Jazz Mini-Week 2026
Four nights. Twelve classes. No experience required.
August 28 & September 1–3, 2026 · Classes at 6:00, 7:00 & 8:00 PM · Midtown Manhattan
New York Jazz Workshop teams up with New York Music Institute for four evenings of 50-minute classes taught by our faculty — from the roots of swing to free improvisation, from Miles Davis to music you can make with whatever’s in your pocket. Open to everyone, from total beginners to working musicians. Proceeds support NYMI’s free community music programming.
Get TicketsAll-Access Pass from $199 early bird · Single classes $35 · Discounts for under 26 and 65+
Two Schools, One Mission
Since 2008, New York Jazz Workshop has taught thousands of students that jazz is the foundation of all musical creativity. New York Music Institute shares that belief — and takes it one step further, offering free programming so that no one is priced out of making music, including a free weekly improvisation class led by the great saxophonist Patience Higgins.
Jazz Mini-Week is our first joint production. NYJW brings the faculty and the classroom; NYMI brings the mission. Every ticket sold helps keep NYMI’s free classes running for another season.
New York Music Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Proceeds from Jazz Mini-Week support its free community programming.
Every class is 50 minutes and open to all levels — many require no instrument at all. Come for one class, pick any three, or grab the All-Access Pass and live here for the week. Your ticket arrives by email with a QR code; show it at the door and you’re in.
The Schedule
Friday, August 28 “Roots & First Notes”
6:00 PMFrom Africa to New York: The Lineage of Jazz Rhythm
Scott Latzky
Where does swing come from? Find out with your whole body. Through African percussion, clapping, singing, dance, and the jazz drum set, this hands-on class traces the roots of swing, syncopation, and polyrhythm — and puts them in your hands and feet. No instrument or experience needed.
All levels · Highly participatory · No instrument required7:00 PMNo Wrong Notes: Music Improvisation for Everyone
Kyoko Kitamura
Ever wondered what it feels like to play freely with other people — no rules, no wrong notes? Brooklyn-based vocalist and composer Kyoko Kitamura leads a welcoming session of collective improvisation: breathing and rhythm games, graphic scores made of drawings and symbols instead of sheet music, and group creation where everyone is both player and composer. Bring an instrument or just bring yourself.
All levels · No instrument required · Preview of Kyoko’s weekly fall class8:00 PMCivil Disobedience: Protest Jazz of the Late-’60s Blue Note Era
David Ambrosio
In the late 1960s, Black jazz composers created a remarkable body of instrumental protest music — much of it released years late and never given its due. Bassist and bandleader David Ambrosio, whose project Civil Disobedience is bringing this repertoire back to the stage, guides a listening journey through the music that spoke to the civil rights era — and speaks just as urgently today.
All levels · Listening + discussion · Musicians and non-musicians welcome Tuesday, September 1 “Jazz Speaks”
6:00 PMThe Social Mind of Jazz: Music, Psychology and Human Interaction
Andrea Veneziani
Jazz improvisation is a social act as much as a musical one. Drawing on psychology and sociology, bassist Andrea Veneziani explores how musicians communicate, build trust, make split-second decisions, and reach flow states together — and what a jazz ensemble can teach any team about leadership and collaboration. No musical background needed.
All levels · Listening + discussion7:00 PMFree Jazz Unlocked with Kenny Wessel
Kenny Wessel
Guitarist Kenny Wessel, longtime member of Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time band, demystifies free jazz in this 50-minute class: improvising beyond chord changes, deep listening, and finding groove in freedom. Open to all instruments and levels.
All levels · All instruments · Bring your instrument8:00 PMImprov for Classical Musicians
Alyssa Chetrick
Trained to read every note on the page — and terrified to leave it? This class is for you. A hands-on, accessible introduction to improvisation for players coming from classical repertoire, ending with a friendly jam session open to every level. Leave your fear (but not your instrument) at home.
All levels · Bring your instrument · Ends with a jam Wednesday, September 2 “The Improviser’s Mind”
6:00 PMEveryday Objects Improv Lab
Michelle Walker
Grab whatever’s in your bag or pocket — keys, a water bottle, a notebook — and become the rhythm section. Guided over a 12-bar blues, groups trade solos, play call and response, and learn the unspoken language of a jam session. No instrument required, no experience needed, maximum fun guaranteed.
