PROFESSIONAL TRAINING "Jazz and improvised musics"
Level 4 to 5 depending on the option
The Professional Training – Jazz and Improvised Music program offered at the CMDL enables participants to:
- Bring a working methodology that allows mastery of instrumental technique and the acquisition of genuine artistic depth,
- Develop individual creativity and personal projects,
- Acquire a culture of jazz and knowledge of the styles derived from it by strengthening rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic concepts (improvisation, interpretation),
- Become autonomous and thus able to adapt to all professional situations.
At the end of the training, the trainee may obtain:
The CMDL Diploma
The CMDL diploma is awarded after validation of the 4 semesters. At the end of these 2 years of training, any trainee who has obtained an overall score of more than 70/100 will be awarded the CMDL diploma. This diploma certifies a high level of mastery in jazz and improvised music.
But also, depending on the option chosen by the trainee:
The professional certification “Artiste Musicien des Musiques Actuelles” (AMMA), Level 5
RNCP: 37768 CPF: 333863 – Decision of 19/07/2023 – certified by the FNEIJMA (renewal scheduled for 06/2026)
As part of its membership in the FNEIJMA, the CMDL is authorized to train and present musicians for the professional certification “Artiste Musicien des Musiques Actuelles.” This certification, registered in the RNCP (National Register of Professional Certifications), aims to certify the technical and artistic skills mobilized by musicians in the context of writing and composition projects, live performance or recording, and the development and management of projects.
The DEM Jazz, Level 4
Thanks to the partnership established with the Departmental Conservatory of Evry-Courcouronnes, the CMDL professional training program provides access to the examinations for obtaining the Jazz Diploma of Musical Studies (DEM). This is the highest French musical diploma awarded by conservatories.
Organization and content of the professional training:
The program takes place over two years divided into four semesters. However, the trainee may enroll for one year and renew their application the following year. Classes take place from September to June, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Distributed evenly among practical, theoretical, cultural, and methodological instruction, the overall content of the training is organized as follows:
Instrument, improvisation / Ear training / Rhythm / Harmony / Writing, composition, and arrangement / Jazz repertoire ensemble / Original repertoire ensemble / “Aesthetic” repertoire ensemble / Big band / Sound engineering – amplification / Studio / History of Jazz / Knowledge of the professional environment / Master classes / Concerts / …
In addition to the professional training program “Jazz and Improvised Music,”
the AMMA training includes a specific 100-hour module
the DEM training includes a music theory module that takes place at the CRD of Evry.
For details of the educational program, please refer to the information file.
To apply for the CMDL entrance exam, candidates must:
- Be at least 18 years old*
- Have a good level of instrumental and theoretical knowledge. No music degree is required.
*EXCEPTIONS MAY BE MADE, to be completed during your online registration.
ADMISSION EXAMS
Successful candidates will be invited to attend the admission test on the date and at the time posted on the website at least 15 days in advance. Candidates must arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time. Failure to attend the admission test will result in disqualification.
Practical tests
Performance of an instrumental program consisting of:
- 1 piece of the candidate’s choice from among the 2 works proposed by the jury.
These works may be pieces from the repertoire, original compositions, or arrangements of pieces from the repertoire. The complete scores of the two works for the rhythm section (double bass, drums, and piano, and a score for the jury) must be included with the application. They must not exceed two pages (each) and must be written using music software.
- One piece chosen by the jury from the list of 10 set pieces.
Candidates must know all of the pieces. They will be asked to perform one of them without sheet music.
Candidates will be accompanied exclusively by CMDL accompanists. The accompanists will not rehearse with the candidates.The total duration of the program must not exceed 12 minutes, and the jury reserves the right to interrupt the candidate at any time.
