The workshop features immersive coaching, master classes, individual combos, daily jam sessions, faculty performances, special topic classes and more.

There are three ways to participate: the in-person instrumental or vocal track, the in-person educator track, and the online audit option for those who can’t be here in person. Auditions are required for the in-person instrumental or vocal tracks.

JAZZ FACULTY

Dan Balmer

Faculty

From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio.…

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George Cables

Faculty

When George Cables was going to school in New York City he used to walk the streets at night, taking in the cosmopolitan sights and sounds, mentally recording his encounters with “so many different kinds of people.” In his musical career as well, Cables has prowled side streets and main thoroughfares in relative anonymity, absorbing countless influences into his personal style.

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Obed Calvaire

Faculty

Obed Calvaire, a native of Miami and of Haitian descent is a graduate with both a master and bachelor degree of music from one of America’s premiere private music conservatories in the nation, Manhattan School of Music.

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John Clayton

Artistic Director, Jazz Port Townsend

Bassist, Composer, Arranger and Producer, John Clayton, is a busy man. With a Grammy on his shelf and nine additional nominations, artists such as Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, and Charles Aznavour have had spots on his crowded calendar.

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Dawn Clement

Faculty

Pianist, composer, and vocalist Dawn Clement moved two years ago from Seattle to Denver, Colorado, to take on the role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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Chuck Easton

Faculty

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Chuck Easton is equally at home on the bass, flute, piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and violin, though he is best known for his jazz guitar work.

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Gwen Franz

Interim Program Manager Chamber, Jazz

Gwen Franz is excited to join the Centrum team as Interim Program Manager of Chamber Music, Choro, and Jazz. She brings many years of experience as a classical violist, soloist, chamber musician, orchestral member, recording artist and concert producer. Gwen discovered Fiddle Tunes at Centrum in 2007, then became a regular attender of the Brazilian Choro Workshop since 2010, and in 2019, was a participate in Jazz Port Townsend.…

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INTERNET

Tia Fuller

Faculty

When Grammy-nominated Mack Avenue recording artist, composer, and bandleader ​Tia Fuller​ picks up her saxophone, something amazing happens. Blending technical brilliance, melodic creativity, and the performing precision drawn from both her academic and stage experience, Fuller is a force to be reckoned with in the worlds of jazz, pop, R&B, and more.

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Michael Glynn

Born in Seattle, Michael Glynn began playing bass at the age of 11. Beginning his jazz studies with former Count Basie and Louis Armstrong bassist Buddy Catlett, Michael starting working professionally while still a student at Garfield High School, where he played for four years in that school’s renowned jazz band. After two years in engineering school at Columbia University in New York City, Michael returned to Seattle where he graduated summa cum laude in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Washington, where he studied under Doug Miller and Barry Lieberman.…

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Wycliffe Gordon

Faculty

Wycliffe Gordon’s busy schedule encompasses performing, composing, arranging and recording. He is the recipient of many awards: He has been named him “Trombonist of the Year” 12 times The Jazz Journalists Association, and “Best Trombone” five of the past six years by the Downbeat Critics Poll.

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Randy Halberstadt

Faculty

Randy Halberstadt has been a major figure on the Pacific Northwest jazz scene for many years. A pianist, arranger, composer, lyricist, and author, Randy enjoys an international performing career playing with musicians at the top of their game.

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Jon Hamar

Faculty

Jon Hamar is a versatile bassist who is comfortable in virtually any musical situation. Born in Kennewick, Washington he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Double Bass Performance from Eastern Washington University and a Master’s degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music.

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Jeff Hamilton

Faculty

Versatile drummer Jeff Hamilton brings originality to every group he performs with, and it’s one of the things that makes him constantly in demand, whether for recording, performing with his trio, or co-leading the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

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Jon Hansen

Faculty

John Hansen is one of the most in-demand jazz pianists in the Northwest. A studied and musical ensemble player with a strong melodic vocabulary, John has always been recognizable for a unique personal voice.

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Gary Hobbs

Faculty

Drummer Gary Hobbs is a native of the Pacific Northwest and lives in Vancouver, WA. He has played professionally for over 4 decades and appears on over 60 recordings.

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Kelby MacNayr

Drummer / composer / band-leader Kelby MacNayr performs groundbreaking original music, soulful swinging jazz, reaching contemporary music and traditional music from around the world. A dynamic and creative musician MacNayr performs in Canada and abroad with leading musicians from New York, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto & Europe. A faculty member of the renowned Jazz Port Townsend Festival under director John Clayton, staff at the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, Kelby follows his passion to create and collaborate, teach and learn.

