Jazz Music
Faculty of Music, Department of Performance & Composition, Jazz Music
Learning Features
- Professional lessons from top-notch instructors
- Teaching both theory and practice
- Incorporating classical lessons to broaden his horizons as a musician
Learn creative performance with leading professionals
In addition to learning the unique playing techniques of each instrument, students will experience complex rhythms and rich harmonies through rhythm training, jazz ensembles, and big bands. Our unique method, based on classical music, will broaden your perspective as a performer. Leading professionals will provide direct instruction, fostering an understanding of the broad world of jazz through staging and recording practice, and developing you into a creative jazz musician.
Class and Activity Introduction
Specialized practical skills (jazz)
Jazz lessons are taught by experienced instructors, and are tailored to each student's level and future goals. Students will learn the basic techniques and training methods required for playing an instrument through the study of classical music.
Big Band
Students will learn the basics of big band in their first and second years, and more advanced ensembles in their third and fourth years.
Jazz Ensemble
Through ensemble playing, students will learn to understand the role of each instrument and develop a sense of connecting with fellow musicians through rhythm. They will also learn about the relationship between rhythm, melody, and harmony while playing styles and songs from various eras of jazz. Special lectures by visiting professor Makoto Ozone are also sometimes held.
in Focus - Jazz Music 15th Anniversary Concert
Jazz Music at Kunitachi College of Music was established in 2011, and a concert commemorating its 15th anniversary was held in November 2025. The special concert, which featured performances by current students' "Gemstones Jazz Orchestra," a big band composed solely of alumni who are already active in various fields, and performances by the renowned faculty, was filled with enthusiasm and truly demonstrated the steady progress of the Kunitachi Jazz Music.
Student's Voice
Absorbing the styles of many musicians
It will help you create a new version of your own individuality.
Ryutaro GOTO
Department Department of Performance & Composition Jazz Music (Drums), 4th year
Graduated from Teikyo High School, Tokyo.
In Jazz Music classes, "style analysis" has been particularly helpful. We listen to songs by various musicians and then try to imitate them in our own playing. This not only improves our listening and reproduction skills, but absorbing many different elements helps us create a new, unique style for ourselves. At an exchange event with the University of Texas at Austin, I performed with a big band. Listening to students from the birthplace of jazz, America, was incredibly inspiring. I can constantly learn about living music from the professors at Kunion, who are still active on the front lines of the music scene. While I'm still a student, I want to further improve my skills, go out into more performance settings, and try my hand at composing and arranging.
Faculty Message
Let's have a conversation in Jazz Language without a script.
Atsushi IKEDA
Jazz Music
Specialty: Jazz saxophone
I don't prepare scripts for my lessons. Just like jazz music, I want to connect with each student and share a unique moment that can only be experienced on that particular day. It's said that learning jazz is similar to learning a language. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could master the Jazz Language without using a script, just like in everyday conversation, and create music in your own unique way?
<Story>
I encountered jazz in junior high school, picked up the saxophone in high school, and went on to Kunion, a music school that had produced many jazz musicians even back then. In music, the more experience you gain and the more you grow, the higher the walls you have to overcome become. "Learning for a lifetime" is the destiny of those who aspire to be musicians.
<Profile>
He studied under Yuji Ishiwatari at Kunitachi College of Music. In 1985, he won the Outstanding Soloist Award at the YAMANO BIG BAND JAZZ CONTEST. While still a student, he performed with many groups, including Yosuke Yamashita (piano), and moved to the United States in 1990. He was greatly influenced by his collaboration with Marcus Belgrave (trumpet), and returned to Japan in 1995. He suffered a serious illness from the beginning of 2012 and spent time recuperating, but in 2013 he released his solo album "The Embrace of Life" and returned to the jazz scene. After performing with the late Fumio Karashima's (piano) group, he is currently active mainly with his own quartet.
Specialization
Educational Goals
This major focuses on rhythm, the most important element in jazz music, and aims to develop students who can hone their performance skills, acquire musical knowledge, and be active in a variety of fields and settings.
Admissions Policy
We are looking for people who are serious about music, who are humble about music, and who aim to become the next generation of musicians who can create good music together with our teachers.
Curriculum Policy
Students will acquire flexible, applicable knowledge and practical skills that allow them to respond appropriately to ever-changing musical situations during a performance. To achieve this, they will constantly study theory and practice in parallel, cultivating the ability to improvise, so that what they learn will not remain merely knowledge. In the introductory course, students will learn the fundamentals of music from a broad perspective, not just jazz. They will also develop ensemble skills, placing importance on rhythm, the most important element of jazz. In the specialized course, students will delve deeper into the knowledge and skills acquired in the introductory course, deepening their knowledge of various styles and learning advanced composition and arranging techniques. They will also gain practical experience through off-campus recording and concert practice.
Diploma Policy
Acquire the ensemble skills, improvisation skills, and composition and arrangement skills required in the music field, and acquire the application skills and flexibility to make the most of them.
Acquire the ability to act cooperatively and appropriately in harmony with others