Programs
Colorado Jazz Ambassadors
Programs
We design our classes to nurture talent, explore excellence, and ignite passion.
The Colorado Jazz Ambassadors is a supplementary program to a student’s school band. All CJA members must be enrolled in their school band program (homeschool students excepted), and we expect our students to keep their commitments to school-sponsored music activities.
Intermediate / Middle School Band
August – May
Students will experience the joy and challenge of playing original arrangements from Count Basie and Duke Ellington, along with more modern jazz standards that speak to young people.
Class sessions will focus on musicality — rhythm, dynamics, articulation — and also on teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking.
Intermediate sectionals will be led by select students from the advanced band, giving younger musicians the chance to learn from (and be inspired by) their older peers.
Sessions encompass 35 weeks during the school year.
See our tuition page for pricing.
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Saturdays
11:00am-11:50 – Sectionals / Improvization
12:00pm-12:50 – Big Band Rehearsal
advanced / high school band
August – May
Students will be challenged by original arrangements from the likes of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Benny Carter, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and many others of jazz’s greatest composers and arrangers.
Denver-area professional musicians will help students learn the language of jazz, phrasing, improvising, and sight reading, all while reinforcing the important concepts of teamwork and leadership that make jazz great.
Smaller combo rehearsals will include practical applications of theory and harmony while exposing students to standard jazz tunes from the American reportoire.
Auditions may be required.
Sessions encompass 35 weeks during the school year.
See our tuition page for pricing.
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Saturdays
1:00pm-1:50 – Combo
2:00-2:50 – Sectionals / Improvization
3:00-4:30 – Big Band Rehearsal
Summer Camp
June-July
Our six-week summer program welcomes all student musicians under the age of 21. The youngest musicians will interact and learn from their more seasoned peers. We play charts that challenge our youngsters and delight the more advanced musicians.
THE SUMMER CAMP WILL CULMINATE WITH AN OUT-OF-STATE TRIP TO IMMERSE OUR PARTICIPANTS IN THE CULTURE OF JAZZ MUSIC. In past years, programs led by Mr. Tidaback have traveled to New Orleans, New York City, Las Vegas, Disneyland, Europe, and peformed on cruises out of Southern California.
The summer camp meets twice per week, with a high-intensity focus on improvisational techniques, excellence in sectional playing, and large-band balance. Local professional musicians will supplement all rehearsals.
See our tuition page for pricing.
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Wednesdays
5:30pm-7:00pm – Intermediate Band
7:00-8:30 – Advanced Band
Saturdays
12:00pm-2:00pm – Intermediate Band
2:00pm-4:00pm – Advanced Band
Inspiring Growth Through Jazz Performance
“Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.” -Ornette Coleman
Formal Performances
The Colorado Jazz Ambassadors will perform at least two concerts per semester in varying locations across the Denver metro area. Past performances have occurred in local high schools, jazz clubs, and outdoor venues.
Jam Sessions
Students of all ages are invited to sit in on CJA-sponsored jam sessions at local Denver music clubs, allowing students the opportunity to perform with local professionals and experience jazz in its truest form.
Jazz Festivals
Our students will travel to at least one regional jazz festival each session, with an opportunity to interact with other high school programs from around the country. Mr. Tidaback’s bands have joined festivals in New York City, Las Vegas, Arizona, Colorado, and across Europe.