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Rene Marie

In a span of two decades, René Marie has cemented her reputation not only as a singer but also as a composer, arranger, actress and educator. Guided and tempered by powerful life lessons and rooted in jazz traditions laid down by icons of past generations, this two-time Grammy Nominee melds jazz with elements of spirituals, folk, R&B, classical and even country to create a captivating hybrid style.…

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Marlon Martinez

Faculty

Hailing from Los Angeles, Marlon Martinez is a young virtuoso bassist and composer emerging at the center of the resurgent Los Angeles jazz scene. He has demonstrated his virtuosity while touring with a wide range of artists, from rock icon Stewart Copeland to classical trailblazers Quatuor Ebène.

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Lewis Nash

Faculty

Lewis Nash is one of jazz’s most recorded musicians, appearing on over 500 recordings including 10 Grammy winners and numerous Grammy nominees. In fact, Nash has the distinction of being the only musician in jazz history featured on the winners in both the “Best Jazz Vocal” and “Best Jazz Instrumental” album categories in two separate years: the 2004 Grammys with Nancy Wilson and McCoy Tyner, and again in 2010 with Dee Dee Bridgewater and James Moody.

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Miles Okazaki

Faculty

Miles Okazaki is a NYC-based guitarist originally from Port Townsend, a small seaside town in Washington State. His approach to the guitar is described by the New York Times as “utterly contemporary, free from the expectations of what it means to play a guitar in a group setting — not just in jazz, but any kind.”

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Randy Porter

Faculty

Jazz pianist Randy Porter has a refined understanding of improvisation and the spontaneous communication between musicians. As a Steinway Artist, Randy Porter draws from a rich palette of sonorities found within his imagination and the depths of the piano.

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David Sanchez

Faculty

Latin Grammy Award winner David Sánchez is being hailed as “the most profound young tenor saxophonist working today. Born in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Sánchez began playing percussion and drums at age 8 before migrating to tenor saxophone four years later.

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Gary Smulyan

Faculty

Baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan was born April 4, 1956, in Bethpage, New York. The gifted multi-instrumentalist started his music career by first learning alto saxophone during his teenage years on Long Island.

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Terrell Stafford

Faculty

Acclaimed New York–based trumpet player Terell Stafford has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Stafford combines a deep love of melody with his own brand of spirited and adventurous lyricism. Since the mid-90s Stafford has performed with groups such as Benny Golson’s Sextet, McCoy Tyner’s Sextet, Kenny Barron Quintet, Frank Wess Quintet, and Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Alumni Band.

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Jay Thomas

Faculty

Jay Thomas is a multi-instrumentalist, appearing on more than 60 recordings that run the gamut from hip-hop to acid-jazz, rock, Latin, and big band.

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Sachal Vasandani

Faculty

Sachal Vasandani is recognized for his singular voice, with a tone and unique phrasing that mark him as one of the most compelling artists on the scene today.

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Matt Wilson

Faculty

Grammy nominee Matt Wilson leads the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts and Crafts, Christmas Tree-O, and the Carl Sandburg Project.

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Martin Wind

Faculty

Bassist and composer Martin Wind was born in Flensburg, Germany in 1968 and has been living in the New York City area since 1996.He earned a diploma as Orchestra Musician at the Cologne Conservatory and completed his master’s degree in jazz composition and performance at NYU.

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Centrum has a variety of ways to be able to attend our workshops even if you’re on a budget. Tuition costs may also be discounted by joining in with the Transcription Project or applying for a scholarship when registering.

Costs

Tuition, in-person, instrumental or vocal track: $850

Tuition, in-person, educator track: $200

Tuition, on-line: $200

Room & board, instrumental or vocal track: $675

Room & board, educator track: $475

Meals only, instrumental or vocal track: $350

Meals only, educator track: $225

Workshop tuition includes admission to everything including great seats at all public performances. A full meal ticket is good for three meals per day. Those who stay on the Fort Worden campus are provided with private dorm rooms assigned by age and gender.

Auditions are required for in-person instrumental or vocal track workshop participants in Jazz Port Townsend. Your audition helps us place you in combos or groups with other instrumentalist or singers. We expect a wide range of abilities, and we want to make the experience as dynamic and well-matched as possible.

