California Jazz Conservatory
For Music Study and Performance
About Me
The California Jazz Conservatory is a private music school in Berkeley, California. It is the only
independent music conservatory in the United States devoted solely to jazz and related styles of
music.
Located in the Downtown Berkeley Arts District, the California Jazz Conservatory offers
Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Jazz Studies. The Conservatory also offers
community education classes and workshops for instrumentalists and vocalists and precollege
youth programs for beginning, intermediate and advanced musicians.
A multifaceted institution, the CJC comprises several key
components:
CALIFORNIA JAZZ CONSERVATORY
The California Jazz Conservatory offers degree programs taught by artists-educators who share a
proven track record of success in transforming musicians into artists. With a small student body by
design, CJC offers maximum individual attention at a competitively priced, realistic and affordable
level of tuition.
The CJC offers three degree programs:
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies
Master of Music in Jazz Studies: A Master’s Degree for the 21st Century Jazz Composer-Performer
Associate of Arts in Jazz Studies
JAZZSCHOOL AT CJC - COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
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 addition of
online instruction – far beyond, with musicians joining us from throughout the U. S. and abroad.
Jazzschool Adult Program
Classes
The Jazzschool offers weekly classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced instrumentalists
and vocalists. Learn a new instrument or focus on more advanced topics, from jazz style and
harmony to composition, improvisation, and more.
Jazzschool Instrumental Classes provide instruction on specific instruments, including saxophone,
trumpet, trombone, strings, piano/keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion. We also offer a
wide range of theory, improvisation, composition, and arranging classes.
Jazzschool Vocal Classes allow singers to work on style, technique, musicianship, recording
techniques, and more. We offer jazz, Latin, blues, R&B, and pop performance classes.
Jazzschool History and Listening Classes provide a forum for guided listening to essential
recordings, viewing 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 Performance Ensembles meet in person at the Jazzschool. We offer ensembles in
various styles, from jazz and blues to Brazilian and funk, for students at all levels. Ensembles
perform in the Jazzschool Student Performance Series at the CJC at the end of each quarter.
Workshops
The Jazzschool offers a variety of workshops throughout the year, available in single sessions or as
a short series. Workshops are taught by core faculty members and visiting artists, covering a wide
range of topics.
Young Musicians Program
The Jazzschool Young Musicians Program offers small and large ensemble classes for beginning,
intermediate and advanced middle and high school instrumentalists and vocalists.
Camps and Intensives
We offer camps and intensives in the Spring and Summer in one and two-week sessions for adult
and youth instrumentalists and vocalists at various levels.
CONCERTS
The CJC facility includes an intimate venue with seating capacity of 100. Throughout the
year, Jazzschool faculty and students perform for the public, providing a real-world
incubator for developing new concepts and gaining audience exposure in the competitive
Bay Area environment. High-profile artists have performed at the Jazzschool, including
Terence Blanchard, Art Lande, Kim Nalley, Taylor Eigsti, Sachal Vasandani and many more.
