Graduate Jazz Study at Stony Brook

Our Faculty

Jazz Program at Stony Brook

The Masters (MM) and Doctorate (DMA) programs in Jazz Studies endeavor to assist the next generations of Jazz Artists in finding and developing their unique voices. The deep well of creativity in African-American music in its totality is our base. The visionary artists of this tradition have spread jazz language and artistic practice across the globe, and with improvisation at its core numerous world musics are now essential parts of jazz methodology. Since the Jazz artist is typically a composer, an improviser, and a performer, our program concentrates on developing all three of these aspects of the art. We work closely with the students in developing their personal voices, while extending the range of their expressive skills. The legacy of this music includes spiritual uplift, celebration, freedom, intellectual inquiry, resilience, community, and experimentation. As a faculty, we work to build these concepts into practice with the students, reflecting the collective core of this music’s essence.

The Stony Brook Jazz program is led by Director Roxy Coss, GRAMMY Award-winning Saxophonist, Composer, Educator and Activist. A recipient of the Downbeat Critics Poll “Rising Star” Award, Roxy is also the President and Founder of Women in Jazz Organization. She leads the Jazz Graduate Small Ensemble, Co-leads the Stony Brook University Jazz Orchestra - Stony Brook’s big band, as well as teaches private lessons for all graduate students, other jazz courses TBD, and oversees the Jazz department.

Thomas Manuel, Endowed Artist in Residence Fellow at SBU and Director of the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, is the Conductor of The SBU Jazz Orchestra, and supervises the undergraduate small jazz ensembles along with talented graduate assistants, teaches private lessons for jazz trumpet students, History of Jazz, and other jazz courses TBD.

Ray Anderson, chosen five times as “Best Trombonist” in Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll, is former Director of Jazz at SBU, and currently the Toll Professor in Jazz, teaching private lessons and Improvisation.

 

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