About the New York Jazz Academy
The New York Jazz Academy is the fastest-growing music school in New York City. We offer the highest quality music instruction to New York City students of all ages. Recognizing the lack of opportunity among many NYC students to play in school jazz ensembles, the New York Jazz Academy offers low-cost weekly big band rehearsals, sectionals, jam sessions, and jazz improvisation seminars to students from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and beyond. In addition to group lessons and ensembles, NYJA also offers private music lessons in your home. Adult students are also welcome to take private lessons and attend NYJA adult education classes.
NYJA is currently accepting registration inquiries for all instruments, including saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, piano, bass, drums, percussion, flute, clarinet, oboe, horn, tuba, and strings. If you are interested in signing up for lessons, rehearsals, and classes, or if you have any questions, please contact us, or feel free to browse our website for more information on our programs, including curriculum, rates, locations, instructors, and more.
The old learning model (and how it can fail)
Too many brass and woodwind musicians in New York City are given no chance to interact with like-minded peers and rehearse quality music. For many, the general routine includes a weekly lesson with a private teacher and isolated practice sessions throughout the week. Individual practice sessions can be hit-and-miss, and only those who are deeply internally motivated tend to fall into a productive daily practice routine. Without external motivators like rehearsals and jam sessions, students can become easily disenchanted with music study. This scenario devolves into a sad cycle involving increasingly frustrated parents, embarrassed students, and disappointed teachers.
The NYJA learning model
With an emphasis placed on performing, rehearsing, and jamming with other musicians, weekly sessions include small classes with professional jazz instructors and rehearsals and jam sessions with like-minded peers and pros. Woodwind, high brass, low brass, and rhythm section players meet every week for group coachings ("sectionals") and ensemble jam sessions and big band rehearsals. The materials in sectionals cover fundamental musicianship (proper breath support, tone, articulation, technique, general development and proficiency), preparation for rehearsal, and the study of jazz harmony and improvisation. Students will enjoy the community of musicians while finding new inspiration in their instruments. With the NYJA learning model, each student stands a great chance of remaining motivated and enthusiastic about music performance and practice.
Why jazz music?
Repertoire choices and general music styles can contribute to a lack of interest or desire among music students. If a student is playing enjoyable material, motivation can remain high. Learning jazz takes effort and work, but it sure can be fun! Jazz music is an art that explores complex harmony, melody, and rhythm while balancing printed notation with improvisation. A student who develops a strong foundation in jazz is well-equipped to play nearly every style of music in the world, including rock, pop, salsa, most classical music, new music, and other music from around the world. Jazz remains entirely relevant in today's society, and it speaks to many in a very direct and moving way. While we at NYJA firmly support classical music study, we believe that there is a wealth of opportunity for growth that stems from the study of jazz music. Classical music study will often help a student reach a level of the highest technical proficiency, and for this reason, NYJA stresses a "cross-training" curriculum in private lessons that incorporates valuable classical repertoire into each student's course of study in jazz.
Why improvisation/jamming?
Improvising empowers the musician, who through improvising becomes equal parts composer and performing artist. Developing an ability to create music in the moment helps develop technical proficiency on the instrument, a deep awareness of rhythmic structure and harmonic movement, hones critical thinking skills, and contributes to a greater understanding of music in general. While improvising can be achieved in private, either a cappella or playing along with a recording, jamming with a group of musicians helps the student to develop and learn by "doing." Through jam sessions, the improviser learns how to complement and enhance an ever-changing and dynamic musical environment. NYJA jam sessions, whether in the context of a big band or small ensemble rehearsal, become an optimal training ground for real-world performance.
Can jazz be taught?
This question is still occasionally asked among professional jazz musicians and jazz educators. The short answer is an emphatic "Yes!". Unfortunately, many teachers do not teach jazz well, and jazz as an educational discipline is still in its infancy (The first jazz schools did not start up until the 1960s and '70s.). A common scenario involves a teacher throwing a handful of scales of chords at a student while declaring, "Just improvise a lot, listen to a ton of recordings, and eventually you'll start to hear it." This tired method of pedagogy may work for a handful of the most talented players, but even the most talented could benefit from a more insightful approach to learning jazz. The approach to jazz pedagogy at NYJA involves the most innovative and successful materials on the market, extremely well-written ensemble music commissioned for use exclusively by NYJA, and a teaching staff that includes only the most aware, creative, and encouraging instructors. Every NYJA teacher must meet four criteria: (1) world-class performing talent, (2) a dynamic gift for teaching all levels of students, (3) a keenly articulate and thoughtful intellect, and (4) a friendly and encouraging personality.
Play with the pros
Rehearsals feature occasional guest artists and pro jazz musicians. These phenomenal players are able to share valuable insights into the music business, ensemble playing, improvising, rhythm section playing, and more.
NYJA takes care of its students and teachers!
By enrolling in NYJA, students and parents both benefit from an extremely dedicated faculty and staff that is genuinely devoted to helping students grow as musicians and good citizens. We care for our students, and we provide open lines of communication regarding progress and development, individual goals, expectations, practice help, and more. Unlike many music schools, NYJA offers extremely generous compensation to our teachers, who are valued and treated with the utmost respect. If you are a jazz teacher, and you are interested in teaching for NYJA, please visit our employment page.
Sign up!
If you are interested in signing up for lessons, rehearsals, or classes, or if you have any questions, please contact us, or feel free to browse our website for more information on our programs, including curriculum, rates, locations, instructors, and more.
