ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The world-renowned Eastman School of Music is offering a new degree, led by a brand-new hire, singer and educator Sara Gazarek. She will hold the title of associate professor.
The degree amounts to a bachelor’s degree in jazz voice; though according to the school’s website, it’s categorized as “a newly conceived Jazz Voice track in the undergraduate Jazz and Contemporary Media degree program.”
The degree track is due to launch in 2024. Gazarek says that about five students will be admitted per year to the program.
It’s the first time the 100-year-old school has had this kind of degree.
Gazarek brings a strong performance resume to Eastman. She’s been based in LA for the past 20 years. From there, she’s recorded over a half dozen albums as a bandleader.
One of those, 2019’s “Thirsty Ghost,” was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category.
In addition to an extensive performance background, she has an equally impressive teaching resume. She’s coming to Eastman after over a decade at USC, where regularly taught, and made a degree from the ground up.
That experience has primed her for a good fit at the school, and she leapt at the chance to be at Eastman.
“To read about an opportunity where someone could come in at a tenure track level and create a program from the ground with your own vision, and be appointed as the leader of that program, at an accredited, really incredible school, was a dream job,” she said.
Gazarek says this blank slate will give her a chance to look around and see what works and doesn’t work at other schools and apply that knowledge and her experience here.
“The gift we have here at Eastman is that there isn’t a way that things have been taught, and the people at Eastman are saying we trust you, and that you have a perspective here, and we want to honor that, show us what it is that we need to do,” she said.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The world-renowned Eastman School of Music is offering a new degree, led by a brand-new hire, singer and educator Sara Gazarek. She will hold the title of associate professor.
The degree amounts to a bachelor’s degree in jazz voice; though according to the school’s website, it’s categorized as “a newly conceived Jazz Voice track in the undergraduate Jazz and Contemporary Media degree program.”
The degree track is due to launch in 2024. Gazarek says that about five students will be admitted per year to the program.
It’s the first time the 100-year-old school has had this kind of degree.
Gazarek brings a strong performance resume to Eastman. She’s been based in LA for the past 20 years. From there, she’s recorded over a half dozen albums as a bandleader.
One of those, 2019’s “Thirsty Ghost,” was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category.
In addition to an extensive performance background, she has an equally impressive teaching resume. She’s coming to Eastman after over a decade at USC, where regularly taught, and made a degree from the ground up.
That experience has primed her for a good fit at the school, and she leapt at the chance to be at Eastman.
“To read about an opportunity where someone could come in at a tenure track level and create a program from the ground with your own vision, and be appointed as the leader of that program, at an accredited, really incredible school, was a dream job,” she said.
Gazarek says this blank slate will give her a chance to look around and see what works and doesn’t work at other schools and apply that knowledge and her experience here.
“The gift we have here at Eastman is that there isn’t a way that things have been taught, and the people at Eastman are saying we trust you, and that you have a perspective here, and we want to honor that, show us what it is that we need to do,” she said. ArtsRochesterFirst
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