BMus (Hons) Jazz
Studying Jazz at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, you will experience a high level of training aimed at cultivating your development as a creative and versatile jazz performer.
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Overview
Our Jazz department, led by Professor Tommy Smith OBE, one of the world’s leading saxophonists and artistic director and founder of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, is vibrant and energetic and continues to produce successful musicians and new voices within the UK jazz scene.
The BMus programme explores jazz in the broadest possible terms and provides the opportunity to play, perform, compose and record in many different jazz styles and settings. It is the first and the only full-time degree-level jazz course in Scotland and offers many creative and artistic opportunities to you as a performer across a wide-ranging curriculum.
You’ll receive tuition from some of the finest jazz musicians and educators in the UK and benefit from the highest amount of contact time offered anywhere in the UK, with weekly individual lessons focusing on your principal study instrument. The opportunity to study a second instrument is also made available across all four years of study.
The programme is delivered to a small, focused cohort of students in each year group that form a unique ensemble and grow together throughout the BMus jazz pathway. As a student, you are also encouraged to interact with other year groups and students from other disciplines across the RCS in the spirit of our cross-disciplinary curriculum.
Through class teaching in our dedicated jazz studios, you’ll study the essentials of chord-scale harmony, improvisation, classic repertoire, composition, history, music business and arranging. Our vision of jazz is comprehensive and inclusive, and you’ll be introduced to the full range of contexts from solo and ensemble work to big band settings.
Studying Jazz at the Conservatoire provides numerous opportunities to perform both in and out of the institution. On campus are our RCS Jazz Orchestra, Jazz at the Chimp, and Blue Monday concerts, featuring students and tutors, often performing alongside special guest performers. There are also opportunities to perform and tour with the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, and to sit in on rehearsals with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and their international guests, plus audition for a side-by-side experience with the SNJO.
The important details
UK Applicant Deadline:
2 October 2024
International (including EU) Applicant Deadline:
1 December 2024
Institution Code:
R58
Programme Code:
303F
Audition Fee:
£65.00
Application Fee:
£28.50
Welcome to the Jazz Department
Watch our short video for an introduction to the Jazz department at RCS.
We spoke to some current jazz students about what makes RCS special and how their time here has prepared them to graduate into a career in the industry.
Why Study Jazz at RCS?
The Jazz department at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland offers unique opportunities to learn, perform, and develop as a jazz musician. Our distinctive approach sets us apart, with benefits including:
One-to-One Tuition
As part of your studies, you will receive unparalleled one-to-one tuition and learn from the best educators and most highly acclaimed jazz performers in the UK. We offer 40.5 hours of principal study tuition and supporting studies classes each academic year.
Performance Opportunities
Studying Jazz at RCS, you’ll have ample opportunity to hone your craft through performance, including our Fridays at One and Blue Mondays series’. There are monthly opportunities to perform in ‘Jazz at the Chimp’ events, featuring student-led projects. You will also be able to audition for the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra and perform regular concerts around Scotland.
Diverse Programme of Study
Undergraduate music students can take advantage of learning within this unique Scottish conservatoire and undertake a module within traditional music, enabling you to broaden your repertoire, musicality, and ensemble arrangement practices.
Location and Facilities
You will study in Glasgow, with hundreds of jazz gigs, concerts and events taking place each year, and home to the Scottish Jazz Festival. You will also work in dedicated jazz rehearsal spaces, and record and mix your own music in our recording studio with a full-time professional sound engineer.
Masterclasses
You will experience regular masterclasses with internationally renowned artists, performing alongside them and benefiting from their professional experience and knowledge. Past guest teachers include Jazzmeia Horn, Jacqui Dankworth, Bob Mintzer, Mike Stern, Makoto Ozone, Courtney Pine, Branford Marsalis, David Liebman, Peter Erskine, Paolo Fresu, Randy Brecker, Lucy –Anne Daniels, Bill Evans, Kurt Elling and Arild Andersen
Professional Partnerships
You’ll benefit from our close links to the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and its international guests, enabling you to attend rehearsals and performances, and observe professionals at work.
