Performance Opportunities

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Performance Opportunities For New School Jazz Students
In the fall of 2001, a new program called the New School Jazz Outreach Project began taking shape. Its purpose is to centralize and coordinate performance outreach opportunities for New School Jazz students, giving them the opportunity to develop their careers as performers and creative individuals. The benefits of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music are multi-faceted. Often professional survival skills are not developed as part of the education process. As jazz education trains students to become improvisers; we must also train them to use their improvisational skills to interact in the real world. The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music offers two unique opportunities for students, the Performance Mentor Program, and Jazz Industry Internships.

The Performance Mentor Program enhances the process of artistic development, starting from the artist/faculty mentoring their students, to advanced students accepting a leadership role in mentoring those students less experienced as professional performers.

Those students accepting the role of bandleader learn to develop important leadership skills needed to survive in the "real world" before they leave the security of an educational environment.

Student leaders take on the responsible to select and train fellow students for performances contracted by The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. The students leaders draw from a pool of current New School Jazz students, creating a trickle down effect that offers professional experience to students of varying levels and ability.

Jazz Industry Internships: The New School's proximity to several major jazz record labels and performance venues offers significant experience for students as interns. Music industry internship opportunities, including Blue Note Records, Verve Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note Jazz Club, and The Knitting Factory, provide hands-on experience, developing networking skills, and create potential job opportunities.

This project hopes to heighten student's awareness and preparation for professional performance and business skills, reshaping the idea that developing improvisation tools need not be limited to jazz music, but by broadening its scope to include an approach to developing careers as creative individuals.

Who is qualified?
Criteria for all performance opportunities are based on professionalism. These criteria include:
1. Students must have achieved an advanced level of music proficiency.
2. Students must take a responsible role in all aspects of the performance.
3. Students must show the proper attitude dealing with professional experiences.
4. Students must be aware that the function and dynamics of music change for each performance.

Which students are selected?
Open auditions to all New School Jazz students.
Individual students will form their own groups, acting as the leader.
Groups may range from duos to quintets.
Keep in mind, the leader is showcasing his/her ability to organize a group.

Note that the group that is represented at the audition may not necessarily be chosen for a performance. Final decisions will be made between the student leader and the Jazz Outreach Project Coordinator.

The role of a leader
Leaders will assume all responsibility for every aspect of the music and the performance. Once a leader has contracted a performance through the Jazz Outreach Project, he/she will be fully responsible for the musical success of the event. Responsibilities include everything from hiring the proper musicians who can perform stylistically within the needs of the event, meeting with the event coordinators to understand their music needs, making sure all the musicians are properly attired, and guranteeing that everyone arrives timely for the performance and ready to play.

Audition requirements Required Repertoire
1. Each group will be offered 10 minutes.
2. Musicians must be familiar with a repertoire of jazz and popular standards.
3. Present a printed repertoire list at the audition. Include styles. The judges will select tunes from your list.
4. Be prepared to play tunes not listed by request.
5. Demonstrate the ability to play stylistically within the framework of a specific performance. Know your audience and play for them. Melody, volume, continuity.
6. Be organized, on time, and dressed in performance attire.
7. Present a list of musical combinations you can organize. Example:

piano/bass duo,
rhythm section/sax/vocal, etc.

Events and Venues
The Jazz Outreach Project will act as a conduit for most university and non-university functions and events. These events may include performance opportunities at NYC jazz clubs, preparing interactive performance/lectures at secondary school systems, supplying background music for a university sponsored event. Performance opportunities outside the university include private functions and corporate events.

Please Note
Performance opportunities representing The New School will be awarded to those students who exhibit the qualities needed to execute a successful performance. It is not the purpose of the Jazz Outreach Project to find gig for students, but encourages those students who are motivated to organize and prepare for professional performance opportunities when they may occur.

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Jazz Industry Internship Program
Jazz Industry Internships. The New School's proximity to several major jazz record labels and performance venues offers significant experience for students as interns. Music industry internship opportunities including Blue Note Records, Verve Records, BMG Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note Jazz Club, and The Knitting Factory provide hands-on experience, developing networking skills, and create potential job opportunities.

It is the hope of this project to heighten student's awareness and preparation for professional performance and business skills, reshaping the idea that developing improvisation tools need not be limited to jazz music, but by broadening its scope to include an approach to developing careers as creative individuals.

Student interns work closely with supervisors (industry professional) in a variety of areas including:

Artist management
Publicity
A&R (Artist & Repertoire)
Record production
Record promotion
Radio promotion
Event promotion
Booking
Marketing
Music catalogue

List of record companies including their subsidiary labels:

Blue Note Records: Capitol, EMI, Angel, Virgin
Blue Note Jazz Club: Half Note Records
The Knitting Factory: Knitting Factory Records
BMG Records: Blue Bird, RCA Victor
Verve Music Group: Verve, Impulse, GRP, Blue Thumb

The following will provide an overview of the Jazz Internship Program's policies, and the intern's responsibilities.

To be accepted as an intern, students must prepare a professional resume that is submitted to an internship supervisor. The interns will be chosen through an interview process at each work site. Internship participation requires 1-2 credits. A minimum of 10 hours per week is required for each intern.

Through internships you will have the opportunity to:

Explore a profession
Obtain career related experience
Establish a network of contacts and colleagues
Gain important insights into the professional music world
Obtain important letters of reference from professionals in your field
Improve your resume, job search and interviewing skills
Develop contacts for future employment

Memorandum of Agreement - a formal agreement between the site, student, and the NSJOP. The intern completes the first section; the site supervisor provides a detailed project or job description. His/her signature is required.

Goals Agreement - focuses the intern's attention on what she/he wants to acquire. Please think seriously about your goals for the semester. The site supervisor should review your goals and skills acquisition section, and sing the document.

Intern Schedule - complete the ENTIRE form, including site address information. Your schedule can be modified, if necessary.

Timesheets - a bi-weekly timesheet is used to record the number of hours logged at your site. Use one timesheet for a two-week period. Your supervisor must sign it before you submit it to the NSJOP office. If you work more than 5 hours during 1 day, you are required by law to take a 30-minute break. Lunch and other breaks should not be included in your reported hours. Keep the yellow copy for your records, and hand in your timesheets regularly.

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