Jazz
Our thriving jazz program has 3 big bands and 7-9 small combos open to all UM students. The University of Montana School of Music offers a Bachelors of Arts in Jazz Studies degree. Courses offered include an improvisation sequence, jazz composing and arranging, jazz pedagogy, jazz history, and private jazz lessons.
The Jazz Artists’ Series welcomes world class jazz performers to campus each semester for masterclasses and performances. Held each spring, the University of Montana Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival features prominent performers and educators as well as hundreds of students. All of our groups have the opportunity to perform with guest artists throughout the year, and the groups frequently perform on and off campus. We hope you will join us in the UM Jazz Program.
Personal Summary
Thomas Sciple is Associate Professor of Double Bass at the University of Montana
teaching both the Jazz and Classical idioms of Double Bass pedagogy. He is currently
a member of the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, Missoula Jazz Collective, along with
occasional performances with the String Orchestra of the Rockies and the Jeff Troxel
Duo.
Thomas holds a B.A. in Music from the University of South Alabama and an M.M. in
Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans under the direction of Ellis Marsalis
where he studied with Jazz Bassist Bill Huntington.
Thomas spent much of his career in New Orleans as a valued jazz journeyman
musician performing and recording with many notable artists and groups including
Rick Margitza, Ed Peterson, Steve Masakowski, Clint Strong, David Mooney, Don
Vappie, Leon Brown, Tony Dagradi, Mike Esnault, Wendel Brunious, Shelly Berg,
Jason Marsalis, Jeremy Davenport, Brian Seeger, Troy Davis, Brent Rose, Lumark
Gully, Ricky Sebastion, Johnny Vidacovich, Betty Shirley, Chuck Chaplin, Eric
Robinson, Miss Sophie Lee, Todd Duke, Matt Johnson, Victor Atkins, Irvin Mayfield,
Leah Chase, Wes Anderson, Herman Ernest, Michael Pellera, Bobby Previte, Loren
Pickford, Eric Traub, Cindy Scott, Delfeayo Marsalis, Vadim Neslovskyi, Simon Lott,
Charlie Fardella, Carlos Malta, Brent Rose, Julian Garcia, Eric Robinson, Jeff Albert,
Chris Alford, Mike Clarke, Will Thompson, Mark Diflorio, Brian Prunka,
Paulette Wright Davis, Leigh “Lil Queenie” Harris, Rick Trolsen, Al Belletto, Ray Moore,
Los Calientes del Son, Charlie Dennard, Dave Ellington and Chevere, Wayne Mareau,
Chegadao, Jovino Santos Neto, Marcio Bahia, Andy Bourgeois, Brian Coogan, Rex
Gregory, Oscar Rosignolli, Jamison Ross, Chuck Brackman and Vic Shepperd as well
as symphonic work in regional Orchestras including the Gulf Coast Symphony,
Mobile Symphony, Pensacola Symphony and the Rapides Symphony Orchestra.
