education
Vail Jazz Education
Vail Jazz Workshop
A dozen of the country’s most dedicated, gifted, and promising high school jazz musicians participate in the 10-day Workshop.
Jazz Goes to School
Jazz education for 4th and 5th graders from top jazz musicians/educators. Celebrating 26 years!
Jammin' Jazz Kids
Free, fun-filled music programming for ages 4-8 at Vail Valley public libraries.
“To meet teachers that were friendly, open minded and dedicated to the jazz lineage, inviting me to look them up when I got older – that doesn’t just happen for young musicians.”
Lakecia Benjamin
class of 1999
“We picked the repertoire for our groups and we did the arrangements together. I liked that it was very much a group decision and a group effort.”
Katie Thiroux
class of 2005
“What made me want to come to Vail was when I first heard Lewis Nash. I totally fell in love with his drumming. A teacher of mine was friends with Nash, and I heard them discussing me: ‘How can we get him to Vail?’”
Evan Sherman
class of 2009
Perpetuating Jazz with a Focus on Young Musicians
300+
workshop alumni
1000+
VJGTS students annually
26
years and counting
100+
alum Grammy nominations
What Sets VJ Education Apart
Who we are.
We cherish the bonds of community between musicians, workshop alumni, staff, and audiences. We take pride in bringing the rich, cultural heritage of jazz to the forefront of the community.
What we do.
The Workshop and Vail Jazz Goes to School (VGTS) provide music curriculum that bridges the gap between art and history. Our instructors double as storytellers that teach the importance of landmark moments our nation has risen up from and how we have overcome adversity through art as a powerful tool of expression.
Where we're headed.
The goal of VJGTS is to expand the program to include more students across the state and to deliver a live performance finale to 4th and 5th graders that complete the curriculum. Either in-person or virtually.
Looking to advance your jazz education?
Then you’ve come to the right spot!
We’ve put together a list of professional Vail Valley musicians and teachers that are taking on students of all ages in the following disciplines:
- Bass, Clarinet, Drums, Flute, Guitar, Piano, Saxophone, Recording, Trumpet, Ukulele, Viola, Violin, Voice
Click on the link below to download our Vail Valley Music Instructor List.
If you would like to be included on this list, please email donna@vailjazz.org
