A bit about us. At Seattle JazzED we welcome students in grades 4-12 at all levels. You can play or sing in an ensemble, take a one-day workshop, spend a week in the summer honing skills…or all three!

You may already know Seattle JazzED from some of our one-of-a-kind programs: The New Works Ensemble directed by composer Wayne Horvitz; or the Femme Ellington Project, Seattle's premier all-city girls' jazz band; or maybe Summer Jazz Ambassadors, a tour-de-force ensemble with training in performance skills and mentoring.

Or maybe you’ve never heard of us until now. That’s cool too!

Here’s what you need to know: Any student can start their instrumental or vocal music education at Seattle JazzED and continue through high school graduation. We’ll take you the whole way.

Do you already play music, or sing, and have for years? We’ve got plenty of opportunities for you too.

If you need help figuring out where you fit in, contact us. We’d love to help you.

P.S. Don’t let cost keep you from participating. At Seattle JazzED you always choose your tuition level. Flexible payment plans and full tuition waivers are also available, no questions asked. We’re able to offer sliding scale prices because our community of families pay what they can and our community of donors give what they can.

You might be wondering: Why should I play jazz?

Good question! So glad you asked. We love jazz* because it’s a quintessential Black American art form shared across America and the world.

What’s more, in jazz you get to improvise and interpret music. It’s a powerful way to express yourself! With jazz you collaborate with your bandmates—you are responsible to each other and the performance you’re working toward. Because jazz is an improvisational music, you get comfortable with taking some creative risks and trying out new ideas. Jazz requires you to get curious, focus in and listen closely to your peers (and they’ll do the same for you.)

[For more on ‘Why Jazz’, watch the video with Wynton Marsalis above. IT’S GOOD.]

Plus we have a lot of jazz history here! As a JazzED student you’re in league with Seattle’s rich jazz tradition, which stretches from Seattle’s early Jackson Street jazz scene with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Ernestine Anderson, to the smooth jazz of Kenny G, through to the improvisational jazz of Wayne Horvitz, Bill Frisell, and Industrial Revelation. You can be part of this legacy. We’d love to have you.

*While we are super into jazz and it’s even in our name, it’s not 100% straight-up jazz here. Depending on the ensemble or program, you may sing a gospel song, prepare a new composition written last week, play funk music, hone your drumline skills or solo in a Latin combo.

We stand with Black Lives Matter

Seattle JazzED was founded to teach jazz, a Black American art form born out of Black resistance to systemic oppression and exclusion. Jazz calls us to not only speak up when injustice is committed, but to actively work on behalf of a better tomorrow. We share in the collective and individual pain and devastation of Black Americans murdered by police officers and fellow citizens. ⁠
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Seattle JazzED stands with Black Lives Matter and all other people and organizations protesting and working to end the racist treatment of Black people in our country. ⁠We recognize that this fight cannot rest only on the shoulders of the Black community. This work must be done by every person who believes in human rights.

Our mission

Through jazz education that liberates and inspires, Seattle JazzED increases access in the music room, celebrates student expression and builds lasting connection rooted in community.

Our promise to you…

Excellence in Education

Expect an excellent music education with a comprehensive curriculum taught by dedicated, professional instructors. 

An Open Door

You can get the tools you need to learn and grow at JazzED. Sliding scale tuition, as well as a free loaned instrument, is always available.  

A Musical Home

JazzED students work, learn, and grow together building a musical community reflecting the gender, racial, and economic diversity of the greater Seattle area. 

Commitment to the Whole Person

Jazz music teaches a lot more than the notes on the page! You'll learn focus, teamwork, and gain confidence from taking creative risks. 

We’re committed to equality.

Seattle JazzED believes that achievement of our core mission - to empower ALL students with exceptional music education - requires an organization-wide commitment to dismantle systemic racism, sexism and economic inequality by keeping issues of equity centered in our work. We will strive to understand, support and reflect the communities that we serve.

We are committed to teaching students as they come to us. We continuously engage in professional development to better serve our students.