University-Level Jazz Training Without The Hassle:
The Jazz Degree Reimagined
Are you overwhelmed with the amount of things one could practice so much that you don't practice anything or feel like no matter how much you practice your development is stalled?
You never play solos where you feel like you say anything. You're just stringing together information but you feel like you're not even doing that very well. You're smart and capable but you lack the feeling that you can freely express yourself through your chosen instrument.
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You’ve tried online courses, but they’re impersonal and eventually you lose steam.
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You’ve worked with teachers, but they’re more focused on keeping you happy than giving you the tough love and real guidance you need.
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And going back to school? Let’s be honest—it's too disruptive, way too expensive, and probably not worth the hassle.
You love jazz with all your heart. You want to realize the potential you know you have.
But now, you’re stuck, unsure where to go next.
If this sounds familiar, keep reading.
Think of your jazz skills like a tree.
Jazz is a deeply individual art form, driven by creativity and spontaneity, so, just like a tree, no two players grow in exactly the same way.
That’s part of the magic.
But here’s the hard truth: most jazz education programs won’t tell you there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for how and what to practice.
It’s a built-in challenge of learning jazz.
But one thing is universal: there’s a core set of skills that supports everything else.
These core skills represent the trunk of the jazz tree.
The stronger the trunk, the bigger the tree grows.
The trunk thickens, supporting the expanding canopy of branches and leaves—just like your jazz playing.
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Now I know that all you want to be doing is crawling around in those branches. The intricate, and chaotically beautiful part of the tree.
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Beware: You can get lost, frustrated, and demoralized in the chaos of the canopy very easily if you find yourself there too early.
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In traditional jazz programs, those first two years of school should be all about thickening that trunk—skills like ear training, musicianship, and a total immersion into the jazz tradition.
But even universities mess this up.
A lot.
Outside a few top-notch schools, many students walk away with a degree in hand but a jazz tree that’s shaky, with a trunk too weak to hold up to even the smallest storm.
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Unfortunately, this is not just relegated to formal university training.
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Our world is evermore algorithm based. Which means that education doesn't meet you when you need it. Instead, it is delivered randomly. Devoid of the nuanced context of where you are in your development.
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It's far too easy to get convinced you need to be working on something that is completely irrelevant to what would move the needle for you. In the worst cases, it can actually be counterproductive and move you backward in your development.
Sound familiar?
If it does, we’re here to help.
Jazz Prep School replicates the first two years of a jazz degree, but without the red tape, the fluff, or the university bureaucracy that have the best intentions, but so often do a disservice to their students.
Just 6 months of total immersion focused on building your foundation of skills that every single jazz musicians needs.
We’re here to grow the trunk of your jazz tree, so it can withstand anything—even a category 5 hurricane.
We do this with a deep and immersive study into 3 core elements:
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01
Behavior:
Do you know all the jazz theory but still struggle to sound like a real jazz musician? You can talk about scales, modes, and progressions all day long, but when it’s time to play, something’s missing. Your solos don’t feel natural, you don't sound anything like your heroes, and you can't swing your way out of a paper bag. The truth is, understanding jazz theory is only half the battle. To play authentic, convincing jazz, you need more than knowledge—you need to embody the feel, the articulation, and the subtleties that make jazz a rich language.
You need to behave and act like a jazz musician. This can’t be faked and it comes through an intense period of total immersion in the tradition. You must change your DNA to that of an authentic jazz musician.
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Core Technique:
Is your instrument holding you back? Does it feel more like a barrier than a tool for expression? A big stupid piece of metal, wood, or ivory getting in your way? Many musicians can play scales and patterns, but few can turn those basic elements into something meaningful when they improvise. If you’re struggling to move beyond a surface-level understanding—where scales are just notes you play up and down, rather than raw material for endless creativity—you’re not alone. True mastery comes when these structures become second nature, allowing you to manipulate and transform them freely, creating melodic ideas with ease. We help you unlock the true power and creative potential hidden in the fundamentals of music. There is magic in simplicity.
"Simplicity is the most complex form" - Duke Ellington
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Ear Training:
You think of ear training as some magical alchemy, but when you sit down to do it, you have no idea where to start. The truth is, when you begin the journey of harnessing the power of your ears, it's more science than art. The beauty of this is, ANYONE can do it because it only involves dedication and consistency. We ditch the endless questioning and the thousands of ways to improve your ears and give you the most practical, straightforward, no bullshit path to creating reliable, accurate, and lightning fast ears. It's simpler than you think. The little known ear training system we use, in a short period of time, will set you up for a lifetime of empowered learning by ear.
Now, we could have turned this into a course that you’d struggle through alone in your practice room for years—frustrated and ready to give up.
But what if you didn’t have to go it alone?
Imagine going on this journey with a community of like-minded musicians, sharing in both the struggles and the triumphs together. Just when you’re ready to quit, you’ll have teachers and peers urging you on, helping you push through. With the support of a dedicated community, you’ll find that success and fulfillment are closer than you think—even when you can’t see it.
Also, and this is important, we don’t want to take over your entire practice routine from start to finish.
You should be following your interests, exploring, and deep-diving on various aspects of this music that are important to you. It’s healthy and natural. It’s also vital to development and sustainability.
If you can give us a small portion of your practice time where you simply follow the curriculum, you will experience a transformation that you never thought possible.
There’s a time to question everything and a time to swallow your pride and do things that have produced results in thousands of musicians over and over again.
The short time you spend in Jazz Prep School will provide you a springboard into a lifetime of fulfilling creative practice where the only limits are the imagination. You will be empowered to reach the highest level of improvisation if you so choose.
You only need to be totally committed and persistent for the duration of this program.
To inquire further and see if you are a good candidate for Jazz Prep School, please book a time below for a brief chat.
The first cohort will kick off on November 15th and space is limited. So if you are interested in joining, book your call today.