MA Bigband – for instrumentalists, composers and conductors

All students acquire skills in all three areas. However, the aptitude test must only be taken in one of these areas. In this way, applicants can present their strengths.

Learn from your own heroes!

Students are entitled to over 20 hours of tuition from external experts in their field as part of the Master's degree program. These lessons can be individually tailored in consultation with the course director: as distance learning, as a studio visit, as additional regular lessons or as a supplement during a trip - the number of experts is not limited. And of course: the international guest artists of the hr-Bigband can also be requested for these lessons.

The work phases with the hr-Bigband are a highlight of the course. The students are part of the band and take part in a two-week production under professional conditions, including recording and concert. The artistic direction and the musical material change from semester to semester.

An ensemble with variable instrumentation for jazz students from the Mainz and Frankfurt Universities of Music as well as guests. The direction alternates between teachers from the two universities. Arrangements and compositions by students can and should also be the focus here.

The Milchsackfabrik offers MA Bigband students the opportunity to perform with their own formations six times a year as part of its "Jazz in der Milchsackfabrik" event series. Performance opportunities are supplemented by the largest jazz association in Frankfurt, the "Jazz Initiative Frankfurt", to which you can apply accordingly. When applying, please indicate that you are a student of the MA Bigband.

1. current passport photo (the following formats are accepted: GIF, JPEG, JPG or PNG)
2. Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae in tabular form (up to the year of application)
3. School leaving certificate (if not yet available, the last school certificate is sufficient for the time being), in case of foreign certificates a certified translation in German or English is required*
4. If applying for a Master's degree: Bachelor's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records", if applying for a concert exam: Master's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records "*
5. For applicants from the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, certificate of the Academic Evaluation Service (APS) (PR China // Vietnam)
6. Proof of language skills according to the requirements of the degree programmes (see below, Language certificates)
7. Please note that you have to submit additional documents in the different study programmes. Please inform yourself about this on the website of the respective study program for which you are applying under "aptitude test". Among other things, letter of motivation, assignments, phoniatric report (voice)...

*If you do not have all final certificates at the time of application, please submit the most recent certificates and supporting documents in advance. Submit the final documents without being asked and in good time before the start of your studies. If you have any questions, please contact us immediately.  

Please fill out the online application completely and upload all requested documents. After you have submitted your online application with a final mouse click, you will receive an email from us confirming the receipt of your application.

After the application deadline, you will receive an invoice from us for an administrative fee of 50 Euro. Please transfer the fee to the account of the HfMDK stating your invoice number and name within the mentioned payment deadline. Only when the administrative fee has been credited to the university's account is your application complete and can be processed.

The application fee is charged per applicant. If you apply for two courses or subjects, no further fee is due. The fee will be due again if you reapply at a later date (new round of applications).

A refund of the application fee is excluded - this also applies if the application is withdrawn.

Online submission of the following documents:

• Letter of motivation (up to 2 pages)
• Short personal introduction video (1-2 minutes): Bief presentation of previous educational path and artistic projects
• Video material (max. 15 minutes; details on technical requirements will be published on the homepage).

This material is intended to demonstrate the following competences using at least two pieces of different character, which also represent the assessment criteria:

• Musical-artistic personality
• Instrumental-technical skills
• Solo/improvisation skills
• Interpretation and stylistic confidence

Written indication of any second instruments (doublings)

Online submission of the following documents:

• Letter of motivation (up to 2 pages)
• Short personal introduction video (1-2 minutes): Brief presentation of previous training and artistic projects
• Work portfolio (scores incl. audio/video documentation) with at least three original compositions and/or arrangements, at least one of which must be for a larger ensemble (at least eight players) or big band

Assessment criteria:
Artistic independence, technical maturity

Online submission of the following documents:

• Letter of motivation incl. presentation of previous leadership experience (up to 2 pages)
• Short personal introduction video (1-2 minutes): Brief presentation of the previous educational path and artistic projects
• Video recording of a self-conducted rehearsal with a big band or other ensemble (max. 10 minutes)

Assessment criteria:
Proven experience in conducting ensembles

Second round (approx. 20 minutes):

• Section, sight-reading and solo competence (big band part) of one or more compulsory pieces, which will be sent out with the invitation to the 2nd round, as well as a piece from sight-reading with rhythm section (possibly in the section) including solo part. 

  In the entrance exam for woodwind players following doubling instruments are mandatory:
  Alto Sax: flute, sopran sax, clarinet
  Tenor sax: flute, clarinet
  Bari sax: bass clarinet.

  (total duration of the examination approx. 15 minutes)
   

• Discussion with the commission

Assessment criteria:
Instrumental skills, improvisation skills, interpretation and stylistic confidence

Second round (approx. 110 minutes)

• Written exam (arrangement task, processing time 90 minutes)
• Explanation and discussion of one of the scores submitted in the 1st round (approx. 15 minutes)
• Discussion with the commission

Assessment criteria:
Artistic independence, technical maturity

A sample exam and the corresponding solution can be found below.

Second round (approx. 40 minutes)

• Score reading: A score is presented (without preparation time) and discussed. The following competences, among others, must be demonstrated: being able to sing/audition (rhythmically) passages, naming difficult and rehearsal-intensive passages and explaining rehearsal methods (approx. 10 minutes)

• Rehearsing a given arrangement without preparation time with an ensemble of students (20 minutes). The ensemble will be provided.

• Discussion with the commission

Assessment criteria:
Proof of basic conducting skills in a band context (sample efficiency, communication skills, artistic aplomb)