method to playing the trumpet. I never studied with Keith, but he seemed to be a nice guy. His background seemed to be strictly classical though, someone correct me if I am wrong. Doing both to an exceptionally high standard can be very difficult, if not impossible, with all the other classes you have to take.

If I had to do it all over again and money was no object, I would go to a private school where I could really concentrate on one thing and get really good at it. The requirements to get a degree at UNT just seem to be endless and a lot of the Jazz major degree is spent in classical music classes. I don't see why, they don't make the classical music majors take jazz classes. Seems to be a double standard, anyways, that's my two cents for what it's worth.

UNTJazzPlayer · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 9:40 pm Post subject:

Actually, the jazz trumpet program might be changing here real soon...
In my jazz master class last semester Mike Steinel mentioned the fact that if things all go well Jazz Study majors will start taking 2 years of Classical lessons, and then take a skills exam to show they have actual learned something, and then take 2 years of jazz lessons. The lessons would be taught by Steinel and Jay Saunders, depending on whether you would like to specialize in lead or jazz solo playing. Just something to think about. I guess it isn't official, but Mike felt he needed to tell us so I would assume they are really trying to change things.

-Nick
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marktrumpet · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 1:42 am Post subject:

That will be great if that actually works out. I learned a lot there, but the first year and half of lessons just seemed to be a waste, studying with the TF's. Don't get me wrong playing etudes and learning classical solos is fine, but trying to play on big equipment, buzzing on the mouthpiece for half the lesson, and having the teacher trying to mold you into an orchestral player seems to be counterproductive if you really are into jazz and just counting down the seconds until the lesson is over. Don't know what it's like there now.