All levels · Highly participatory · No instrument required7:00 PMWrite a Tune in 50 Minutes
David Scott
Can you write a song in under an hour? Yes — and you will. Trumpeter David Scott walks the room through a real-time composition challenge: a simple structure, a spark of an idea, and the clock ticking. By the end of class, the room performs what it wrote.
All levels · Creative + performance8:00 PMHot Topics in Jazz: Oral Tradition vs. Academia (Panel)
Michelle Walker, Marc Mommaas, Patience Higgins
Jazz was born on bandstands and passed down ear to ear — so what happens when it moves into the conservatory? Three veteran musician-educators tackle one of the field’s liveliest debates: what’s gained and what’s lost when an oral tradition becomes an academic discipline. Bring your questions; this panel is designed to spark arguments, not settle them.
All levels · Panel + audience Q&A Thursday, September 3 “Closing Night”
6:00 PMFree Improvisation and the Composition Techniques of Yusef Lateef, Archie Shepp and Pat Martino
Charlie A’Picella, with special guest Daniel Carter
A rare evening with living history. Guitarist Charlie A’Picella — lecturer and curator for the Yusef Lateef Estate, and a student of Lateef, Shepp, and Martino — is joined by legendary multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter to explore where free improvisation meets the compositional minds of three masters. Part masterclass, part performance, entirely unrepeatable.
All levels · Listening, discussion + live demonstration7:00 PMThe Genius of Miles’ Storytelling
Vito Lesczak
What made Miles Davis the greatest storyteller in jazz? Note by note, silence by silence, this class dives into how Miles built solos that speak — and what every musician (and listener) can steal from him.
All levels · Listening + discussion8:00 PMAlternative Creative Improvisation: Everyone Can Improvise on Any Piece of Music
Ole Mathisen
Everyone can improvise — on anything. Saxophonist Ole Mathisen, founder of Columbia University’s Hybrid Arts Ensemble, shares techniques far outside the traditional jazz approach: limiting pitches to unlock rhythm, limiting rhythm to unlock melody, textural free improvisation, twelve-tone games, and the art of trusting your instincts more than your ears. The perfect send-off: leave the week believing you can play.
All levels · All instruments · Hands-onTickets
Best value
All-Access Pass
$199early bird · $249 after
~$17 per class — all twelve Every class, every night — the full Mini-Week experience.
Get TicketsUnder 26 or over 65? Take 20% off any ticket — select your discount at checkout. Please bring ID to the door.
Want to do more? Add a donation to New York Music Institute at checkout — every dollar goes directly to free community music programming.
All classes take place in Midtown Manhattan — the exact address is on your ticket. Tickets are delivered by email with a QR code.
FAQ
Do I need to play an instrument?
No. Several classes require no instrument at all, and every class welcomes listeners and total beginners. Where an instrument helps, it’s noted on the class description — bring whatever you play.
What level are the classes?
All of them are designed for a mixed room, from someone who has never played a note to working professionals. Teachers adapt on the spot; that’s kind of their whole thing.
I’m not a student at NYJW or NYMI. Can I come?
Absolutely — Jazz Mini-Week is open to the public. It’s a great way to meet both schools.
How do the 3-Class Pack and All-Access Pass work?
The 3-Class Pack lets you pick any three classes — you choose them at checkout. The All-Access Pass covers every class across all four nights. Both arrive as QR tickets by email.
How do the under-26 / 65+ discounts work?
Select the discount at checkout — no documents needed to purchase, but please bring ID to the door.
Where does the money go?
Jazz Mini-Week is produced jointly by New York Jazz Workshop and New York Music Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Proceeds support NYMI’s free community programming, including its free weekly improvisation class.
Four nights that might change how you hear everything.
Grab a single class, pick your three, or go all in. Either way — bring your curiosity.
Press & partnership inquiries: Erin Rabitcheff · erin@newyorkjazzworkshop.com · (646) 321-1574