Meet the Head of Department
Tommy Smith is a Professor and Head of Jazz at RCS and the director of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. In 1998, he became the youngest-ever recipient of an honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in recognition of his extraordinary artistic achievement. In 2019, Smith was awarded an OBE for services to Jazz from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Smith holds honorary doctorates from Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Edinburgh.
Smith’s early years include prolific achievements such as receiving international awards, appearing on national television and radio programmes, and touring with the European Youth Jazz Orchestra. By age 16, he released his first two albums – ‘Giant Strides’ and ‘Taking Off!’. His reputation continued to grow following his studies at Berklee College of Music.
In 1981, Smith won the Best Musician Trophy at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. He established the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra in 1995, Spartacus Records in 2000, founded the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2002, and developed Scotland’s first full-time jazz course. Smith has been with RCS since 2009.
Meet the Staff
Masterclasses and International Workshops
- David Liebman
- Bill Evans
- Arlid Andersen
- Makoto Ozone
- Jacqui Dankworth
- Kurt Elling
- Paolo Fresu
- Peter Erskine
- Randy Brecker
- Jazzmeia Horn
- Laura Jurd
- Lucy-Anne Daniels
- Gwilym Simcock
- Geoffery Keezer
Industry Connections
The Jazz department maintains close ties with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. This relationship with what many consider Europe’s foremost contemporary big band has given students in Jazz at the Conservatoire access to performances and rehearsals by:
- Kurt Elling
- John Scofield
- Gary Burton
- Joe Lovano
- Gunther Schuller
- Benny Golson
- Jazzmiea Horn
- David Liebman
- Mike Stern
- Branford Marsalis
- Georgia Cécile
- Laura Jurd
Graduate Destinations
Our Jazz graduates have been recipients of the prestigious Yamaha Jazz Scholarship, with bassist David Bowden and pianists Peter Johnstone and Utsav Lal obtaining scholarships. Other graduate destinations from the programme include:
- Fergus McCreadie Trio (graduates Fergus McCreadie, David Bowden and Stephen Henderson) – won 2019 Scottish Jazz Award for Best Album.
- Fergus McCreadie – won Scottish Album of the Year in 2022 for his album Forest Floor, which was also shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
- Liam Shortall – nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2024 for his band corto.alto’s debut album Bad with Names
- Strata (formed of graduates Liam Shortall, Fergus McCreadie, Joe Williamson, Mark Hendry and Graham Costello) have received excellent reviews for their album Obelisk, which was also nominated for Scottish Album of the Year in 2019
- Utsav Lal – performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York City
- Peter Johnstone and Utsav Lal – recorded a CD for the cover of Jazzwise magazine; performed at the Houses of Parliament
- Brodie Jarvie and John Lowrie – performed at the London Jazz Festival, as well as presented their own jazz concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Brodie Jarvie, Michael Butcher and Stephen Henderson – performed in Hanover as part of the UNESCO City of Music and Creative City Network
- Joe Williamson and his group Square One released their debut album in 2017, following their win of the prestigious Peter Whittingham Jazz Award
- Ewan Hastie won BBC Young Musician of the Year 2022
- Many graduates and their bands have featured on BBC Jazz at the Quay, including: Square One, David Bowden’s Mezcla, Fat-Suit, Strata, and Joe Williamson
“Costello’s Strata has been setting a standard of musicianship that has seasoned observers talking about Glasgow as a jazz hotbed of approaching New York proportions.”
– The Herald on graduate jazz band Strata
Programme Structure
The BMus (Bachelor of Music) is a four-year degree programme. Each year of the course is worth 120 credits. The number of credits for each part of the course corresponds approximately to the time a student might be expected to spend on it.
You will tackle the fundamentals of jazz composition and expand your knowledge of jazz repertoire in simulated live performance sessions. You will also develop your aural awareness, sight-reading, sight-singing and musical dictation skills. You will be given a broad overview of the history of jazz from its origins to Free jazz and you will look ahead to working in the music business learning how to create a biography and an invoice.
