Jazz-Commercial Arranging

Jazz-Rock Combo

Senior Jazz Recital

UCM has been accredited by the National Schools of Music (NASM) since 1947.

The University of Central Missouri is one of the largest music schools in the state of Missouri and the state’s first to be designated an All-Steinway School.

UCM is a Conn-Selmer School, with a large collection of the company’s band and orchestra instruments.

Ranked in the top 15% of the 2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music by College Factual

Ranked in the top 15% of the 2022 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for General Music by College Factual

Ranked in the top 8% of the 2022 Most Popular Colleges for General Music by College Factual

Working with guest artists: Regional and national touring musicians offer clinics and perform concerts with UCM jazz ensembles. You’ll rehearse their music and perform a concert with them, then interact directly in small clinic settings. These opportunities help you learn to interpret and present a composer’s music while interacting professionally with working musicians. Recording experience: Each semester, students in UCM Jazz Ensembles work with Music Technology majors in our state-of-the-art recording studios. Learn how to prepare for and get the most out of sessions, including logistical set up such as microphone and speaker placement and track editing. Then collaborate with peers during recording sessions in a professional studio. Performing on and off campus: Students in the UCM Jazz degree program are encouraged to book gigs at regional venues to get on-stage experience as performers and arrangers. As a student composer, you may choose to include original works in your UCM junior and senior year recitals. At the conclusion of the Jazz-Commercial Arranging class, you’ll experience an exciting live performance of your final project on campus or at locations such as the Kauffman Center of Performing Arts in Kansas City.