Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
More Trump-Kennedy Center Cancellations
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Students jam at The New School in New York.
(Photo: McKenna Lewis)The road we call jazz can take you anywhere — from your quiet hometown to the grandest stages of the world; from performing in bars on Saturdays to houses of worship on Sundays; from touring in a bus all night to jetting across the ocean to parts unknown.
But the road doesn’t stop there.
Learn to play the saxophone (or the trumpet, drums, piano …) and you might become an educator, an administrator, a festival director, a record producer, but don’t stop there — a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, an entrepreneur, even the President of the United States. (Remember, President Bill Clinton played saxophone and even read this magazine religiously while in high school.)
If you’re reading this, you are probably a student who wants to go to music school (or the concerned parent of that student). You found the road of jazz through a great teacher, either in school or through private lessons. And you’re ready for the next leg of your journey. DownBeat is here to help. On the pages of the attached electronic edition, you’ll find more than 190 schools ready to meet your jazz-study needs. There is something for everyone here, but with so many options, good luck sorting it out. We’ve tried to help. Do you want a big school, or is a smaller institution better suit your style? What can you afford? (We know that’s a huge question and a fair one.) What kind environment do you want? And who would you like to learn from? Each school entry has these answers and more, like information on scholarships and financial aid opportunities.
We’ve also provided some food for thought within these pages. First, there’s an article by Jay Sweet on selecting a school and preparing for the audition (see page 118). We’ve also included a piece about what life is like in those first few days and weeks of school and how to get ready for the transition as an incoming freshman (see page 100). Finally, we show you the lives of four professionals in the jazz world who went to school to learn to play music, but are applying their expertise in other areas of the industry (see page 76).
We hope you find the guide useful, and we can’t wait to see where the road of jazz takes you. Enjoy the journey! DB
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
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Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
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Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
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With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
