Music Majors Move Beyond Jazz, Classical

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS -- Hafez Modirzadeh, a world music professor at SF State since 1998, thinks it is a common notion among students that all there is that’s promoted for relevant study is jazz and classical music. According to Modirzadeh, for the past few years faculty has approved of world and creative music as an emphasis for a Bachelor’s degree in Music. “Any students who feel that there’s only a limited choice need to dig deeper. They’ll find there to be more choices the deeper they dig,” Modirzadeh said. An emphasis in creative music looks at creativity across cultures, genres and the role of creativity within music. Modirzadeh says it arose as the school recognized that students need opportunity to explore their own creative roles and performances. “They have to have a place where they can try out these ideas and discuss these ideas and that’s why we have creative music here,” Modirzadeh said.