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about the programme
At KASK & Conservatorium you can study jazz at master's level, but also – and this is unique in Flanders – pop music. Here we train musicians who are strong on their instrument, but also have a distinct artistic vision and individuality. In our building Paddenhoek – with numerous band rooms, recording facilities and our own concert venue Club Telex – we offer you an inspiring environment for this.

jazz & pop

about the programme
study path
bachelor + master music
graduating option performing music
study path jazz / pop
3+2 years
language
Dutch
English master

profile music programme

Man is constantly confronted with new stimuli that have never been perceived before and to which he must respond. This is precisely why man can never be not creative.

(interpretation of Arnold Gehlen, ‘Man: his nature and place in the world’).

Creativity at its core

The search for new, original solutions. That is perhaps the simplest definition of creativity. The music programme at KASK & Conservatorium puts this competence at the heart of the training of students to become performing musicians, composers, producers, builders, artists. Because we are training you to be the music makers of the future. With certainty, we can say about the future: it will be different from today.

Creativity is everywhere: in interpreting an existing piece of music, writing a composition, song or arrangement, dealing with your audience, communicating with fellow musicians and organisers, building a portfolio, developing a stimulating study method, searching for the right sound, honing a narrative,... In short: in forming your own unique and authentic artistic profile.

To achieve this, the curriculum of the music programme offers a broad and solid musical and theoretical basis, with plenty of room for self-chosen specialisation. You can specialise in a certain style (jazz, pop, classical, experimental, etc.) in a certain field (production, songwriting, film composition, contemporary performance, etc.) or choose to broaden your horizons by combining expertise, genres and disciplines. Moreover, thanks to collaborations with the other art programmes within KASK & Conservatorium, this can be done across different art forms.

In our educational organisation, we also provide the necessary time and room to develop creative skills. Four times per academic year, the teaching weeks give way to project weeks, where guest speakers are invited and masterclasses are organised, where we focus on interdisciplinary cooperation and co-creation, on internal or external project collaboration, or on deepening certain facets of musical practice.

Your artistic practice as a performing or creative musician, on your instrument or in the studio, in a group or individually, is always accompanied by critical reflection. Besides the necessary technical skills, you focus on your own artistic development. How does your work relate to that of others? Where do your strengths lie and how do you best develop them? In applied theoretical subjects such as ear training, rhythm, music analysis and harmony, you will learn the necessary basic competences. General education like philosophy, for instance, creates a broader frame of reference. In your artistic practice, everything eventually comes together and you learn to place yourself within that broader context.

The music programme strives for broad employability in the professional field. During your studies, you will have personal contact with many people in the broad sector: first and foremost, your fellow students and teachers from all the programmes at our school, but also renowned guest speakers, programmers, visiting ensembles and bands in our MIRY Concert Hall and Club Telex, and contacts you get to know during internships or international exchanges. This is how we help you build your network, with Ghent, the UNESCO Creative City of Music, as your springboard.

read more about jazz & pop

In the Jazz & Pop study programme, you will be trained at a high level for five years to become a creative, performing musician who, thanks to a broad technical and theoretical basis, can find their own original way in an ever-changing musical landscape.  

In individual instrument lessons, we strive for maximum personal artistic development. During these lessons, you develop your own unique voice, your ‘sound’. In addition, there are weekly group lessons in technique, groove, improvisation, etc. In the band lessons, you apply the knowledge you have acquired and learn the idiom and parameters of various musical styles.  

Support

To support instrument practice, there are subjects such as arrangement, harmony, ear training and rhythm class. These course units are largely practice-oriented. For example, harmony lessons are partly given at the keyboard and in ear training you learn to ‘hear with your eyes’ and ‘see with your ears’.  

Your creative development is given maximum support by the infrastructure (rehearsal rooms, stages and recording studios) and by choosing your personal focus in course units. The interaction between the different study paths is of great importance. You come into contact with songwriting, recording equipment, synths, sounds and software. Through interdisciplinary projects, you work together with other programmes within KASK & Conservatorium.  