- Jazz Theory & Composition 1 (+ Harmony 1)
- Jazz History Through Performance 1
- Rhythm Section Skills
- Music Business 1
- Jazz Ear Training Through Performance 1
- Jam Sessions
Your jazz composition skills are at the core of your learning in year two: you will perform your own compositions and write for a jazz ensemble. Performance sessions will focus on learning classic jazz repertoire, melodies and chord progressions completely by ear. Underpinning this will be the development of your historical understanding of jazz from Mingus through to Acid Jazz. Music business classes will cover topics such as performance contracts, riders and stage plans.
- Jazz Theory & Composition 2 (+ Harmony 2)
- Jazz History Through Performance 2
- Music Business 2
- Chord Scale Harmony
- Jazz Ear Training Through Performance 2
- Jam Sessions
You will continue to develop and integrate your understanding of all areas of jazz composition. For the first time, you will create a jazz arrangement for a big band and get to grips with producing jazz in a recording studio. Your ear training skills will be further developed with a focus on conducting, rhythmic duets, and sight-singing.
- Jazz Theory & Composition 3 (+ Harmony 3)
- Jazz Ear Training Through Performance 3
- Arranging For Big Band
- Latin Ensemble Repertoire
- Jam Sessions
All of your composition skills will be put to test as you compose and arrange original works for a jazz orchestra. You will also further develop your jazz production skills in the recording studio through your own sessions. As you prepare to graduate, music business classes will focus on developing a personal website with our expert web designer.
- Jazz Theory & Composition 4 (+ Harmony 4)
- Advanced Ear Training Through Performance
- Composition For Jazz Orchestra
- Music Business 4
- Jam Sessions
How to Apply
Apply via UCAS Conservatoires
Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires website. The UCAS Conservatoires application system is separate from the main UCAS undergraduate application system. You can read our guidance about using UCAS Conservatoires on our dedicated How to Apply page.
Applicants will also be required to create an Acceptd account when they apply, which will be used for scheduling auditions. More information about this process will be available soon.
We do not offer deferred entry. If you wish to commence in 2026, you must apply next year.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland institution code is R58. You will also require the following programmes codes to apply:BMus (Hons) Jazz: 303F OR Joint Principal Study (Hons): 301F
The closing date for on-time BMus Jazz applications for UK students is 2 October 2024 and for International students is 1 December 2024. If you submit your application after this date, we cannot guarantee that your application will be reviewed by the audition panel. If you do want to submit a late application, you must contact admissions@rcs.ac.uk in the first instance to check we are accepting late applications
Application/Audition fees
There is a UCAS Conservatoires application fee of £28.50. In addition to the application fee, each conservatoire charges an audition assessment administration fee. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland charges an audition assessment administration fee of £65 for this programme.
We recognise that auditioning and interviewing for conservatoires, drama and ballet schools can be costly. The audition assessment administration fee charge allows us to offer a thorough and positive experience to all applicants and we encourage you to get in touch to ask the panel questions and find out more about the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see if it is the best place for you.
We are committed to ensuring fair access to a conservatoire education for students who have the talent and potential to benefit from it, regardless of their background. In support of this, audition fee waivers are offered to applicants whose financial hardship may be a barrier to auditioning. Please note you can only apply for a fee waiver request once you have completed and submitted your UCAS application. Please see the audition fee waiver form for more information.
Selection process
Applicants are selected first and foremost on the basis of merit and potential. However, due attention is also paid to the range of Principal Studies accepted in order to ensure the optimum experience for each student and to sustain the critical mass required for curricular activities, such as the symphony orchestra and choral activities.
Please note that the Conservatoire is obliged to offer one audition date per application. If you are unable to submit your application/audition recording by the deadline date above, you must email us immediately stating the reason. We have a specific period allocation to audition and all on time applications will receive a decision before Christmas. If your audition recording is delayed, there is a risk that places will already have been taken and your application may not be considered in the first round of scholarship allocation.
