The aesthetic for admission into the jazz composition track at UNT is built around a demonstration of competence in writing for and orchestrating for modern jazz, including a strong understanding of the modern large jazz ensemble, as well as various small group formats. It is also our belief that the strongest composers in jazz are performing instrumentalists and/or vocalists. Admitted students are expected to audition for a Lab Band or Jazz Singers when the fall semester begins. All students in the jazz composition track will be required to be enrolled in a Lab Band or Jazz Singers ensemble during every long semester during their graduate work at UNT.

The required application materials for prospective students in the Jazz Composition track of the Jazz Studies M.M. are:

1. Jazz Composition Portfolio
All representative work must be prepared in computer notation format (Finale or Sibelius, exported to PDF to avoid problems with software versions), accompanied by a recording (audio of live performance in mp3, wav, or aiff format, filesize limited to 8MB; or a link to a video on youtube or another public site) submitted in electronic format via the UNT College of Music application website or sent as an email attachment to Prof. Richard DeRosa at richard.derosa@unt.edu. If you need to submit a MIDI file of your work, please send that as an email attachment to Prof. DeRosa.
a. two compositions for modern jazz big band in two different styles
b. two compositions for rhythm section and at least three horns.
c. one composition for rhythm section and more than three horns/voice, vocal ensemble, or orchestral writing (strings, orch winds, etc.)

2. Performance audition on your respective instrument at one of the three yearly on-campus audition days or via recording. Check the audition requirements for your instrument. If you choose to submit a recording, follow the directions on the College of Music application to submit a high quality recorded video audition by using youtube.com, yousendit.com, or similar web service.