The Jazzschool

THE JAZZSCHOOL AT CJC

The Jazzschool

Welcome to the Jazzschool, the California Jazz Conservatory’s
Community Education Program! 

Founded in 1997, The Jazzschool has proudly provided a wide array of music education and performance opportunities to youth and adults in the Bay Area and – with the recent transition to online instruction – far beyond, with musicians joining us from throughout the U. S. and abroad.

Since March of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jazzschool Classes and Workshops have been conducted in a fully-online format. Our programs will continue in this format for the foreseeable future. 

This Spring Quarter, we’re thrilled to offer over 150 live, interactive Classes and Workshops for adults and youth at all levels of experience, beginning the week of April 5, 2021. These Real-Time-Online Classes and Workshops provide opportunities to learn to play and improve your skills, with the same level of world-class music instruction we’ve provided in person for almost 25 years. You’ll learn, listen, practice, play, and interact in real-time with your instructor and classmates.

What our students are saying about Jazzschool-Online:
“It was actually seamless. Didn’t quite know what to expect as I have done business calls like this for years, but this format allowed for the instructor and students to share examples of material and to interact in ways which are superior to the standard classroom.” 

“It’s a great opportunity for people that live far away from Berkeley or do not have time to come to the Jazzschool…one really good thing about the online format is that the zoom lessons were recorded. There’s a lot of info that is covered during the class, and listening to it again, slowly, while I practice was really helpful. Also, I could ‘attend’ even classes that I missed. This was great.”

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Jazzschool Adult Program 

Classes
The Jazzschool offers weekly Classes throughout the year for beginning, intermediate and advanced instrumentalists and vocalists. Scheduled on a quarterly basis, terms run for 10 weeks in the Fall and Winter, 9 weeks in the Spring, and 6 weeks in the Summer. Programs range from learning a new instrument to focusing on more advanced topics, including jazz style, harmony, improvisation and more.

  • Jazzschool Instrumental Classes provide study of a specific instrument including saxophone, trumpet, trombone, strings, piano/keyboard, guitar, bass, drums and percussion. A wide range of theory, improvisation, composition and arranging Classes are offered as well. 
  • Jazzschool Vocal Classes provide an opportunity for singers at all levels to work on style, technique, musicianship, recording techniques and more. Performance classes are offered in jazz, Latin, blues, R&B and pop genres.
  • Jazzschool History, Culture and Aesthetics Classes provide a forum for guided listening to essential recordings, viewing important films and performance footage, reading source materials and discussing music in the context of our social and cultural history. These classes are open to both musicians and music fans.
  • Jazzschool Virtual Performance Ensembles combine online class meetings, using Zoom, with collaborative web-based recording projects, using an online digital audio workstation (DAW) called Soundtrap. While it isn’t possible to reproduce the experience of an ensemble playing together live in the same room, the Virtual Performance Ensembles provide an excellent opportunity for exploring home recording and overdubbing techniques while collectively building arrangements. Open to all instrumentalists and vocalists.

Workshops
The Jazzschool offers a variety of Workshops throughout the year, available in single sessions or as a series. Whether online or on-site, Jazzschool Workshops are taught by professional artists/educators and focus on specific approaches to technical ability, theoretical concepts, improvisation, enhancing live performance skills and beyond.

Young Musicians Program
The Jazzschool Young Musicians Program offers Classes and Workshops for beginning, intermediate and advanced middle and high school instrumentalists and vocalists, focusing on instrumental and vocal techniques, theory, improvisation, style, repertoire, composition, music production and more.

Camps and Intensives
Jazzschool Camps and Intensives are offered in the Spring and Summer in one and two week sessions for adult and youth instrumentalists and vocalists at a range of levels. Please check back for updates on 2021 Camps and Intensives.

Registration
You may register online or by phone (510.845.5373)

Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be guaranteed without full payment. Students applying for courses that are full may be placed on a waiting list. The Jazzschool accepts checks (made payable to California Jazz Conservatory), cash, VISA or MASTERCARD, American Express and Discover. Payment plans are available upon request.

Please contact the Registration Office for more information at 510.945.5373 or info@cjc.edu

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