EDUCATION
Middle School Jazz Academy
MSJA offers tuition-free instrumental jazz instruction to New York City middle school students.
October 2024–may 2025
Middle School Jazz Academy offers tuition-free instrumental jazz instruction to New York City middle school students. Students learn how to play jazz while emphasizing the importance of teamwork, creativity and self-expression, from Jazz at Lincoln Center faculty and visiting jazz masters.
Middle School Jazz Academy (MSJA) meets weekly from October through May. There are currently 3 sites for MSJA: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and The Bronx. Students will be placed in sites according to location and the music needs for each site. The year will be capped off with a public performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room.
“JAZZ IS THE RHYTHM, THE SOUL, THE BEAT. IT EVOLVES AROUND ME. THERE’S JAZZ eVERYWHERE I GO. JAZZ IS THE MUSIC I FELL IN LOVE WITH. JAZZ IS ME.”
Each week, students attend Saturday classes including Listening and Learning with the Jazz Masters, Jazz Language, and Jazz Ensemble. The MSJA faculty is comprised of accomplished jazz musicians, deeply committed to connecting with today’s youth through innovative teaching and mentoring techniques.
Middle School Jazz Academy students and their families receive complimentary tickets to attend performances and educational events at Jazz at Lincoln Center to supplement this unique jazz immersion experience.
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How to participate
Middle School Jazz Academy seeks New York City middle school students interested in instrumental jazz instruction. Approximately sixty middle school musicians will be awarded full scholarships providing group classes throughout the school year. Students will be selected based on their interest in jazz, dedication to music, desire to work in an ensemble of their peers and an ability to commit to this rigorous jazz immersion experience. Students learn from outstanding faculty, and receive tickets to performances and educational events at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Program Goals
- Provide students with an opportunity to thrive in a supportive and challenging jazz environment
- Reach talented students who may not otherwise be able to afford quality music instruction
- Instill a love of jazz, a respect for self and an appreciation of community
- Awaken and enhance listening skills, creativity, imagination and discipline
Program Goals
- Have prior experience playing an instrument (at least one year of playing is recommended)
- Demonstrate fluency on 2-3 major scales
- Be entering grades 6, 7 or 8 for the 2024-25 school year
- Live and/or attend school in one of the five New York City boroughs
- Be willing to commit to practicing at least forty-five minutes a day and listening to jazz at least one hour a day, five days a week
- Be eager to learn more about jazz
Auditions
Auditions will be held at different locations in New York City starting in May. Applications will remain open during the summer on a rolling basis. If there are still spaces available and based on instrumentation, we will invite students who applied during the summer months in for auditions in the beginning of the academic school year.
Auditions run approximately fifteen minutes and will include the following:.
- Performance: 1) Perform one piece of the student’s choice. (It doesn’t have to be jazz.) 2) Perform one piece that will be provided by MSJA before the audition.
- Scales: Perform 2-3 major scales
- Sight Reading: Sight read a song consisting of simple rhythms and melodic ideas
- Verbal: Students should be prepared to answer the question: “What would you like to learn about jazz?”
After a round of auditions, parents/guardians and students will be contacted. Parents/guardians and students will be required to meet with MSJA faculty/staff for a community meeting before the program starts in the fall for 2024.
Full scholarships are available for the students. Accepted students are eligible to participate in the program up to 3 years. Students are required to audition every year. Instruments: saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone), trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, flute, clarinet, tuba/euphonium, violin, french horn.