All applicants, including past participants, must submit audition recordings and an audition form regardless of age or musical experience. They should be a reflection of your current work. Some instruments—especially piano—will have more applicants than we have room for. Available spots are open until filled. Just submitting your audition does not guarantee placement in the workshop, so the sooner you send in your audition materials, the sooner we can confirm your acceptance.

To submit your audition you must first register for the workshop. After applying, you will receive an email that includes login instructions to upload your audition form.

Next, download the audition packet for your instrument below, and follow the instructions completely.

Audition Packets

Sax/Flute/Clarinet/Mallets

Trumpet

Trombone

Guitar

Piano

Bass

Drums

Vocals

Submitting Your Audition

• A maximum of 6 files can be uploaded. You will need to include several scales and arpeggios in one take to accomplish this.

• All recordings need to be in MP3 format or we won’t be able to hear them (see Tips On Creating MP3 Files below). Note: simply typing “.MP3” at the end of a file’s name does not make it an MP3 file!
• Follow the audition packet instructions carefully and remember to name all of your files in the following format: Lastname-Firstname-Instrument-#.mp3 (for example, Armstrong-Louis-Trumpet-1.mp3, Armstrong-Louis-Trumpet-2.mp3, Armstrong-Louis-Trumpet-3.mp3, etc.)
• The recording quality is not critical, as long as you are clearly audible. Simple home recordings on most smartphones are perfectly adequate. Start by placing your device or microphone 6–8 feet away from you, or possibly more if you’re playing with other people. Experiment with different placements to see what sounds the best. Remember, you need to be clearly heard—it’s YOUR audition!
• Use of play-along recordings (e.g. Aebersold) is acceptable if it’s not possible to play with live musicians. Improvised solos are required. If you’re not yet able to do this, you will probably be placed in one of our beginning combos, where you can begin to learn how to improvise.
• Additional live instrumental auditions for combo placement may be requested of some applicants for final placement. You will be notified we need a live audition.

Tips For Creating MP3 Files

You don’t need sophisticated recording equipment or knowledge to make MP3 files. iPhones and other similar devices make good recordings and can save them as MP3s right away, as will Windows Media Player. 

Note: if you save your files into iTunes it will automatically translate them into m4a format. M4a is the default format for iTunes files and we can’t use it. If your recordings are in a different format (.aac, .wav, .m4a etc.) you can easily translate them into MP3’s at Zamzar.com, a very handy, free website where you can quickly translate files into lots of different formats. The instructions are easy. There are other sites with similar procedures as well.

Please don’t submit your audition in anything but MP3 format—we won’t be able to hear them.

NOTE: Don’t delay applying because you want to practice the audition materials. You do not need to submit your audition recordings when you register. The deadline to submit is April 4, 2022 for Priority Acceptance. After April 4, applications are accepted on a space-available basis.

If you have questions about the audition information, please contact the Jazz Program Manager, Gregg Miller, at 360-385-3102 x109, or gmiller@centrum (dot) org.

We look forward to receiving your audition!

2023 deadline has passed, stay tuned for 2024 details.

The Transcription Project 

Anyone who completes five transcriptions from the list here receives a $200 tuition scholarship for this year. And if you complete three more for a total of 8, you’ll get an additional $100. That’s $300 for doing one of the most valuable things a musician can do—internalize great music. The deadline is Friday, March 31, 2023.

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to be successful at this. With that in mind, our three audition levels—Beginner/Intermediate, Advanced, and Semi-Pro—have different requirements:

• Beginner/Intermediate: Transcribe the melody.
• Advanced: Transcribe the melody plus one chorus of the solo.
• Semi-Pro: Transcribe the melody and the entire solo.

Note: Exceptions to the transcription amount are explained following the song title.

Specific instrument notes:

• Bass players are encouraged to memorize solos, but it is permissible to write out bass lines.
• Drummers are encouraged to “lock in with the grooves” on the recordings. The directions/suggestions of Matt Wilson should be followed.
• Pianists are encouraged to learn left and right hands, not just the right (although Tamir has done a great job of being specific about that).

To Do List

1. Choose your songs from the list below and begin transcribing. We encourage people to learn by ear and not write out anything.
2. Submit your transcription recording of yourself playing along with the track. Take a few minutes to check for a good balance between you and the recorded track. We need to be able to hear you clearly! State your name at the beginning of each track.
3. IMPORTANT! Submit your recording as an MP3! Other formats use up too much memory.
4. Continue with the next transcription.

And that’s it!! We’ll send you a certificate acknowledging Centrum crediting you with up to $300 for your growth!

