2012 Vail Jazz Workshop Students

The Vail Jazz Workshop in 2013 will celebrate its 18th year.  It is the preeminent jazz program for high school jazz musicians in the United States. Each year, 12 aspiring young jazz musicians are brought to Vail for a ten day residency where they are taught and mentored by a teaching staff lead by John Clayton, noted jazz musician and educator, along with Jeff Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Lewis Nash, Terell Stafford, and Wycliffe Gordon.

Working up to 12 hours a day without written music, the students receive professional level instruction and a one-of-a-kind experience that has launched many successful music careers.  The competition to gain a spot at each year’s Workshop is fierce and those talented (and lucky enough) to be selected are provided full or partial scholarships by the Vail Jazz Foundation.

By the end of this intense program in Vail, these young musicians are billed as the “Vail Jazz All Stars” and perform for the opening night on Thursday for the Labor Weekend Jazz Party playing alongside their instructors.

In its 18th year, the Vail Jazz Workshop has graduated  over 200 young jazz musicians since 1996.  Numerous successful jazz careers have been launched from the Workshop.

"The Vail Jazz Workshop is a priceless opportunity. No where else can you make music with such a talented and diligent bunch of fellow musicians and work one on one with a faculty like there is at Vail. The student/faculty ratio is literally 2 to 1... no other workshop offers this amount of contact. From Robert Glasper, to Gerald Clayton, to Christian Scott, Joe Sanders, Jamire Williams, Sullivan Fortner, and Tia Fuller... many of the great young names in jazz got their start in Vail."  - Vail Jazz Workshop's Bill Cunliffe, piano instructor for 18 years.

NOMINATION PROCESS

A student may not apply to the Workshop, but only music teachers, band directors and other qualified music professionals (Music Professionals) may nominate a student. We ask Music Professionals to please only nominate a student who is qualified musically and/or would be able to deal with a very intense and demanding program. A Music Professional may make multiple nominations but in all probability no more than one student will be selected from any school program.

The Workshop covers jazz theory, group lessons, private lessons, jazz improvisational work, ensemble participation, and multiple performance opportunities and is open to high school students only (determined as of May of the calendar year of the Workshop) whose primary instruments are PIANO, BASS, DRUMS, TRUMPET, SAXOPHONE AND TROMBONE. Unfortunately the Workshop does not admit students whose primary instrument is any other instrument. Instructors include John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Terell Stafford, Lewis Nash and Wycliffe Gordon.

Due to the fact that the Workshop ends on Labor Day of each year, a student's school may be in session at the time of the Workshop (this is especially problematic for students on their way to college) and therefore consideration must be given to whether the student will be given permission and/or is willing to be absent from school.The dates of this year's Workshop are Saturday, August 24 - Monday, September 2, 2013.

All nominations should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The information required to nominate a student is set forth in the nomination form.

Nominations are due by April 15th and final selections are made by June 14th.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR NOMINATIONS

For a student to be considered for admission to the Vail Jazz Workshop, he/she must be nominated by a music professional. Students nominated by a music professional should not be advised that he/she is being considered. After receipt of a completed nomination form, the VJF will contact the Music Professional to discuss in more detail whether the student is qualified for consideration for a place at the next Workshop. Assuming that the student is deemed qualified he/she and his/her parents will be contacted by the VJF to discuss in more detail the potential opportunity for participating in the Workshop. There can be no assurance that a student will be accepted to the Workshop if he/she is nominated or is contacted by the VJF to discuss the opportunity to participate in the Workshop.

The Vail Jazz Foundation's goal is to assist dedicated young musicians realize their full potential. Vail Jazz Foundation provides financial assistance (up to a full scholarship) to a student, determined based upon the student’s household income, in order to assist him/her to attend the Workshop. In return, the Vail Jazz Foundation expects each student to pay back his/her "debt" by giving back to his/her community. Any student nominated should have demonstrated a commitment to these ideals, as well as a level of maturity that establishes beyond a doubt that he/she is worthy of a admission to this very special program (without regard to economic need).

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