Finally, the supportive practive courses create a broader frame of reference in which you learn to reflect critically. You research your place as a musician/artist in a broader social and historical context. Through work field exploration, concerts extra muros and supporting professional skills, you will effectively seek this out for yourself.  

On stage

The music programme at KASK & Conservatorium is an active player in the music scene, complementary to the educational training. Club Telex is our meeting place, with concert stage and bar. Here, our students hold jam sessions and we organise masterclasses, workshops and concerts with locally and internationally acclaimed musicians. To this end, we regularly work together with partners from the professional field (Gent Jazz, Democrazy, etc.) and numerous large and small Ghent concert halls (VIERNULVIER, Muziekcentrum de Bijloke, Minard, Missy Sippy, HA' Concerts, de Centrale, Democrazy, Hot Club de Gand, Damberd, Winter Circus, etc.).

Cesar Quinn, Mastersounds 2023, photo: Giada Cicchetti
Elias D'hooge Trio, photo: Giada Cicchetti

High-profile artists and bands such as Loverman, Elias D'hooge, Meltheads, Ão, Lézard, Dishwasher, Ramkot, Oproer, Shht!, Amatorski, Absynthe Minded, Balthazar, Zimmerman, De Beren Gieren, Nordmann, Black Flower, Lady Linn, Isolde Lasoen, Lander Gyselinck have already gone before you. Now it's up to you!

Study programme, JAZZ

1E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang I (Jazz)
15
J
Band I
6
J
Creative Lab 1
3
J
Piano 1/Hammond 1
3
J
Lichaamsbewustzijn
3
1
Arrangement 1
3
J
Harmonie 1
6
J
Ritmeklas 1
3
J
Ear Training 1
3
J
Muziektechnologie
3
2
Jazzgeschiedenis
3
J
Studie van literaire teksten: lyriek
3
2
Overzicht van de wijsbegeerte
3
J
Inleiding tot het onderzoek in de kunsten
3
1
60
2E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang II (Jazz)
15
J
Band II
6
J
Creative Lab 2
3
J
Piano 2/Hammond 2
3
J
Arrangement 2
3
J
Harmonie 2
6
J
Module jazz
6
Module pop
6
Ritmeklas 2
3
J
Ear Training 2
3
J
Popgeschiedenis
3
J
Structuur en werking van het muziekcircuit
3
2
Overzicht van de muziekpsychologie
3
1
Kunstenaarsteksten
3
2
Opleidingsonderdelen/minor te kiezen
6
J
60
3E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang III (Jazz)
21
J
Band III
6
J
Creative Lab 3
3
J
Arrangement 3
6
J
Module jazz
6
Module pop
6
Harmonie 3
3
J
Module jazz
3
Module pop
3
Avant-garde en wereld muziek in Jazz en Pop
3
J
Juridische en zakelijke aspecten
van de muziekindustrie
3
J
Overzicht van de muzieksociologie
3
1
Dossier
3
J
Opleidingsonderdelen/minor te kiezen
9
J
60
1E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang master I (Jazz)
22
J
Band master I
6
J
Creative Lab master 1
3
J
Compositie en arrangement 1
3
1
Masterseminaries
12
1of2
Muziek en management
3
1
Kunst in het werkveld
8
J
Opleidingsonderdeel te kiezen
3
1of2
60
2E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Masterproef Instrument/Zang (Jazz)
24
J
Band master II
6
J
Creative Lab master 2
3
J
Interdisciplinair project
9
J
Compositie en arrangement 2
3
J
Scriptie
9
J
Opleidingsonderdelen te kiezen
6
1of2
60
ENGLISH 1E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Voice master I (Jazz)
22
Y
Band master I
6
Y
Creative Lab master 1
3
Y
Composition and arrangement 1
3
1
Master seminars
12
1or2
Music and management
3
1
Arts in practice
8
Y
Elective
3
1or2
60
ENGLISH 2E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Master Performance Instrument/Voice (Jazz)
24
Y
Band master II
6
Y
Creative Lab master 2
3
Y
Interdisciplinary project
9
Y
Composition and arrangement 2
3
Y
Thesis
9
Y
Electives
6
1or2
60

