2025 Detroit Jazz Workshop

We're accepting applications for our July 7-11 2025 instrumental workshop (and middle school workshop) at the MSU Center in Midtown Detroit and July 21-25 2025 vocal jazz workshop at Music Hall, Downtown Detroit!

Whatever your instrument, age (10-100), and experience level, there is a place for you or your music student.

Piano-Combo slots are full for 2025. You can still play piano in 3/4 of the workshop if you want to play a secondary instrument in the 1/4 of the combo rehearsal.

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Welcome to the internet home of the Detroit Jazz Workshop. This is your opportunity to learn about and sign up to learn from the region's best jazz educators for a fun week-long experience in July.

The DJW's Instrumental Summer Jazz Week 16 for high schoolers/adults and middle schoolers will be held on Mon July 7 to Friday July 11th from 10am-3pm with daily improv, combo classes, and guest artists. The location is at the Michigan State University Building in midtown Detroit. The location is 3408 Woodward (just south of Mack Ave). There will be combo concerts immediately following the workshop; details about these to be released soon.

The DJW's Vocal Summer Jazz Week 16 will be held on Mon July 21 to Friday July 25th from 1-5pm at Music Hall Performing Arts Center (350 Madison St, Detroit). The Vocal Jazz Workshop will have its own guest artists and student-performance. This is for high schoolers to adults, but exceptions have been made in the past for middle school students with prior experience.

The DJW is instructed by some of the best musicians in the region, most being respected university instructors and all top-level professionals. The DJW services all ages, levels, and backgrounds and is open to any instrument, traditional or not. This includes vocalists. We will bring in four top guest clinicians/artists to work with the students.

Students will get an opportunity to choose their own course, taking classes/clinics in their own interest. There are four levels, (beginner, beginner/intermediate, intermediate, advanced) taught by our 10 instructors, where you can create your own schedule. We will offer students direction if they aren't sure of their level or what classes to take. Students will also join a combo.

First come, first serve for admittance to the workshop. Reserve your spot right now with a $100 Paypal payment or check with your application. No one is rejected. Applications are for us to learn where the best place is to place you. Tuition is $449 and is due on July 1st.

The accommodations at the MSU Building and Music Hall are first class. Students at MSU learn from expert faculty in modern, clean rehearsal rooms, waiting room for parents overlooking Woodward Avenue, free parking structure directly behind the center, and vending machines for snacks. Students at Music Hall will have a free, adjacent parking lot, a stage to rehearse on, and great facilities.

Students will perform for friends and family at the beginning of the following week at a jazz club, demonstrating their progress throughout the week, playing with a combo of like-experienced musicians, or as a solo vocalist backed by a rhythm section.

The Detroit Jazz Workshop has a 16 year track record as one of the Midwest's top locations for students of all ages to become better musicians, whether they are beginning in their journey, doing this for fun and getting in touch with their creativity, or if they are serious jazz players, attempting to get to the next step. Please browse our website to read testimonials below, check out our past guest artists, view photos and videos, and feel free to ask any questions be clicking on "contact".

Looking forward to working with you or your student!

Scott Gwinnell

Creator and director of the Detroit Jazz Workshop

INSTRUMENTAL DAILY SCHEDULE

@ MSU-Detroit Bldg

WHO CAN TAKE PART IN THE JAZZ WORKSHOP?

• High school students
• Middle school students
• Working professionals of any music genre
• Amateur and retired musicians
• College students
• Traditional Jazz instrumentalists (sax, trumpet...)
• Non-traditional instruments (violin, flute, etc...)
• Vocalists with jazz backgrounds or not (2026+)
• Musicians with interests in composition and arranging
• Students with no experience in jazz
• Students with much experience
• Jazz musicians interested in networking

 WHY CHOOSE THE DETROIT JAZZ WORKSHOP OVER OTHER WORKSHOPS?

• If you're in SE Michigan, it's nearby
• Its half-day schedule allows you to live your life while attending
• For local residents, no room and board costs
• MSU-Detroit building has modern facilities with smart-boards
• Drums and pianos/keyboards provided
• Location to store big instruments like basses overnight under lock and key
• Located in the heart of Detroit, where jazz history was made
• Free, secure parking
• Restaurants, coffee shops, and markets in walking distance
• Comfortable waiting room for parents who want to stay with musicians
• Largest, most experienced jazz faculty in Michigan
• Every instructor is also a jazz musician and brings real-world experience
• Top regional guest-clinicians to inspire you

We are taking enrollment applications! Visit back often for news on 2025 guest master-clinicians, schedule of classes, and other exciting news!

The Detroit Jazz Workshop has been featured on:

TESTIMONIALS:

STUDENTS, WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE Detroit Jazz Workshop?

-I enjoyed being able to talk to the faculty individually and there being enough free time for them to allow those types of one-on-ones. - Professional bassist

-Listening to really good musicians play.- High school trumpeter

-I honestly had such an amazing week.  I went to a camp at a university for saxophone last year and did not gain nearly as much knowledge there as I did in the just the first day of MDJW.  I loved the master clinic with Damani Phillips.  It was great to meet him and network a little bit. Skip Norris was fantastic also.  I also loved how we could decide which classes to go to for improv and theory because I am somewhere in the middle of advanced and intermediate-it was perfect for me to customize my own schedule.  Speaking of which, I loved Miles Brown's lectures on Free Improv-I gained so much knowledge from those sessions. Scott Gwinnell’s theory classes really helped me visualize the basics of jazz theory that I have never really been taught before.  Overall I am so happy I did this, I am so excited to use the tools I learned and become an even better jazz musician.

