Jazz & CMA Ensembles

Which majors include a Small Improvisation Ensemble requirement?

• All undergraduate and graduate Jazz Performance and CMA majors

• All entering Jazz Performance majors may also be required to participate in the NEC Jazz Orchestra or the Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra. 

Ensemble placement is determined by audition at the start of each fall semester.

Each semester we have 2 large jazz ensembles, 25-27 small jazz ensembles, 10-12 Contemporary Musical Arts Ensembles and 2 Honors ensembles. The sizes of the NEC small ensembles can vary from quintets to nonets and the instrumentation is rather diverse and changes from year to year.

New students will submit their ensemble preferences during orientation and returning students will submit their ensemble preferences for the next year right after their Promotional or Portfolio Review. Please bear in mind that ensemble placement depends on audition level, seniority, and department need, and that new students cannot always expect to get their first choice of ensemble teachers in the first year. Also bear in mind that performance majors get priority over Jazz Composition and Non-majors for small ensemble placement, as small ensemble participation is a requirement for Jazz and CMA performance majors.

CMA ensembles run either for one semester or the entire year, as marked in the handbook. Ensembles are assigned based on auditions, your requests, and ensemble needs.