Training
•Bullet: Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance inside UCO's NASM-accredited School of Music, with coursework in jazz theory and analysis, applied jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, jazz pedagogy, and music technology across 124 credit hours
•Bullet: Rehearses and performs in the UCO Jazz Lab, a dedicated professional-grade venue used for classes, concerts, and guest-artist collaborations nearly every day
Performance & Productions
•Bullet: Central's Jazz Program dates to 1960; in 2012 DownBeat Magazine recognized UCO Jazz Ensemble 1 "as the top collegiate jazz ensemble in the nation," and the following year it was "one of only two collegiate groups nationwide selected to perform" at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago (music.uco.edu)
•Bullet: In 2018 the ensemble was "one of only six bands nationwide invited to the Next Generation Jazz Festival," where it tied for first place and earned a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival (music.uco.edu); four jazz ensembles and seven small-group combos give students weekly performance opportunities
Facilities
•Bullet: UCO Jazz Lab recording facilities include one large project studio and two small project studios, with Jazz Studies graduate students providing additional peer mentorship
•Bullet: The program has closed the OkMEA Annual Honors Jazz Concert in Tulsa every eligible year since 2009
