• Stanford Jazz Workshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces after-school and summer music camps focused on jazz, as well as the Stanford Jazz Festival, on the campus of Stanford University.
  • Stanford Jazz Workshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces after-school and summer music camps focused on jazz, as well as the Stanford Jazz Festival, on the campus of Stanford University.
  • Stanford Jazz Workshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces after-school and summer music camps focused on jazz, as well as the Stanford Jazz Festival, on the campus of Stanford University.
  • Stanford Jazz Workshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces after-school and summer music camps focused on jazz, as well as the Stanford Jazz Festival, on the campus of Stanford University.
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Online Programs

SJW is committed to providing the best jazz education experiences possible, whether we can meet with our students in-person or online.

Summer programs

With up to four live sessions each day with some of the greatest jazz artists, private lessons, fun live group online activities, and access to SJW’s library of on-demand jazz content, SJW Jazz Camp Online will help you get to the next level of mastery on your instrument or voice, and improve your jazz performance and improvisation.

We’re happy to announce that we’ll offer Jazz Camp Online in 2021, in two one-week sessions beginning July 11 and July 18. You can sign up for either week, or both!

And we’re very excited to announce our new summer online program for adults, SJW Jazz Institute Online. Jazz Institute Online gives you an opportunity to connect directly with some of the greatest jazz artists in the world. You’ll improve your instrumental or vocal technique, learn great repertoire, get deep into the history and culture of jazz, and become a much more confident jazz soloist.

At Jazz Institute Online, you get to choose your classes, pursue your interests, and create the perfect curriculum for yourself. Professionals, music educators, and amateurs will find just what they need to get their playing and teaching to the next level, and for adults 18 and over, no audition is required, just a recording for placement. Younger musicians who are still in high school can audition for admission, too.

You can turn either program into a special hybrid program by adding the Evening Combo Option for our In-Person Ensembles courses!

Just click on any of the tiles in the gallery at right to learn more, and to sign up.

After-school programs

Our popular after-school online programs, Giant Steps Jazz Online and Miles Ahead Jazz Online, use our exclusive virtual combo instruction that helps get middle school and high school instrumentalists to a more confident level, regardless of how much jazz experience they already have.

Giant Steps Jazz Online is for all middle school instrumentalists who have been playing at least one year.

Miles Ahead Jazz Online is for all high school instrumentalists who have been playing at least 18 months.

Miles Ahead Institute is open to high school instrumentalists by audition only. This special program focuses on learning classic jazz repertoire quickly and efficiently.

In their own words

SJW an excellent atmosphere where the kids could interact with the professionals.

We were the very fortunate recipients of generous financial aid, without which our son could not have attended. This was the first time he went to a music camp, and we are all so happy he did. Thank you!

Best experience imaginable. It far exceeded our expectations. Our daughter can’t wait for next year.

Thank you for offering this program, and helping my daughter grow in her confidence and her music abilities.

First thing he said when he got home was he wants to go back next summer and he wish he could go for two weeks next year.

SJW is an amazing and one-of-a-kind program.

SJW has inspired our girls to pursue their music through jazz bands, orchestra, pep bands, chamber groups, and musical theater. Thank you so much.

After the second day of camp, my daughter said ‘It’s getting easier.’ She described how jazz is different from classical music and how much she enjoys playing jazz with a group. And, of course, the concert on the final day was amazing!

My daughter said all the teachers are amazing, super supportive of students learning jazz for the first time.

She said it was awesome that the teachers appreciated how courageous the students were to try jazz for the first time.

The entire experience was wonderful! She had a great time learning music and making new friends. Thank you!

I wish it was longer than one week. I’d have my son in for the whole summer if possible!

Every time my son finished his rehearsal, he would tell me all about it with excitement.

I was impressed with everything from the communication, the level of professionalism, the enthusiasm, the ratio of coaches to students, the quality of the instruction, and that the students had fun and grew as musicians.

My daughter said she would never forget the performance. (Nor will I.)

I also loved the performance — the kids sounded terrific and they all looked intensely excited to be part of it.

At the end of each class, he was always upbeat and excited about all that he learned. And he said that the teachers were so nice and supportive, and that everyone just wanted to him to succeed.

The staff made all that hard work exciting and fun for the kids. I saw the last ten minutes of a couple of sessions and loved the energy, passion, and enthusiasm.

The staff had high standards for the kids, but did not make it grim. It was obvious that everyone was having fun. And, they sounded amazing!

Giant Steps had a profound impact on my daughter. It changed the way she saw herself.

She went in as a trumpet player in her middle school band and came out thinking of herself as a nascent jazz musician. Her playing and musicianship improved tremendously. Her love of playing jazz trumpet also grew.

Those 10 weeks stretched him as a musician and gave him a huge boost in confidence. He is now a freshman at Menlo-Atherton High, and he and a bunch of his friends in Intermediate Jazz Band have set up their own quintet and are working together on music selection, arrangement, rehearsals etc.

It surpassed our expectations in all respects. Thank you!

Giant Steps was a life-changing experience for my daughter. It empowered her and showed her what was possible if she challenged herself and continued to play jazz trumpet.

My favorite thing? Direct one-on-one teaching, exactly where I need to be taught and challenged in my artistic endeavors.

It’s an amazing opportunity to study from the greats, in a place where inspiration and electricity abound.

The total-immersion program of playing, listening, and learning has inspired me to continue making my own music until I can return to SJW next year.

I had no idea about the level of inspiration I would get, or the number of things it is now clear I need to work on.

This week has been an incredible learning opportunity for me as a student, and I can’t wait to apply all that I’ve learned here in my outside musical career. The level of skill and growth I attained this week is priceless. I love the Stanford Jazz Workshop.

My highlight was seeing my shy daughter perform her first public jazz solo and do an amazing job.

While here, my knowledge of theory, technique and musicianship improved immensely. I never thought I could learn what I did or do what I have achieved.

What makes the SJW community so special is that it creates an environment in which artists can readily share music and educational ideas with each other, with students, and with concert audiences. This interaction between people of different generations and backgrounds is so much of what jazz has always been about.

I wish the SJW Jazz Camp was longer than one week. I’d have my son in for the whole summer if possible!

All week I was able to interact with some of my greatest musical heroes and learn from their expertise. The master classes with Jason Moran, Joshua Redman, Mark Turner and Jeff Ballard changed the way I think about the music.

Simply put, Stanford Jazz Workshop changed my life that first summer.

When we picked our son up, he said ‘I was among giants’ and was very excited by the professional level of the musicians he met during the week.

You’ve got 200 eager kids there, and you’ve got your friends there who are also musicians. Every single year the Stanford Jazz Festival date is my favorite gig.