Jazz/Commercial Composition Concentration

View degree requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Composers are equipped with tools and skills that allow them to be flexible, professional, and engage in the personal experience of the creative process. Our dedicated and inspiring faculty, comprised of regionally and internationally recognized jazz/commercial artists, take you through the steps of the creative process.

This program emphasizes live performances of student work. Works may be performed by our student ensembles or by ensembles organized by the student composers themselves. Student ensembles include Towson’s jazz orchestra (founded by the late Hank Levy), the pop ensemble, the Latin ensemble, jazz guitar ensemble, vocal jazz ensemble, the free improvisation ensemble, and the jazz combos. Course offerings include music industry and recording techniques classes. A separate application and performance audition  are required for admission to the concentration. 

The Recording Studio of the Towson University Department of Music provides opportunities to create and perform for recording projects in a professional environment. We strive to prepare students to participate in the rich and diverse musical culture of today. 

Guest artists visit the program to offer concerts and workshops to our students as well as members of the community. Each semester, the Bill and Helen Murray Jazz Residency program brings internationally recognized artists to our campus that coach and perform with Towson students. The Towson University Jazz Festival is an annual event that provides an opportunity for High School ensembles to work with guest artists and Towson Jazz/Commercial faculty.

Integrated Technology

The composition program at Towson University strives to integrate the best of compositional tradition with the potentials of current music technology.

Facilities to support this aim include the Creative Technology Lab, the Recording Studio, and Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall and the Recital Hall, which both integrate with the Recording Studio and the Creative Technology Lab for the production and presentation of original multi-channel audio/visual works created by student composers.

The Creative Technology Lab is a dedicated creative studio for composition majors. This space is integrated with the two concert spaces (Kaplan Concert Hall and the Recital Hall) to support the creation and presentation of student composers' work.

The Recording Studio at Towson University Department of Music (RSTUDM) is a state-of-the-art creative production facility for recording and producing dedicated to student and faculty work in the Department of Music. Courses on recording techniques are taught in this facility and one of these courses is a requirement of the BM degree in composition.

Visiting Artists and Residencies 

The Bill and Helen Murray Jazz Residency program brings internationally recognized artists and department alumni to campus to coach and perform with students. Towson’s Jazz Festival is an annual event that allows high school ensembles to work with guest artists and Towson faculty.