Study programme, POP

1E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang I (Pop)
15
J
Band I
6
J
Creative Lab 1
3
J
Piano 1/Hammond 1
3
J
Lichaamsbewustzijn
3
1
Arrangement 1
3
J
Harmonie 1
6
J
Ritmeklas 1
3
J
Ear Training 1
3
J
Muziektechnologie
3
2
Popgeschiedenis
3
J
Studie van literaire teksten: lyriek
3
2
Overzicht van de wijsbegeerte
3
J
Inleiding tot het onderzoek in de kunsten
3
1
60
2E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang II (Pop)
15
J
Band II
6
J
Creative Lab 2
3
J
Piano 2/Hammond 2
3
J
Arrangement 2
3
J
Harmonie 2
6
J
Module jazz
6
Module pop
6
Ritmeklas 2
3
J
Ear Training 2
3
J
Jazzgeschiedenis
3
J
Structuur en werking van het muziekcircuit
3
2
Overzicht van de muziekpsychologie
3
1
Kunstenaarsteksten
3
2
Opleidingsonderdelen/minor te kiezen
6
J
60
3E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang III (Pop)
21
J
Band III
6
J
Creative Lab 3
3
J
Arrangement 3
6
J
Module jazz
6
Module pop
6
Harmonie 3
3
J
Module jazz
3
Module pop
3
Avant-garde en wereldmuziek in Jazz en Pop
3
J
Juridische en zakelijke aspecten
van de muziekindustrie
3
J
Overzicht van de muzieksociologie
3
1
Dossier
3
J
Opleidingsonderdelen/minor te kiezen
9
1of2
60
1E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Zang master I (Pop)
22
J
Band Master I
6
J
Creative Lab master 1
3
J
Compositie en arrangement 1
3
1
Masterseminaries
12
1of2
Muziek en management
3
1
Kunst in het werkveld
8
J
Opleidingsonderdeel te kiezen
3
1of2
60
2E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Masterproef Instrument/Zang (Pop)
24
J
Band Master II
6
J
Creative Lab Master 2
3
J
Interdisciplinair project
9
J
Compositie en arrangement 2
3
J
Scriptie
9
J
Opleidingsonderdelen te kiezen
6
1of2
60
ENGLISH 1E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Instrument/Voice master I
22
Y
Band master I
6
Y
Creative Lab master 1
3
Y
Composition and arrangement 1
3
1
Master seminars
12
1or2
Music and management
3
1
Arts in Practice
8
Y
Elective
3
1or2
60
ENGLISH 2E MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Master Performance Instrument/Voice (Pop)
24
Y
Band master II (Pop)
6
Y
Creative Lab master 2
3
Y
Interdisciplinary project
9
Y
Composition and arrangement 2
3
Y
Thesis
9
Y
Elective
6
1or2
60

enrolment & tests

If you want to apply for an academic bachelor's, you must first pass an artistic admission test. To enter the master's programme, you will take part in an orientation test. These are organised several times per academic year.

english master

We offer English-language master programmes in the visual arts, audiovisual arts, drama and music. Each year, dozens of foreign students choose the master programmes of our faculty to continue their studies.

There are no differences in curricula, competencies, learning outcomes or organization between the English-language programmes and their Dutch-language counterparts. English-speaking candidates holding a master’s degree in music can also go in for the advanced master contemporary music or one of our postgraduate programmes.

Don’t hesitate to contact the study and learning track counsellors with your questions.

quality assurance

KASK & Conservatorium's programme in music has been assessed against the internationally recognised standards of MusiQuE in 2022.

contact
you'll follow most classes at
Paddenhoek
12, Paddenhoek
9000 Ghent

credits

  1. video: Ties Kalker
  2. Robbie Lewis, Mastersouds 2023, photo: Giada Cicchetti
  3. OPROER, Mastersounds 2021, photo: Benia Hu