Jazz & Contemporary Music
Jazz & Contemporary Music
The Conservatory’s Jazz & Contemporary Music offerings will continue to preserve and share the unique heritage of American Jazz — a longstanding WCM tradition — while celebrating its proud heritage that is ever present in the music of today.
Middle & High School students with at least one year of experience on their instrument can enroll in Jazz Lab. Jazz Lab meets once a week on Wednesday evenings and includes participation in a jazz combo, opportunities to work with visiting guest artists during the academic year, and performance opportunities in the Milwaukee community. Students have the option to add a Jazz Theory class and deepen their knowledge of music theory and improvisation, rounding out their Jazz & Contemporary Music education at the Conservatory.
Adult students have a variety of opportunities at the Conservatory, including: funk, rock, blues, pop, Latin jazz, jazz standards, and songwriting studio ensembles. Scroll down to view current offerings and enroll today!
From Jazz to the Music of Today
Jazz, at its core, is music of connection — to West African rhythms, to European-style brass bands, to work songs sung by enslaved peoples in the American South, and even to the structures found in classical music. Jazz musicians experience connection through improvisation, spontaneous composition, and understanding of a shared musical language.
What then does Contemporary Music add to the equation? Contemporary styles like rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, and salsa find their roots in Jazz music and also all share a keen ability to connect cultures and traditions from around the world. By fusing diverse styles, jazz & contemporary musicians create the music of “the now.”
Make the Connection
Jazz & Contemporary Music are linked by their ability to fuse global cultures and traditions to create the music of “the now.” Here are just a few examples:
- Jazz great Duke Ellington has claimed inspiration from the works of classical French composers such as Claude Debussy, and his influence can be heard in Ellington’s compositions from the swing era to his symphonic works.
- Mississippi Delta Blues, one of the earliest styles of American blues music, served as key inspiration for the British Invasion bands of the 1960s.
- Modern day hip-hop sampling allows individual artists to create “mash-ups” and shatter traditional genres through the use of music technology.
Online application deadline: February 3, 2024
Jazz & Contemporary Music Scholarships
WCM offers Jazz & Contemporary Music scholarship opportunities at the annual Scholarship Audition Day in March. Students in grades 8 – 11 are eligible to audition.
Audition Dates: March 3, 2024
- Entry Level | Auditions open to woodwind, brass, percussion, strings, bass, guitar, piano, and voice students currently in grades 8-11 (high school students in 2021-22)
- Audition Material | Students will be expected to prepare all of the requirements as listed in the appropriate category. Time limit is 10 minutes.
- Evaluation | Auditions will be judged on the following elements of musical performance: improvisation, accuracy, rhythm, time, technique, stylistic awareness, and harmonic skills. All judges’ decisions are final.
Thank You
Supported by the City of Milwaukee Arts Board & the Wisconsin Arts Board
WCM Jazz Residencies in Schools are supported in part by a grant from the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.