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Course

Course

At the master's course Jazz & Pop in Arnhem, idiosyncrasy and artistry are the two main components that define its DNA. The curriculum is flexible, allowing for personalized study plans and opportunities for collaboration. This freedom provides you with the chance to explore your musical passion and expand your horizons.

Curriculum

The Jazz & Pop master's course in Arnhem offers a lot of flexibility in terms of course content. The programme consists of three main components: an individual route, a collective programme, and a joint module. The individual route lets you design your own curriculum and study plan, while the collective programme includes practical and theoretical classes, research, and masterclasses taught by professionals from various fields. You and your classmates get to select the professionals you want to learn from. In the joint module, you work collaboratively with all master's students in music at ArtEZ.

  • In the individual route, you choose your lessons and modules: you decide what you want to focus on. If your major is instrumental or vocals, you could expand your skills in composing or delve into musical theatre. It all depends on what you want and what you are working on.

    Personal study plan

    For every academic year, you write a study plan containing your individual programme for the coming semesters in consultation with your mentor. In the plan, you specify what lessons and subjects you want to take at ArtEZ and on what activities, workshops, lessons or productions you want to spend your personal budget. You can go either way: the only condition is obtaining enough ECTS credits and that the activities fit your aims.

  • In the Performance Lab, you focus on practical experience and research, using three of your productions as a starting point. You collaborate with your fellow Jazz & Pop master's students in Arnhem, collectively deciding which guest teachers to invite for workshops and masterclasses and the themes and topics to explore. These may include masterclasses on video and visuals, producing, funding, radio production, stage design, presentation skills, interdisciplinary work, and scoring.

    Recently, Jazz & Pop master's students have hosted inspiring artists like Tony Roe (Tin Men and The Telephone), Misha Mengelberg, Bob Mintzer (WDR Big Band), and Jules Buckley (Metropole Orchestra)."

  • In 'Connecting the Dots,' you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow master's students in music at ArtEZ. This program comprises a project week, various workshops, and the 'Meet the Master' course. 'Connecting the Dots' is all about exchange, collaboration, and connection. It offers you a chance to explore fields beyond your own and work alongside fellow creators who, like you, are honing their craft.

    Each year, students decide on the theme and approach for the project week. In the 2022/23 academic year, the theme was 'moving images.' Composer Jacob ter Veldhuis (Jacob TV) served as an inspiring guest lecturer, immersing students in his world of grooving, speech sample-based boombox compositions, vibrant orchestral works, and his reality opera, 'THE NEWS.' Students collaborated in groups, guided by visual artist Donna Verheijden, composer and singer Brechtje van Dijk, improvisation specialist Jasper le Clercq, and dramaturg Cecile Brommer. The project culminated in a performance at the Focus Filmtheater in Arnhem.

    Past themes have included collaboration with the 'Sounds of Change' organization, where students delved into their unique working methods, and a project week centered on the theme of 'Mourning,' featuring guest teachers from music therapy, theatre, and design.

Artistic research

Artistic research plays a crucial role in the curriculum. The music industry is continuously evolving, and traditional boundaries between genres are blurring, while conventional practices such as performing are being reinterpreted, necessitating a personalized approach. To keep up with these changes, it is essential to have an active mindset and effective communication skills. Engaging in artistic research can help you achieve this, which is why it is an integral part of this master's course.

Whether you are exploring adequate loudness, humanizing electronic drum sounds, creating the sound of an orchestra with pre-recorded instruments or producing new sounds by mixing different genres or styles, you always provide an underlying context, a clear view of used methods, and a reflection on results. Research is connected to – if not integrated within – your productions. Conducting research is not about delivering a thick book of written text, but it is about translating what you do to reflect on your own path, explain your choices, and shine a light on the alternatives. Reporting your findings may also take the form of, for example, a podcast, video or audio record.

Research should be of direct benefit to your own practice. In any way.
NATASCHA WEEGELS, research coach

Master's courses in music at ArtEZ

The master’s course Jazz & Pop in Arhem focuses on performance and creation: blending experiment with expression. ArtEZ also offers master's courses in music at two other locations. In Zwolle, the focus is on performance and curation, helping you to develop into the best possible version of yourself. Whichever master's course you choose, you are encouraged to make use of the expertises of the different master's students, their know-how and the facilities at all three locations, in order to develop your own unique graduation profile within the master's in music.