BMus Joint Principal Study (JPS)
The Joint Principal Study pathway is intended to cater for the needs of individuals who are equally accomplished in two Principal Study disciplines (e.g. Flute and Composition, or Trumpet and Conducting, etc.) and who wish to maintain this intense level of dedication in their musical studies. Please note that Conducting is only available as a Joint Principal Study and Jazz Performance is only available in conjunction with Conducting or Composition.
The selection process for applicants applying for Joint Principal Study is the same as that for other applicants; please prepare for two separate in-person auditions, or, for International applicants, please submit your audition recordings via Acceptd for each principal study. Applicants to the Joint Principal Study pathway who are successful in only one of their Principal Studies may be offered a place on the relevant ‘single-study’ pathway (i.e. Performance, Composition or Jazz).
You can find out more about our Joint Principal Study pathway on its dedicated page:
BMus (Hons) Joint Principal Study
Audition Information
The BMus Jazz pathway audition is designed to assess an applicant’s improvisational skills.
In-person auditions are planned to take place at our Renfrew Street campus in early November 2024. Should you apply on time, an invitation to book an audition time slot will be sent to you via Acceptd, you must create an Acceptd account regardless of your audition location to be able to select your audition time. An interview will form part of your audition, this is a chance for the panel to find out more about you, as well having an opportunity for you to ask questions about the programme.
The RCS audition panel will consist of a relevant departmental staff member and the Head of Department. All in-person auditions will be given a twenty-minute warm up slot prior to their audition.
International applicants are welcome to submit a recorded submission via Acceptd if these dates are not suitable. A live online interview, if held, will assess the candidate’s suitability for the programme in terms of knowledge, experience and commitment.
Recording Guidelines:
When setting up for your video recording, your body (typically, from about the waist up) and instrument should be the focal point of the frame. The committee wants to be able to see not just your face but how well you navigate your instrument.
The video recording should be provided in ONE continuous shot without separate tracks for different musical pieces.
Please begin the recording by introducing yourself to camera and stating what you will be performing. You can take a little time between pieces so long as your body must remain in the frame.
For any pieces that were written for your instrument and piano accompaniment, you are encouraged to perform with piano accompaniment (whether live or pre-recorded) if practical for you. Be assured, however, that if this is not possible for you, then you will not be disadvantaged in any way.
For more information on recording a video audition, Guitar Lecturer Matthew McCallister reveals his top tips on recording your music audition online:
Audition Repertoire
Details of the repertoire requested for your in-person audition/recorded submission can be found below:
1. Set repertoire of Oleo by Sonny Rollins (Rhythm Changes)
- Key: Bb [Vocalists choose their key]
- Tempo: Medium to Fast
- Melody Form: AABA (32 bars)
- Improvisation Duration: Minimum 3 x AABA
Aims:
- Introduce your performance
- Play original improvisation interacting musically with live musicians or with an Aebersold play-a long (Vol. 6 Track 10, Vol. 7 Track 5, Vol. 8 Track 9, Vol. 47 Track 1)
- Drummers play melody rhythmically, comp time, and improvise over form
- Chordal player must comp on one chorus
Avoid:
- Electronic play-a-longs like iRealPro
- Transcribed or pre-prepared solos
2. Your own choice of a Jazz ‘standard’ that contrasts Oleo.
Aims:
- Perform a contrasting piece (Even 8th, Latin, Ballad, 3/4, Original, etc.,)
Avoid:
- Rhythm Changes or Blues
References
It is your responsibility to ask two separate referees to write references and ensure that these are sent to RCS.
The references must be written by two different people and we will not accept references from family, other relatives or close friends. You can submit your UCAS Conservatoires application form and send your references at a later date, but they must be received prior to your audition date.
UCAS Conservatoires provides reference forms for you to download and send to your referees for completion.
Policy
We have a number of policies and statements which you should read when applying to study at the Royal Conservatoire.
Please select the links below to read each policy.
