Oaktown Jazz Workshops offers weekly year-round workshops, seasonal classes, and private one-on-one music lessons in Jack London Square, Oakland. Traditionally, young musicians learned to play jazz by hanging out with more experienced professional musicians in their neighborhoods and nightclubs. Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ approach to music instruction reflects aspects of that earlier time: youth develop their skills and creativity within a supportive, multi-generational community of professional jazz musicians who instruct them in the fundamentals of improvisation, arranging, and learning to play by ear.

Interested in signing up for a workshop, class, or private lesson? Fill out the Interest Form below. We will contact you within 3 days to discuss tuition and which programs suit your young musician best. Income-based scholarships are available to eligible families.

Interest Form

Combo Workshop

Young musicians learn to improvise solos while playing different types of jazz and blues tunes in a band setting. Students should have some experience on their instruments (school band, individual lessons, etc.) Students may enroll at any time by bringing their instrument to our Tuesday workshop.
Instructors: Ravi Abcarian, Richard Howell, Ron Marabuto, Anthony Mills-Branch, Andy Ostwald. Youth Mentor: Max Ehrhardt
Ages 12 to 18•Tuesdays 4PM–6PM•Year-round
Tuition: $130/month plus one-time $65 registration fee

Performance Ensemble Workshop

Young musicians who are familiar with performing continue to improve their musicianship and improvisational skills in a band setting.
Instructors: Ravi Abcarian, Richard Howell, Mark Lee. Youth Mentors: Jordon Dabney, Max Ehrhardt, Paulos Thomas.
Ages 14 to 18•Wednesdays 4PM–6PM•Year-round
Tuition: $130/month plus one-time $65 registration fee.

Improvisation Ensemble Class

Curriculum includes ensemble playing, ear training, melodic phrasing, and harmonic forms.
Instructors: Ravi Abcarian, Richard Howell, Randy “Ranzel” Merritt, Ben Torres, David Udolf
Ages 10 to 18•Thursdays 4PM–5:30PM•March 20, 2025 –May 15, 2025
Final performance: Sunday, May 18th at 3PM
Tuition: $330 (Free for students enrolled in OJW workshops)

Music Theory Class

Curriculum includes modes, chord analysis, ear training, and composition.
Instructor: Bryan Bowman
Ages 14 to 18•Mondays 5PM–6PM•March 17, 2025 – May 19, 2025
Tuition: $220 (Free for students enrolled in OJW workshops)

Live Audio Reinforcement Class

Curriculum includes microphone techniques for live performances, digital and analog mix routing, and hands-on experience using mixing board and speaker systems.
Instructor: Mauricio Acevedo
Ages 14 to 18•Mondays 5PM–7PM•February 24–March 10, 2025
Tuition: $190 (Free for students enrolled in OJW workshops)

Private Lessons

We have assembled an amazing lineup of professional Bay Area musicians for one-on-one music lessons. Check out the instructors below!
Tuition: $65 per 45-minute lesson. (A limited number of income-based partial scholarships are available for young musicians currently enrolled in Oaktown Jazz Workshops group classes and/or workshops. Scholarships may last until the September after the student turns 18.)