Minor in Jazz and Gender Justice
Systemic bias and implied protocol have remained ingrained in the jazz industry, imposing a significant toll on non-male identifying artists, educators, and others who aspire to work in it. In understanding the importance of diversity within creative practice, the goal of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice is to change the way jazz is perceived and presented, and to do corrective work so that the present and future of jazz does not render invisible many of the art form’s creative contributors.
The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice focuses on developing a more inclusive jazz community and emphasizes how jazz can model egalitarian objectives in the larger struggle for gender and racial justice. The Institute will work toward a necessary and lasting cultural shift in jazz by recognizing the contributions women have made in its development, and by framing fair and nondiscriminatory conditions for all pursuing careers in jazz. The Institute will promote inclusivity by offering gender balance in the makeup of each ensemble, exposing students to composers and providing opportunities to learn under the guidance of instructors and guest artists from across the gender spectrum. They will experience mutual support in a non-hierarchical environment, discovering values that are not easily established in merit-based jazz education.
Through participation in an intensive academic- and performance-based curriculum, students pursuing the Jazz and Gender Justice Minor will develop an advanced area of specialty in jazz and gender studies while exploring diverse musical styles and influences within jazz. The curriculum will include academic courses, ensembles, workshops, clinics, and a final culminating project, which will foster a deep understanding of the style’s rich cultural heritage.
All students must be in their 2nd semester or higher.
Upon completion of this program, students will:
- develop strong fundamental research skills in music scholarship, jazz studies, and gender studies;
- develop strong academic writing skills while investigating implications of gender within the performance practice, composition, and reception of jazz both nationally and internationally;
- produce a culminating project in the final semester of coursework to be evaluated by a panel of Institute instructors; and
- develop advanced critical thinking and analysis skills of jazz and related genres within their historical, social, and cultural contexts.
Required Courses (10 credits):
- ENJJ-400 Process and Performance or ENJJ-401 Freedom, Creativity, and Improvisation Ensemble (1 credit each; 5 semesters total)
- AMAS-305 African Diasporic Music, History, and Culture: Diasporic Connections and Considerations or other LMAS course by waiver (3 credits)
- PSJJ-490 Special Topics in Jazz and Gender Justice (2 credits)