An interview with the jury, focusing in particular on the study project.
list of assigned themes
Ask me know (Thelonious Monk)
Belharra (Jean Marie Ecay)
In love in vain (Jérôme Kern)
Lotus Blossom ( Kenny Dorham)
Ode to Saint-Cecilia (Mary-Lou Williams)
Ralph’s piano Waltz (John Abercrombie)
Speak no Evil (Wayne Shorter)
Till there was you (Meredith Wilson)
TGV (Louis Winsberg)
You’d be so nice to come home to (Cole Porter)
Download music scores HERE
List of documents to provide
For every candidate
- 1 passport photo
- 1 copy of both sides of your ID
- 1 cover letter
- 1 resume
- Links to view your video recordings (minimum as a trio): your interpretation of one of the ten set themes and a piece of your choice.
- The scores for the two free pieces, for the rhythm section (double bass, drums, and piano, and two scores for the jury), written using music notation software (maximum two pages per piece).
- You will be asked to make a single online payment of €70 to cover the application fee.
The cost of the training amounts to €7,200 per year.
However, if the trainee finances the training themselves, the CMDL provides support by reducing tuition fees to €5,000 for the 1st year, and an additional scholarship may also be granted for the second year depending on the trainee’s commitment, attendance, and income.
Professional training funding schemes:
Depending on the trainee’s personal situation (performing artist, author-artist, job seeker, or other), various continuing professional training funding bodies may be approached. This training program is notably eligible for the CPF (Personal Training Account). You may also contact your Region or your France Travail advisor.
The Personal Training Account (CPF)
All employees and all job seekers aged 16 or over benefit from a Personal Training Account (CPF). It allows them to acquire training rights that can be used throughout their professional life. To create your personal activity account (CPA), access your CPF, and submit a funding request, visit the new portal www.moncompteactivite.gouv.fr, open since March 2018.
Access conditions:
Use the “Mon Compte Formation” application and have available rights on your account. For part-time work or more (over a full year), the account of a private-sector employee is credited with up to €500 per year, up to a total cap of €5,000. Specific CPF funding conditions exist for self-employed workers, public-sector employees, and job seekers. Volunteer activity may also generate CPF rights. Since May 2, 2024, the “out-of-pocket amount” may not be less than €100, except in certain cases (job seekers, employer funding paid after May 2, beneficiaries of additional funding from an OPCO or a professional branch, rights mobilized under the Professional Prevention Account (C2P), or additional funding related to a work accident or occupational illness (AT/MP)).
Possible additional funding from Afdas and France Travail:
AFDAS: up to €12,000 per training program – having received intermittent performance fees and having at least €1 available on your CPF. If you are eligible, an OPCO AFDAS button will automatically appear in the payment section of your account on the Mon Compte Formation website.
France Travail: be registered with France Travail and submit a request to your advisor so that the additional funding can be proposed when validating your application from your personal CPF space (more than 15 days before the start of the training). Private-sector employees may also have their training co-funded by their employer.
The use of your Personal Training Account is possible for AMMA training programs.
Afdas
As a training partner for professionals in culture, communication, media, and leisure, AFDAS offers several funding solutions depending on your status (Skills Development Plan, CIF, etc.). The professional training program “Jazz and Improvised Music” is approved by AFDAS. To receive funding, you must provide proof of at least 2 years of professional experience as a musician and 48 paid performances over the four years preceding the application for entry into training.
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Your Region
This local authority is mobilized to help young people access training and facilitate their professional integration. This assistance is called the Regional Individual Employment Aid (AIRE). Contact your Region to find out about the support schemes in place.
France Travail
When existing funding schemes (those of local authorities, OPCOs, etc.) cannot cover your training project, partially or entirely, contact your France Travail advisor to see whether you can benefit from an Individual Training Aid (AIF), which contributes to covering the educational costs of your training, or from the Regional Individual Employment Aid (AIRE) of the Île-de-France region, which covers the cost of the training as well as provides remuneration during its duration.
For people with disabilities
- Candidates with disabilities may submit a request to AGEFIPH
- for training assistance
- for travel related to the training
- for the intervention of a person to compensate for the disability
- to finance technical equipment related to the disability
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