The tuition fee is $1950, the same as in 2024 & 2025. In addition to this, you will need to budget for accommodation and meals.

For the 2026 course, students will need to source their own accommodation. We will be happy to facilitate sharing where possible,

Below is a list of the accommodation nearby that the University has given us.

• The George Hotel https://www.georgehotelballarat.com.au (recommended)
• The Provincial Hotel https://theprovincialballarat.com.au/
• Quest  (Dawson St) https://www.questapartments.com.au/properties/vic/ballarat/quest-ballarat
• Seymours on Lydiard https://www.seymoursonlydiard.com.au/
• Heritage on Lydiard https://www.heritageonlydiard.com.au/

You will need to bring your instrument with you unless you are a pianist or drummer (drummers to bring cymbals). There are good pianos and drum kits. You’re welcome to bring your drum kit if you’d like.

PA systems will be provided for singing classes and evening concerts. You should bring your own amplification. If you are unable to, please don’t hesitate to contact us. The summer school will try to provide small amplifiers for bass, guitar, and vocals where possible. Singers must bring a mic, lead and vocal amp.

Yes please.

It will be helpful to bring fake books and manuscript papers.

Singers will also find it helpful to bring parts for songs which are not in fake book keys. Ideally this should be a lead sheet, but could be a chord chart, written out for trumpet and saxophone as well as the regular key.

 Sadly not… individual lessons, although there are group tutorials. Our tutors are exceptionally experienced and will provide instrument-specific advice. There will also be frequent reference to individualised practice strategies and input regarding follow-up work after the course including recommendations to good 1:1 tuition throughout Australia and many other countries. You will have a lot of fun but we also take the educational aspect of summer school very seriously!

Of course, jazz newbies are welcome! The course is immensely supportive and our very experienced team will assist you with plenty of ways to get going and acquire some confidence. However, please be mindful that you will need some instrumental technique and you will need to know and play your major and minor scales – this plus a sense of adventure and enthusiasm! It will be hard to enjoy the course if you are an absolute beginner on your instrument. If in doubt, we advise that you discuss this with your 1:1 teacher at home, or write to the Australia jazz school directly.

Of course. Although the summer school is very much a community and welcomes all, we recognise that every student has their own individual needs and hopes. We plan carefully to stimulate and stretch everyone including more experienced folk (we really do).

Yes!!

Of course. The course is exceptionally welcoming and inclusive.

We have our own Jazz Club and pretty much everyone will play every day in some format or other. On the last night we have a wonderful public concert as the culmination of the course.

You will be required to confirm your own accommodation and eating arrangements.

We will be recommending local accommodation. The George Hotel.

Jazz Newbie
You’re new/newish to jazz but love hearing it and may have gone to some gigs
(you might already be experienced as a musician in another genre).
You can play major scales, and keep time but improvisation feels unfamiliar.
You can play a chromatic scale over 2 octaves on your instrument.
You want supportive guidance and space to build confidence in fundamentals
like jazz rhythm and simple jazz chord progressions.
Vocalists can sing a few well known standards in a couple of popular instrumental keys.
You want to have a lot of fun!

Beginner-ish/experienced beginner
You love jazz and may have gone to some gigs.
You can play most major scales and some minor scales.
You can play blues scale in a few keys.
You can play some simple jazz tunes,
You can play a chromatic scale over 2 octaves on your instrument.
You can play a major and minor arpeggios in most keys.
You can keep a pulse and play in time.
You have attended jazz classes for more than a year and have had 1:1 jazz
lessons
You know a few jazz tunes from memory.
You want to build confidence in jazz rhythm and simple chord progressions.
Vocalists can sing a many well known standards in a couple of popular instrumental keys  and have listened to vocal scatting.
You want to have a lot of fun!

Intermediate
You love jazz and may have gone to some gigs.
You can play scales and chord shapes (arpeggios) in all keys.
You have attended jazz classes for several years.
You have had some 1:1 jazz lessons.
You can improvise over some common progressions (e.g., blues, and tunes with
ii–V–I).
You can read charts, play in small groups, and keep your place in a form.
You’re ready to develop jazz vocabulary, improve time feel and develop stylistic
nuance, interaction and harmonic awareness.
You know 10+ jazz tunes from memory.
You are serious and also have a lot of fun!
Vocalists can sing a many well known standards in many popular instrumental keys  and have started vocal scatting and transcribing.

Intermediate plus… looking forward
You go to jazz gigs.
You are comfortable in all keys and can play scales and chord shapes
(arpeggios) in all keys if required.
You have attended many jazz classes/had 1:1 jazz lessons.
You can improvise comfortably over common progressions (e.g., blues, and
tunes with ii–V–I).
You can read leadsheets..
You transcribe solos and learn jazz vocabulary (licks)
You know 15+ jazz tunes from memory.
You’re ready to develop skill levels.

Vocalists can sing a many well known standards in many popular instrumental keys  and are vocal scatting.
You are serious and also have a lot of fun