Not all summer programs are created equal. We want you to choose carefully, and we are here to help, as NYJA® may be just right for you. The NYJA® Summer Jazz Intensives offers an entirely comprehensive and fulfilling summer music experience, for both teens and adults. What helps set the program apart?:

• Unparalleled intimacy. This is an absolute rarity among programs, and it is a cornerstone of NYJA® programming, with student-teacher ratios at 1:1 for select studies throughout your week.
• Preparation for what lies ahead. We at NYJA® take great pride in preparing students for what lies ahead, whether you’re a teen looking to prepare for high school or college auditions, or an adult looking to take your playing to the next level.
• Transparent placement. NYJA® makes assessments and curates class placements according to level. Of utmost importance is that any instrumentalist or vocalist who studies with NYJA®, whether a youngster, teen, or adult, finds a place within our program that resonates deeply.
• Community. NYJA® is the largest jazz school in NYC, and our online student body consists of 1,000+ students in 70+ countries. You’ll find your people here (Read NYJA® musicians’ stories and testimonials).
• NYJA® sees results. Heavily-researched and curated theory and harmony classes see results, and students see measurable growth, even after only a week with NYJA® programs.
• Better teaching. This cannot be overlooked. The care and research that is in place at NYJA® far exceeds most programs worldwide. NYJA® faculty and staff work daily, year-round, clocking thousands of hours of research, developing resonant methods of teaching students of different learning styles, with an emphasis on scaffolding within a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. In a world where summer jazz camps tend to be thrown together without actual curricular development at all, this distinction is of immense importance.
• Beginners develop. New York Jazz Academy®’s research and development has led to great innovations that target and help beginner students in jazz. For anyone new to jazz or wary of finding the right spot for developing core fundamentals in jazz styles and improvisations, NYJA® may be just right.
• Advancing musicians thrive. Thanks to the mentorship and mastery among NYJA® faculty, advancing musicians routinely find their place here, as they work toward going to the next level, whether in pursuit of professional development or simply with the goal of improving while having fun.
• Dedicated curricula for vocalists and instrumentalists. While some goals overlap, vocalists attending NYJA® naturally also have some different needs than instrumentalists. Every effort is made to provide a singular experience for each musician here.
• Nurturing and oversight. Teachers are trained and work on year-round professional development within NYJA®.
• Diversity. NYJA® sees students from all over the U.S. and the world, of diverse backgrounds and ages. Teens find their community here, as do adults. In addition, the ratio of male to female at NYJA® has “broken the mold,” sometimes seeing even more females than males in a world where jazz tends to be, to this day, an “old boys’ club.”
• Year-round support and advising/mentoring that extends well beyond the week(s) that a student attends the NYJA® Summer Jazz Intensives program.
• Partnerships and collaborations with prestigious university programs, including Ivy League schools (Columbia University, Amherst College), local schools (CUNY), and liberal arts schools across the US (Lawrence University and Oberlin College).
• Sponsorships and endorsements from major US brands, including Yamaha, Sabian, Vic Firth, and RS Berkeley
• Venue performances have included Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz Club, Club Bonafide, NYC Parks Department, and many others.
• Cultural collaborations have included PBS Television, Smithsonian Institute, NYC Office of the Mayor, US Dept. of State, Save the Children, DreamYard, Experience Ayiti.
• There’s only one original. NYJA® was the first program in the U.S. to offer a “Jazz Intensive,” and it remains the only program that offers a true “intensive.” Other programs that use the term are confusing it with “summer jazz camp.”
• NYJA® is official. New York Jazz Academy® is also the only jazz school in all of New York City to be recognized and approved by the New York State Department of Education.
• NYJA® is recognized. New York Jazz Academy® is the only music school in all of New York City to receive a full name trademark from the US Government Patent Office. This matters, as the trademark is earned in part by being the most recognized in the field.
• NYJA® is celebrated. New York Jazz Academy® is the only jazz school in all of New York City to be featured on “NBC Nightly News,” “Today in New York,” in DownBeat Magazine, the New York Times, and much more.
• Strong alumni network. NYJA® alumni have gone on to develop strong careers, attend prestigious schools (Berklee, NEC, SUNY Purchase, Indiana University, Columbia University, etc.) and win international prizes (American Idol finalists, The Voice finalists, The X-Factor finalists, Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition winner, Great American Piano Competition winner, International Trumpet Guild finalist, several DownBeat Magazine student must award winners, etc.).
• Years of experience. While many schools scrambled to pivot to online teaching, New York Jazz Academy® had already been at the forefront of online jazz studies, with over 12 years experience as a world-wide leader in online music classes, via NYJA® Online.
• Proprietary technology. Students benefit from our proprietary technology, giving each musician a rich experience via NYJA® Online, all of which helps seamlessly integrate materials, student/teacher interaction, assessment, and performance recording.
• More fun! Relationships and friendships forged at NYJA® can last a lifetime, whether it be with fellow students or teachers and staff. The sense of camaraderie and support at NYJA® is inspiring and significant–in the classroom, on the bandstand, and at social events.