Birch Creek Summer Music Academy

Big Band Jazz

Jazz I Session

July 13 – 26, 2025 | Tuition: $2,400

Jazz II Session

July 27 – August 9, 2025 | Tuition: $2,400

Two-week sessions for students entering grade seven through graduating grade 12. Tuition includes room and board.
Need-based and merit scholarships are available.

Registration is open.

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The Jazz Program offers students a learning experience at levels of jazz performance unique to Birch Creek. Our program provides an effective combination of experiences to master the fundamentals of jazz while establishing professional attributes. This includes expert instruction during the day and the opportunity to hear world-class music faculty perform in the Birch Creek Jazz Orchestra at night.hearing instructors perform in the Birch Creek Jazz Orchestra at night. The only difference between Jazz I and Jazz II are the dates and the faculty. Jeff Campbell is the Program Director for both Jazz sessions.

Areas of Study

Instrumental Technique Classes are given by master teachers three times per week and cover the fundamentals of effective playing skills and efficient practice.

Jazz Combo Classes cover music theory and improvisation skills, basic to advanced, in a performance-based ensemble.

Large Ensembles Student Big Bands are directed by outstanding professional educators. Ensembles rehearse daily and perform regularly during the evening concerts.

Ambassador Combo Made up of advanced students and serves as Birch Creek’s liaison to the community. “The Ambassadors” perform widely throughout Door County and are featured on many campus concerts. Audition required.

Seminars and Business Workshops Role-playing experiences in different aspects of the music business.

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50th Season Jazz II Guest Artist

Harold Jones | Woodacre, CA

Harold Jones is an American traditional pop and jazz drummer, best known for his work with Tony Bennett and his five-year tenure with the Count Basie Orchestra. Over a six-decade career, he has toured and recorded with legends like Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and Ray Charles, performing with major symphony orchestras worldwide. Born in Richmond, Indiana, Jones honed his craft early, performing with Wes Montgomery in high school and studying at the American Conservatory of Music. He joined Count Basie's orchestra in 1967, recording 15 albums and appearing in Blazing Saddles. After Basie, he toured with Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Natalie Cole, playing on Unforgettable... with Love. In 2004, Jones became Tony Bennett's drummer, staying until Bennett’s 2021 retirement. A 2013 Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame inductee, Jones is celebrated as one of the best big-band drummers, earning praise from critics, peers, and Basie himself.