I am a professor at Purchase College in the Jazz Studies Program.

Purchase College is located just north of New York City in Westchester County

I’ve been teaching here since 1989. I started the Jazz Studies program in 1993 and was the Chair of the program until 2002. Since then my good friend and jazz notable Dr. Todd Coolman has been chairing the program. Under his careful direction we have grown to become one of the premiere Jazz Studies programs in the world. We have students from every part of the globe coming to Purchase to study with some of the greatest players in the world.

Why would someone want to study at Purchase?

Here are ten reasons why:

1. We offer Bachelor and Masters degrees in Jazz Performance.

2. Unparalleled course of study.

3. Unparalleled teaching faculty.

4. 52 practice rooms, 5 small group rehearsal rooms, 3 drum suites, 3 performance spaces

5. A resident faculty, you won’t have to travel for lessons, the faculty come to the campus to teach.

6. We have an organization run by students called “Jazz Club”. They have their own space and budget with performances by student group, visiting guest artists and jam sessions every Thursday evening.

7. The college has the Performing Arts Center, an internationally renowned performance space with four different theaters that attract national acts from around the world. Our students get discounted tickets to all performances.

8. We are located 25 miles north of New York City, the jazz capital of the world. There is train and bus service as well as a free shuttle bus provided by the college.

9. Our teachers are very active professionally and include our students in their professional lives. The students get to attend performances and occasionally sit in with the group, as well as go to recording dates, arranging dates and various other aspects of the profession such as running a group and touring.

10. Being a state college our tuition is a remarkable value in the usually expensive private conservatory environment.

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