• An audition of up to three pieces of jazz or popular music, including improvisation, one of which you can have composed yourself. The programme should include a range of tempi, characters or styles (for example: ballads and up-tempo pieces, as well as R&B, jazz waltzes, funk, straight jazz , rock, Latin, etc.).

• At the jury’s discretion, the entrance examination can include improvisation on an unseen chord sequence, performance of a prepared solo transcription and/or sight-reading. For piano and guitar, this may also include providing accompaniment for a blues or simple jazz/pop standard. Duration: up to 20 minutes.

An audition of up to three pieces of jazz or popular music that show as diverse a range of tempi and/or styles as possible. The programme must include both ternary and binary grooves, as well as one piece with a swing or jazz feel. One of the pieces should be in “four-four” and/or include a solo in this time signature. Candidates are also required to perform a prepared study (e.g. Wilcoxon, Pratt, etc.). At the jury’s discretion, the entrance examination can include providing accompaniment to a simple jazz/pop standard, improvisation, performance of a prepared solo transcription and/or sight-reading. Duration: up to 20 minutes.

An audition of up to three pieces of jazz or popular music, one of which you can have composed yourself. The programme should include a range of tempi, characters or styles (for example: ballads and up-tempo pieces, as well as R&B, jazz waltzes, funk, straight jazz , rock, Latin, etc.), vocal improvisation and ad libs are welcome; the 1^st piece is the candidate’s own choice, the 2^nd/3^rd pieces at the jury’s discretion. A short piece of a cappella. 1 transcription (a vocal or instrumental line taken from a piece of jazz, pop or rock music, an arrangement, a solo or ab libs). Transcriptions should be provided and candidates may be accompanied either by the original backing or by a band, where appropriate. At the jury’s discretion, the entrance exam may include improvisation on an unseen chord sequence and/or sight-singing. Duration: up to 20 minutes.

• Performance of up to three songs, one of which must have been written by someone else.
• One song should be performed solo, with the candidate providing their own guitar or piano accompaniment. The remaining songs will be accompanied by the band provided by the University.
• One of the songs should be performed in English.
• Additionally, there will be a lyric analysis task to complete.
• At the jury’s discretion, the entrance examination can include providing accompaniment for and/or sight-reading of a simple pop/soul/blues standard. Duration: up to 20 minutes.

Knowledge of the following key sounds and rhythms are a prerequisite:

Congas: Basic tumbao & variations
Bongos: Basic martillo & variations
Timbales: Cáscara 3/2 & 2/3 clave, abanico, basic cowbell grooves

An audition of 3-4 pieces of Latin or pop music that show as diverse a range of styles as possible. (This can include pieces from the Afro-Cuban or Brazilian traditions or taken from Latin jazz, fusion, soul or funk). As wide a range of percussion instruments should be used as possible. One of the pieces should include a solo or a four/four chorus.

At the jury’s discretion, the entrance examination can include providing accompaniment to a simple Latin/pop standard, improvisation and/or sight-reading from sheet music. Duration: up to 20 minutes.

1. A piece with a difficulty level equivalent to, for example, Children`s Song (Chick Corea), Jazz for the Young Pianist (Oscar Peterson), Notebook for Anna Magdalena, Inventions (Bach), Für Kinder, Mikrokosmos I or II (Bela Bartok).
2. Alternatively, a transcribed jazz solo, a notated original composition, or a piece based on a notated original taken from rock/popular music.
3. A simple jazz/pop standard or blues, requiring harmonisation. Completion of a simple cadence (for example, II-V-I-IV).

Aural training:

Written test (dictation):

• Scales, melodies in particular styles,
• intervals,
• triads and inversions,
• four-voice chords in particular styles.

Harmony:

Written test:

• Analysis of a chord sequence,
• production of a simple five-voice piano setting based on a harmonic template,
• harmonisation of a given melody.

Duration: two hours for both tests combined.

Therefore, in addition to teaching technical skills and promoting individual artistic expression, the development of a culture of musical communication is especially important. That is why, apart from work with instruments, the focus of education in Cologne is on ensembles.

In addition to regular weekly ensemble events, the University also offers week-long project ensembles throughout the semester, with the goal of making clearly-defined music programs ready to perform and/or to be recorded.

