Find your sound with the UK’s first jazz degree

When Mira Bolsakova first joined Leeds Conservatoire’s BA (Hons) Jazz programme, she didn’t know anyone or the country she now found herself in. But a series of “little things” would quickly turn the largest conservatoire in the UK into her new home: rehearsing with her “lovely band,” participating in her favourite “clapping class” with Matt Anderson, playing table football when she was supposed to be practising, hanging out with friends outside, having a jazz guitar bursary session with the incredible Jamie Taylor, performing at Leeds Museum. Yes, and even working on assignments.

All of this feels like “a huge accomplishment” and now “mean the world” to her. Looking back, the third-year student says, “These past two years have been some of the best years of my life. Sometimes I forget that this was everything I once dreamed about.”

There are many reasons why Leeds Conservatoire students often feel this way. It is the first institution in the country to offer a jazz degree, and over 50 years later, it has grown into a leading name in jazz education across the UK and Europe. This means students learn from the country’s most experienced jazz educators with an impressive range of links to the creative industries.

On any given semester, these same professors are bringing their connections to campus for performance collaborations and master classes with students. Or as Bolsakova calls it, just another “normal day” at Leeds Conservatoire.

Practice, performance, portfolio

In jazz, finding your sound is a journey shaped by experiences and exposure, and that’s what you can expect with the BA (Hons) Jazz. Ensemble performance, jazz theory, and transcription help you build technical skills, while Global Jazz Traditions modules explore the cultural influences that have shaped the genre. You can then take those influences and bring fresh ideas into your own playing and compositions.

Then comes the question every aspiring musician eventually faces: how do you turn your artistry into a career? Training in entrepreneurship, music business, production, and digital media helps you find those answers. By your final year, you’ll be recording and producing your own music – with a portfolio to show for it.

Here, performance opportunities begin in your first term. You could play with the conservatoire’s own ensembles, “Contemporary Jazz Orchestra” or “Students’ Union Big Band,” join staff on stage at “B-Side nights,” or test out your latest material at Monday jam sessions. Then there are “Cut Throat” and “Undercurrent,” Leeds Conservatoire’s bi-monthly jazz showcases.

And when you’re ready to venture beyond campus, the conservatoire has partnerships with festivals (Leeds Jazz Festival and the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival) and jazz spots (Sela Bar, Smokestack, Inkwell, and Fuse Box) across the city and beyond.

“We love hearing jazz students studying at Leeds Conservatoire,” shares Steve Crocker from JazzLeeds, a major UK jazz promoter. “Students have played at our festivals, our evening and Sunday afternoon gigs and as support slots to our international performances. We also have something called a ‘College Collection’ in April/May, which features six bands comprising final year students.”

Home of jazz greats

Leading the BA (Hons) Jazz is a jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader who knows and is known by the jazz world well. Jamil Sheriff, Head of the School of Music and Education, has been described by The Guardian as someone who “has made a real difference to the vitality of the jazz scene in the north.” The Times, meanwhile, called him an “excellent northern pianist who brings together a range of classic, contemporary, and urban approaches.”

Sheriff’s own journey started at Leeds, where he studied jazz piano and composition. Since then, his career has taken him across the UK and to international jazz festivals. He has created music for his acclaimed octet, big band, and trio, as well as for the collaborative project Rafe’s Dilemma, and has shared the stage with other musicians, including Ingrid Jensen and Dave Liebman.

Sheriff isn’t the only jazz professional you’ll get to learn from; Masterclasses will put you in the same room as some major names in jazz. Recent guests have included trumpeter Eddie Henderson and pianist Aaron Parks.

“I’ve met so many incredible people and learned so much about myself, and, most importantly, Leeds has become my home,” shares Bolsakova.

Discover the Jazz scene in Leeds or listen to the playlist of Jazz staff, students and graduates.

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