- College jazz studies alto saxophonist

-Meeting new friends with similar interests. - Amateur adult guitarist

-So many good vibes! Nothing but that! - High school bassist

-Talking with staff, especially Wayne State University faculty.  Motivated me to register for some classes there. - Amateur adult drummer

-The mix of ages and levels of the participants and the accessibility of the instructors.  Great variety of subject matter to choose from.

- Amateur adult electric bassist

-There is not enough space to go into all of the things I enjoyed about the workshop.  Suffice to say I had very high expectations that were exceeded ten fold!  The faculty were encouraging, helpful, extremely knowledgeable and very accessible. I was humbled by all I don't know and inspired to work harder for next summer's session. I leave the workshop reinvigorated to step outside of my comfort zone and just go for it.  Very special thanks for Delaine Gwinnell for all her incredible hard work and terrific attitude, she was the glue that held everything together. - Amateur adult electric bassist

-It was a real learning experience. - Amatuer adult pianist

-Learning chords and how they can be applied to solos.

- High school alto saxophonist

-My combo, instruction by Russ Miller, master classes.

- Amateur adult baritone saxophonist

-The incredible information that the instructors shared as well as the opportunity to listen to the musicians and to play. - Amateur adult flutist

-My teachers were fun and knew what they were doing. Jordan Schug and John Hill were great. Legitness was legit. - Middle-school guitar student

-I have to say.....what I enjoyed most was singing at Cliff Bell's.  For me, as a professional wanna be,  I feel it is an honor and a thrill not only to sing.....but to be accompanied by the finest musicians in the metro Detroit area!

- Amateur adult vocalist

-As for the overall structure of the workshop, I like the way classes were set up according to level....blue, green, red...making it easier to make the best choice for ourselves.   Also, having the option to move to another class if we feel it necessary is good. - High school pianist

-I enjoyed the instrument classes the most because it gave the most information and taught me the most about how to better play jazz throughout the week.

- Amateur adult bassist

Teaching, working with April Tini, working with the students, being around Scott and Delaine Gwinnell, and meeting such wonderful musicians.  I can't thank you enough for including me.  Needless to say I would LOVE to do it again next year!!! - Professional vocalist

-I got great exposure to jazz.  Instructors and fellow students were  consistently  helpful and supportive.  I was poorly prepared for playing my instrument at the level required,  This didn't seem to matter to anyone.  i got great tips on how to practice and become more proficient before Jazz Week VIII.  I thoroughly enjoyed interacting, musically and in conversation, with the faculty and fellow students. thanks for the experience! - Adult amateur acoustic bassist

-I'm very frugal with spending money for music education.  I could have gone 2 hours a day instead of 7 and still got my money's worth.  I look for blind spots -- areas that I never considered studying because I did not know they existed.  It is also very useful to be reminded of lessons that I've neglected from the past.

- Adult amateur electric bassist

-Being surrounded by such knowledgeable teachers who were so open about sharing info.  There was no feeling of competition or winning and losing.  We all get enough of that on the outside, so it was refreshing to have a break from it.  That said, there was still a feeling that everyone was trying to do their best, and this came as a result of the respectful encouragement of the staff.

- Professional vocalist

-I can't say enough good things about this experience. Scott and Delaine you are treasures for our Detroit music community. Thank you! - Professional harpist

-Playing with and hanging out with the other guys in my combo - High school alto saxophonist

-(I enjoyed) Playing the drum set. - High school drummer

-(I enjoyed the) Master classes. - Retired professional electric bassist

-I loved how much the vocal workshop has grown over the years. This time, we had a pretty large group and many awesome singers. We also had more time to work with the vocal instructors this year. This was very helpful in the development of each of the singers. - College vocal music student

-Meeting some really cool pros and future pros and feeling more confident playing in front of heavy players. - College jazz studies major, drummer

-Terrific program. I have enough material to practice until next year.

- Amateur adult alto saxophonist

-What I enjoyed most about the workshop was playing in the Jobim combo.

- High school drummer

-The amazing professors and musicians helping there. - High school euphonist

- (I enjoyed) Russ Miller's teaching. - Amateur adult alto saxophonist

- I enjoyed working with the vocalists every day and helping them achieve their personal goals. April Tini and Susan Tobocman were very accommodating and complimented each other well. They both have more than enough experience, but it is different from each side. Susan comes from a very performance based education, while April comes from a traditional music education background and teaching background. Susan helped students express themselves while April made sure that they could communicate well on the bandstand. These are all very valuable for singers just starting out. - College jazz studies student, vocalist

- Playing and connecting with jazz musicians from all over Michigan and the country. - High school drummer

-In general, it was really inspiring to be immersed in jazz for a week and to meet more professional musicians and fellow students. A couple highlights for me include participating in the master-class with Chris Buzzelli and the green composition class when we experimented with each other's original ideas. I also really enjoyed Russ Miller's simple structures class. I feel like there's enough for a lifetime in each one of those sessions.

- College student of another major, guitarist.