Clearly, one of the these project ensembles is the big band, which completes two, one-week projects with different music programs each semester and presents the work in the form of concerts. For wind and rhythm groups, great importance is placed upon professional technique within sections. Graduates of the University currently hold soloist positions in all of Germany’s radio big bands.

The University’s new sound studio gives students the opportunity to immediately make professional recordings of ensemble pieces, and this gives them vital studio experience in addition to recording their work in workshops. A production label that will publish student productions online is in the planning stages.

Guest instructors regularly supplement the degree programs throughout the semester with single or multiple-day workshops. An artist in residence spends an entire week at the University so that students can gain a thorough understanding of the artist’s work and ideas. Recent guests include:

Artist Workshops

Alana Alexander - Jakob Anderskov - Amy Antin - Genevieve Artadi - Kristin Berardi - Gustavo Bergalli - Markus Berges - Owen Biddle - Jim Black - Seamus  Blake - Randy Brecker - Alan  Broadbent - Keith Carlock - Hugo Leonardo Castro - Hayden Chisholm - Fay Claassen - Avishai Cohen - Luis Cole - Zach  Danziger - Bob Degen -  DJ Adlib - Mark Dresser - Sidsel Endresen - Peter Evans - Krischan Frehse - Manou Gallo - Mario Garruccio - Marcus Gilmore – Sergio Gomes - Georg Gräwe - Drew Gress - Billy Hart - Thorsten Haze Haas - Thomas Heinz - Pablo Held - Achim Kaufmann - Lorenz Kellhuber - Omer Klein -  Knower - Dominik Krämer - Michael League - Tim Lefebvre -  David Liebman - David Linx - Tom Liwa - Bobby Long - Hans Lüdemann - Rick Margitza - Turner Mark - Ben Monder - Mike Ph. Mossmann - Lauren Newton - Pascal Niggenkemper -  OK Kid - William Parker - Aaron Parks - Barre Phillips - Verneri Pohjola - Percy Pursglove - Moritz Rech -  Retrogott - Scott Robinson - Jochen Rückert - Thomas Rückert –Jovino Santos Neto - Andreas Scherrer - Lillo Scrimali - Henning Sieverts - Alex Sipiagin - Terell Stafford – Loren Stillman - Bob Stoloff - John Taylor - Boris Tschango – Arto Tunçboyaciyan - Will Vinson - Allan Vizzutti - Dan Weiss - Pe Werner - Norma Winstone - Nils Wogram

Music Industry Workshops

Acoustics Workshop: Ulli Hermann
Booking: Frank Bauchrowitz - Corinna Jacke - Sven Lehmann - Colin Lovrinovic
Crowdfunding Workshop: Christoph Nagel - Julian Brimmers
DJ Workshop: Denis Hürther
Electronic Instrument Design Workshop: Tatsuya Takahashi
Exchange Workshop: Prof. Will Edmondes - Mariam Rezaei
Independent Distribution/Label/Retail Workshop: Frank Dommert
Label/Social Media: Johann Jakob Hoffmann – Sandra Passaro
Mastering Workshop: Stephan Heger
Mix Workshop: Wolfgang Stach - Eric Breuer
Programming Workshop: Max Schweder
Video & Production: Stephanie von Beauvais

Guest Lectures

Music Business Law: Jan Uwe Leisse
Aural Skills for Producers: Rene Tinner - Ricky Ojijo

by working with the traditions of Pop and jazz music as well as through interdisciplinary collaboration with the classical and dance departments of the university.

That is why there are always theoretical and practical courses offered such as song writing, background singing for ensembles, stage presence, music market analysis and studio practice/production/post-production, as well as courses such as “instant composing” or “improvisation with dancers.”

This interdisciplinary approach is also emphasized in our “Major Plus” module. This gives students the opportunity to satisfy some of their classroom requirements for their major with an instructor from a different discipline.

We give students the necessary environment to become more independent by organizing University and non-University concerts and by collaborating with our partners.

In February and July, the students put on the three-day festivals "Jazz Against The Machine" that have become very popular with attendees who sample a representative selection of the music created at the University –with 900 guests our meet and greet with Cologne’s music scene!