Jazz Night School

What Jazz Night School does

Jazz Night School is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit community music education organization founded in 2008 by Erik Hanson, focused exclusively on adult jazz education. It serves learners from curious beginners to seasoned performers through a structured curriculum built on a proprietary aural-based, experiential teaching methodology developed over more than 20 years. The organization describes itself as the Pacific Northwest's largest jazz program for all ages, a position held since 2012.

The core product portfolio includes Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Combos; a Performance Big Band; a gospel vocal ensemble (Rainier Valley Voices); topical Classes covering ear training, rhythm, improvisation, theory, and jazz history; a Summer Jazz Intensive; and Private Instruction. Programs run on a quarterly cadence of 10-week courses priced from $295 to $695 plus a $25 registration fee. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, with in-person instruction at the Hillman City street-front headquarters (5415 Rainier Avenue South) and selected classes delivered via Zoom. A library of free educational resources (by instrument and topic) supports top-of-funnel acquisition, complemented by email newsletter (Quarter Notes), organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), KNKX radio exposure, and free community performances (Jazz About Town).

The business model blends tuition revenue with a substantial fundraising operation. The organization explicitly states tuition alone does not cover operating expenses and depends on individual donors, corporate matching gifts, institutional funders (Raynier Foundation, 4Culture, OAC, Screen Arts Fund), and special events (Annual Gala, Jazz About Town, Bill Berry Tuition Support Fund). A multi-year Building Harmony Capital Campaign targeting $6,000,000 aims to create a permanent Columbia City facility in coalition with LEMS Bookstore. Administrative headcount is 1-10 employees, supplemented by part-time faculty drawn from Seattle's professional jazz community, including instructors trained at Berklee, Eastman, Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, and New England Conservatory.

Name

Jazz Night School

Legal name

Jazz Night School

Website

https://jazznightschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jazz Night School is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that provides adult jazz music education through combos, big bands, classes, and private instruction, serving learners from beginners to advanced performers with a proprietary aural-based curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Adult jazz education
• Community music programs
• Ensemble music instruction
• Jazz combos and big bands
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Revenue from enrollment in combos, big bands, classes, and private instruction. Ten-week courses with tuition ranging from $295 to $645 depending on offering type.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Community-funded nonprofit supported by individual donors, corporate matching gifts, and special fundraising events (Jazz About Town, Annual Gala). Tuition revenue alone does not cover operating expenses.
3. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold in denominations of $100-$300 or specific amounts covering Big Band ($420), Combos ($670), or Classes ($420) offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jazz Night School delivers adult-focused jazz music education through a portfolio of community-based programs including small-group combos (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced), big bands, group classes, a gospel choir, private lessons, and a summer intensive. Courses run on a quarterly 10-week schedule with weekly 90-minute in-person or Zoom sessions, and instruction emphasizes aural-based experiential learning in a supportive, judgment-free environment.

Product overview

Jazz Night School is a Seattle-based nonprofit community music education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of adult jazz education products. The core offerings include small group Combos at three skill levels (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced) and Big Bands, alongside Classes, the Summer Jazz Intensive, and Private Instruction. The program runs on a quarterly basis with 10-week sessions, emphasizing learning-by-doing through ensemble performance and improvisation. Supporting offerings include free educational resources (General Music, Drums, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Melody, Jazz History, Erik's Picks), community events (Jazz About Town), gift cards, and a capital campaign for a permanent facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beginning Combos Entry-level small jazz ensembles for adult beginners that teach music through a listen-first approach, focusing on ensemble playing, improvisation, and performance skills without requiring prior music theory knowledge. 10-week courses meeting 90 minutes weekly at $645 plus $25 registration fee.
• Intermediate Combos Mid-level small jazz ensembles that develop students' understanding of jazz language, improvisational vocabulary, and expressiveness through intermediate harmonic content and theory discussions. 10-week courses meeting 90 minutes weekly at $645 plus $25 registration fee.
• Advanced Combos High-level small jazz ensembles focused on extending students' abilities to function in various jazz genres, working on 2–5 pieces per quarter with a wide variety of harmonic and rhythmic content. 10-week courses meeting 90 minutes weekly at $645 plus $25 registration fee.
• Performance Big Band A 90-minute large jazz ensemble developing big band playing skills, repertoire, and performance experience with focus on stylistic phrasing, intonation, balance, and dynamics. Quarterly course at $395 plus $25 registration fee, with seats filled by skills assessment only.
• Rainier Valley Voices A gospel vocal ensemble led by Michele Charity, open to singers of all levels, focusing on gospel music learned by ear with structured warmups and two-, three-, and four-part harmony training. Quarterly course at $295 plus $25 registration fee.
• Summer Jazz Intensive A week-long intensive camp running July 13–17 from 11am–4pm daily, compressing a quarter's worth of learning into five transformative days with combo format integrating theory, practical skill development, improvisation technique, and ensemble performance. Priced at $695 plus $25 registration fee.
• Classes Group instruction courses for beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners covering ear training, instrument proficiency, rhythm, improvisation, theory, and jazz history. Classes meet 90 minutes weekly for 10 weeks in person or via Zoom at $295–$395 plus $25 registration fee.
• Private Instruction Top-quality one-on-one instruction matched to students' musical goals, offered by experienced instructors selected for musicianship and diverse teaching styles for beginners to seasoned performers. Rates and schedules set by individual instructors.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available in generic amounts of $100, $150, $200, $250, and $300, or for specific offerings including Big Band ($420), Combos ($670), and Classes ($420). Does not apply to Private Lessons.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pacific Northwest's largest jazz program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LEMS BookstorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Black-owned Southeast Seattle cultural institution partnering with Jazz Night School in the Building Harmony project. Together with founder Erik Hanson and volunteer/property development facilitator Ben Rankin, LEMS Bookstore is forming a coalition to create a permanent building on a 20,000 SF property in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood that will provide permanent debt-free homes for both organizations.
• KNKXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic radio station featuring Jazz Night School student ensembles. Students have performed on KNKX, and the station provides exposure for the organization's community performances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TakeLessons: Marketplace connecting adult learners with local and online music instructors across instruments; comparable as a private-lessons channel for adult students seeking structured jazz instruction.
• Jazz at Lincoln Center: Nationally recognized jazz institution with educational programming, performances, and community outreach that overlap with Jazz Night School's curriculum and performance philosophy.
• Berklee Online: Online music instruction arm of Berklee College of Music offering structured courses for adult learners in jazz, ear training, theory, and ensemble performance; competes for the same adult-learner audience with a wider catalog.
• Smithsonian Jazz: National jazz education and oral-history initiative providing curricula, performances, and resources; comparable as a cultural and educational steward of jazz history and theory.
• School of Rock: Multi-site music school primarily for children with adult-adjacent offerings; shares ensemble-based, performance-first pedagogy and competes for community music education mindshare.

Emerging players

• ArtistWorks: Subscription-based online music lessons platform offering one-on-one video exchange with professional musicians; overlaps with Jazz Night School's instrument-specific lessons and ear-training approach.

Others

• KnKX Public Radio: Jazz-focused public radio station partnering with Jazz Night School to broadcast student ensembles; not a direct educator but an adjacent ecosystem player that amplifies audience reach.

Direct peers

• Seattle JazzED: Seattle-based nonprofit jazz education program serving the same Pacific Northwest market; comparable in mission and methodology for jazz instruction at beginner-to-advanced levels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEIyMxhNplfRaLVwn_XQL3A
• Facebookfacebook.com/jazznightschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/jazznightschool
• Xx.com/jazznightschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jazz-night-school-seattle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jazz Night School