The Application Process

The Summer Jazz Colony is a one-week, full scholarship, intensive educational program in jazz performance for a very limited number of exceptionally talented students have just completed their freshman, sophomore, or junior years in high school and come from throughout the United States and beyond. The Colonists study with Brubeck Institute faculty and guest artists and clinicians in individual lessons, master classes, rehearsals, and seminars, culminating in a final concert.

Each applicant for the Summer Jazz Colony must submit the following:

- A completed application form
- A color picture of yourself
- Two letters of recommendation
- A resume, including a list of your performance experience

- For instrumentalists, a recording, not to exceed 30 minutes in length, that includes the following:
     1. A medium-tempo blues
     2. An up-tempo rhythm changes tune
     3. A Latin, rock, or funk tune
     4. A ballad
     5. Any other tune of your choice (standard, contemporary tune, original, etc.)

- For vocalists, a recording, not to exceed 30 minutes in length, that includes the following:

     1. A swing tune, including a second chorus of improvisation with either lyrics or scatting
     2. A Latin tune
     3. A ballad
     4. A blues
     5. A bebop head, sung without lyrics and must include a chorus of scatting. Suggested tunes include: Billie's Bounce, Scrapple from the Apple, Confirmation, Oleo, Anthropology, Lady Bird, Ornithology, A Night in Tunisia

The applicant's performance must be accompanied by a rhythm section or a play-along recording, or both. The recording will be judged on sound, intonation, time-feel, jazz vocabulary, artistry, and overall musicianship. The judges will have no knowledge of who is playing.

Application Form

Click here to download the Summer Jazz Colony application form

Application Deadline for 2010 SJC

The deadline for receipt of all application materials is Friday, April 2, 2010. Applicants will be notified of the results no later than May 7, 2010. Send all materials to:

The Brubeck Institute
Summer Jazz Colony
University of the Pacific
3601 Pacific Avenue Stockton, CA 95211

2010 Summer Jazz Colony
The 2010 Summer Jazz Colony will be held August 8-14, 2010, on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Colonists will travel to the University on Saturday, August 7 and will leave on Sunday, August 15. The instrumentation for the Colony will include the following:

3 pianists
3 bassists
3 drummers
3 saxophonists
3 brass instruments (trumpets and/or trombones)
3 vocalists
1 guitarist

This instrumentation is designed to create three instrumental combos, which will also have the opportunity to work with the vocalists. The vocalists will also work as a group and individually throughout the week with a professional rhythm section.