JAZZ FAQ

You can rent drums, basses, and amps from three sources and they will be delivered to Centrum.

• A limited number of drum sets are available to rent through Centrum. You can request one of these as part of your online application.
• Kennelly Keys Music. Call Ryan Henriksen at 425-771-7020 or email rh@kennellykeysmusic.com for details.
• Crossroads Music. Call 360-385-1471 or email info@crossroads-music.com for details.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for those who are not able to afford full tuition. If the full tuition is a significant financial burden to you, please select the scholarship/work-trade when you register. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis. Apply online as you register. Please note that except in rare cases, scholarships are available for tuition only. Centrum requires a $100 deposit of scholarship applicants, which is fully refundable before XXXXX if you are unable to attend. If you are interested in a work-trade position, please contact Gregg Miller at gmiller@centrum (dot) org.

Transcription Project for Scholarships – Open to All

In 2023, Centrum is offering a discount on tuition for applicants who submit transcripts of their favorite solos.  Anyone who completes five transcriptions from the designated list receives a $200 tuition scholarship for this year. Complete three more for a total of eight, you’ll get an additional $100 for a total of $300. Check out the Transcription Project for more details.

Room & Board

Meals are served at Fort Worden Commons. The first meal is dinner on Monday, July 24; the last meal is breakfast on Sunday, July 30.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

Instrumental or Vocal Track: A $325 deposit is required. This deposit is non-refundable, with two exceptions. 1) You’ve applied for financial aid and are unable to attend because we cannot award your full request, or 2) your audition is not accepted, in which case you will receive a full refund. No housing refunds after April 20, 2023. No refunds of any kind are available after June 30, 2023.

Educator Track: Tuition is non-refundable and due upon registration. No housing refunds after April 20, 2023. No refunds of any kind are available after June 30, 2023.

Online: The fee is non-refundable.

Jazz Travel Tips

Book flights to arrive July 31 by 1pm Pacific Time and depart no earlier than noon on the 21st. Port Townsend is two hours from Sea/Tac on a good day.

If you’re interested in transportation from SeaTac Airport to Fort Worden, choose the shuttle option for when you register. The shuttle costs: $120 round-trip or $60 one-way.

Jazz airport shuttle schedule:

Arrive – Monday, July 24, 2023, pick-up at SEA/TAC airport, 2pm, Pacific Time.

Depart – Sunday, July 30, 2023, depart Centrum at Port Townsend, 9am, Pacific Time.

If you have further questions, please contact Gregg Miller, program manager at 360-385-3102 x109 or gmiller@centrum (dot) org.

Find more answers - Centrum FAQs

Participants with a wide range of abilities and experience attend the workshop each year. We have ensembles and classes to fit seasoned professionals, beginning improvisers, and everyone in between. Please note that even the beginning classes are designed for people who already have a reasonable degree of skill on their instrument or voice. The typical high school student (or older) who has been playing since 5th or 6th grade does just fine.

Jazz Port Townsend is open to instrumentalists and singers high-school age and older. Full-time professional dorm counselors are on duty all week for participants under 18, and dorms are assigned according to age and gender.

No matter how old or young you are, instrumental and vocal musicians must all submit an audition file to be able to register. Tuition costs may also be discounted by joining in with the Transcription Project or applying for a scholarship when registering.

Here is how you’ll spend your time:

Monday, July 25

4–5:30pm – Check-in, Centrum office

5pm – Live auditions if requested

6–8pm – Dinner

8pm – Welcome session

Tuesday-Thursday

9–10:30am – combos, vocal classes

10:45–11:45am – theory/special topics

1:15–2:45pm – master classes

3-4pm – combos, vocal classes

4:15–6pm – faculty presents concerts

Thursday Evening

8pm - Jazz in the Clubs 

Friday

“Friday Jazz Blowout” – Special sessions throughout the day including participant performances are open to workshop participants and the public:

10:45–11:45 am - BLDG 204, Rm. 10 with Jeff Hamilton

Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening

1:30 pm - Public mainstage show

8 pm - Jazz in the Clubs

Sunday, July 30

11am – Check out of Fort Worden dorms

1:30 pm - Public mainstage show

If you are not able to join us in person, we invite you to join us virtually through our online audit option. Your tuition gives you entry to multiple classes and exclusive faculty jam sessions streamed daily utilizing Centrum’s video and audio broadcast capabilities. Auditions are not required. The $200 tuition fee is non-refundable. Access to the online classes are available for one month following.

Thank you for joining us online; we hope to see you in-person someday!