Entry Requirements
Academic Requirements
- Scottish Highers — 3 passes (grade C or above)
- A Levels — 2 passes
- International Baccalaureate — minimum score of 24 with 3 subjects at Higher Level
- Recognised equivalences (EU and International Entry Requirements)
We welcome the Scottish Baccalaureate and will accept combinations of Highers and Advanced Highers.
We offer a flexible approach to students taking Higher over more than one academic year and/or who achieve their qualifications in more than one sitting.
Within the minimum academic entrance requirements listed above, the subject recommended are:
- Music at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced level or equivalent
- English at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced level or equivalent
English language requirements
The language of study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is English. All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence that their English language level meets the entrance requirements.
The required IELTS level for this programme is 6.0 overall with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component. Full details of all the English tests we can accept can be found on our English Language Requirements page.
Music requirements
A strong indication of potential is sought at the entrance audition for this programme. Successful applicants will normally be of a standard where competancy is shown through improvisation, with a good understanding of harmony/ear skills and having a good technical ability on the instrument.
Direct entry
Applications for direct entry beyond Year 1 will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Royal Conservatoire’s Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Learning policy. If you wish to apply for direct entry, please mark the point of entry on UCAS Conservatoires application as 2 or 3.
Fees & Funding
Tuition fees
For academic year 2025/26:
Tuition fees for academic year 2025/26 are in the process of being confirmed and will be available to view here soon. Last year’s fees can be viewed below.
For academic year 2024/25:
- Scotland: £1,820
- RUK: £9,250
- International (including EU): £27,968
Please note these fees are subject to change.
Funding & Scholarships
You can find out about the funding and scholarships available for studying at RCS by visiting our dedicated page:
Cost of Living & Programme Costs
In addition to tuition fees, it is estimated that you will need between £11,200 and £15,300 per year to live in Glasgow, plus programme costs. Much will depend on your lifestyle and whether your course runs for three or four terms.
Programmes within the School of Music have a range of associated costs related to the specific activities required and advised by the programme team. You can find an indication of these costs below:
More from the Jazz Department
Interview with Fergus McCreadie
Graduate jazz pianist and composer Fergus McCreadie has become one of the most talented musicians and band leaders in Europe, winning both the UK’s prestigious Parliamentary Jazz Awards’ Album of the Year and Best Album at the Scottish Jazz Awards, as well as winning the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Award for his album Forest Floor. Watch our interview with Fergus where we spoke to him about his time studying at RCS.
RCS Ambassador: Matt Charmichael
Learn more about RCS Ambassador for Jazz (Saxophone) and BMus (Hons) Jazz Alum, Matt Charmichael on his ambassador profile page.
Learn from the Best: Tommy Smith
Watch our ‘Learn from the Best’ series video featuring Head of Jazz, Tommy Smith, where he takes us through his top tips for Jazz improvisation.
Why RCS?
We are the only place in Europe where you can study all of the performing arts on the one campus. There is a distinctive creative energy at RCS and you’ll be made to feel part of our inclusive and diverse environment from the very beginning of your studies.
Our graduates are resourceful, highly employable and members of a dynamic community of artists who make a significant impact across the globe.
At RCS, students develop not just their art but their power to use it.
World Top Ten
We were voted one of the world’s Top Ten destinations to study the performing arts (QS Rankings) in 2024, the eighth time we have been placed in the top ten since the ranking was established in 2016.
Perform & Collaborate
Our curriculum is built around performance and collaboration and we hold professional partnerships with all of Scotland’s National Companies. Join forces across artforms and be part of the 500+ performances we give each year.
Outstanding Alumni
Our graduates are employed across the world and we take pride in the impact they have on their art forms. We’ll equip you with the skills to thrive as a professional and join their ranks.
Learn from the Best
More than 1,000 lecturers, tutors, artists, technicians, co-ordinators and support staff work at RCS across all our art forms. Study with some of the finest educators and performing and production artists in the UK.
A Campus Built for You
Our facilities are world-class. From rehearsal rooms and recording studios to our five professional performance venues, we have a campus to showcase and develop emerging artists to the highest standards.