Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory

String Students Only
Age first day of session: 16 and above

In 2006, Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory announces an exciting, new component to its curriculum: The Jazz String Quartet Program.

The Jazz String Quartet Program is designed to give a completely new chamber music experience to violinists, violists, and cellists interested in exploring jazz. The innovative three-week curriculum includes jazz string quartet rehearsals, jazz history, improvisation, and theory classes, and a jazz methods survey on topics such as "comping" and walking bass lines. Numerous opportunities are available for students to perform uniquely crafted jazz string quartet arrangements and compositions in concert settings.

Students partake in various classical music offerings as well, including private lessons, studio performance classes, and chamber music or string orchestra performance. Additionally, the Jazz String Quartet Program includes participation in Eurhythmics class, which explores the rhythmic underpinning of music through movement. An interdisciplinary elective (art and music, music theory and ear training, photography, recording classical music, speaking of music, or Tae Kwon Do) is also part of this curriculum's design.

In addition to the RMSC application requirements, please send a one- or two-page narrative of the questions below:

Why would you like to participate in the Jazz String Quartet Program?
What jazz experiences (live or recorded) have you particularly enjoyed as a listener?
What jazz experiences (if any) have you participated in as a performer?
What music theory or jazz theory background (if any) do you possess?

Please be advised that due to limited space for enrollment in the Jazz String Quartet Program, not all qualified applicants may be placed. Students not placed in the Jazz String Quartet Program may still be eligible for the Senior or Young Artist Division.

For more information about this program, please contact Russell Schmidt, Jazz Program Director. His contact information can be found here.