Sanford Jazz Workshop summer jazz immersion programs are held on the beautiful campus of Stanford University. With classrooms, performance venues, food, and dormitories all in close proximity, SJW becomes a self-contained jazz village in which students stay focused on their jazz studies and interact easily and often with our great faculty and artists. Facilitating musical interaction between generations of jazz musicians is central to the mission of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and the excellent and safe facilities of the Braun Music Center help make this possible.
There are 3 one-week options:
Giant Steps Day Camp is for middle school students and for kids who will be entering middle school in the Fall. Giant Steps Day Camp provides a five-day long introduction to jazz styles and improvisation, and it also offers daily master classes in technique for instrumentalists and vocalists. The program begins a 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m., with optional after-camp jam sessions and activities.
Jazz Camp is for students from 12 to 17 years of age. Focused on combo performance and improvisation, the Jazz Camp curriculum provides thorough training in jazz theory, ear training, and instrumental and vocal techniques. Our Jazz Camp Package program combines the two weeks of Jazz Camp into a continuous 13-day immersion in jazz instruction.
Jazz Institute brings many of the world’s greatest jazz musicians together to form a residential community of astonishing creativity. Students study with the top jazz artists in the world during the day, and see them perform at the Stanford Jazz Festival at night. Jam sessions abound. Jazz Institute is open to musicians of all ages, 14 and up, by audition.
To help you get even more out of your summer jazz immersion time, SJW offers two-week packages for middle school and high school students:
Giant Steps Package starts with five days at Giant Steps Day Camp, where middle schools students explore the fundamentals of jazz improvisation and performance. Then, students dive deeper with six days at Jazz Camp, honing their skills through daily masterclasses, combo rehearsals, and theory classes.
Jazz Camp Package provides the perfect environment to discover and develop students' unique musical voice, and then to put in the time to solidify their knowledge and gain confidence in their developing performance skills. Over the course of 13 days in the Jazz Camp Package, students ages 12-17 make considerable progress.
Advanced Package is a unique program that balances structure with the support to explore students' creativity and interests alongside talented students from around the globe. The first week, students attend Jazz Camp, where a structured curriculum is designed to meet individual needs and skill level and provide a path for growth. In the second week, students attend Jazz Institute, where they customize their learning experience with a variety of classes focusing on improvisation, small ensemble playing, theory, musicianship, arranging, jazz history, and much more.
Location(s)
- Stanford University, Stanford, California
Schedule
- One or two weeks in July
Cost/Compensation
- Giant Steps Day Camp: $915
- Jazz Camp: $1,650 (tuition) or $2,750 (tuition, housing, meals)
- Jazz Institute: $1,725 (tuition) plus $1,100 for housing and meals (age 17 and under) or plus $795 for housing only (ages 18 and over, double occupancy and no meals).
- Giant Steps Package:
- Commuter, tuition only: $2,465
- Resident, tuition, room, and board: $3,565
- Jazz Camp Package:
- Commuter, tuition only: $3,200
- Resident, tuition, room, and board: $5,400
- Advanced Package:
- Commuter, tuition only: $3,275
- Resident, tuition, room, and board: $5,475
Eligibility Requirements
- Giant Steps Day Camp: Current middle school vocalists and instrumentalists, students entering middle school in the fall, and rising ninth graders.
- Jazz Camp: High school vocalists and instrumentalists ages 17 and under, and for current middle school students ages 12 and up who will be comfortable in a high-school environment. Students under the age of 12 are considered for the program on a case-by-case basis.
- Jazz Institute: Jazz Institute is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all ages, from 14 up, by audition only.
Deadline
- Students can register up to two weeks before the first day of the program
Application or Entry Requirements
- Students must complete an online application.
- All instrumentalists and vocalists will be asked to submit a placement recording that will be used assess level and class/ensemble placement.
- Jazz Institute participants must submit an audition recording. We listen to recordings submitted by each musician in order to place them in the combo that matches their skill level and is optimal for their development. Once you register, we’ll send you information about the audition via email, and through your SJW dashboard — please submit your audition recording as soon as possible, as we reserve placement in Jazz Institute only for those who have submitted their recordings.
Notifications of Decisions
- Rolling
Financial Aid Details
- Financial aid is available.
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
Have other questions?
Stanford University is a private research university located in Stanford, California. Founded in 1885 by former California Governor Leland Stanford, Stanford now enrolls over 17,000 students across its diverse programs and is widely regarded as one of the world's leading universities. Stanford’s seven schools - Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Business, Medicine, Law, Education, and Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences - offer leading undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university is known for an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to research, as well as its strong programs in computer science, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The campus is among the largest in the U.S. with over 8,000 acres, and is home to the Cantor Arts Center, one of the largest university art museums in the country. Prominent companies like Google, Yahoo!, Netflix, Charles Schwab, Hewlett-Packard, Nike, and Trader Joe’s were founded or co-founded by Stanford alumni, as its location in the heart of Silicon Valley has made Stanford a hub for technology innovation and venture capital investment.
