COMBO CLASSES

 

Winter quarter 2025 begins January 6th!
Tuition of $390 Includes:

  • Learn jazz standards and improvisation every week

  • Receive individualized feedback from a dedicated instructor

  • Master classes

  • Additional content will include ear training and listening, music theory, and more

To register, use the REGISTER button above or send an email to education@jazzcenterofbellingham.org

Click here for information about our advanced program, Combo 1

Live Combo Classes

 

Combo classes are held every Monday from 7-9 PM at the Unity Spiritual Center, 1095 Telegraph Rd. in Bellingham, from October through June. Students learn how to interact and perform with a small ensemble—honing technical musical skill as well as performance chops. They rehearse in combos and are instructed by some of the best jazz musicians in the Northwest. Students study blues, rhythm changes, and standards of the jazz idiom—lessons on soloing, reading, and improvising skills are put to immediate practical use.

The program aims to nurture and encourage jazz talent and jazz awareness in students of all ages through weekly classes, and through giving students the opportunity to experience the music performed live—free admission to all Jazz Center concerts!

Tuition is $390 per quarter—Fall, Winter, Spring. It is payable online or by check through the mail.

Tuition includes:

  • Weekly Combo Classes

  • Free Admission to All Jazz Center Concerts

  • Performance Opportunities

Education Program Director: Roger Yamashita
Education Outreach Coordinator: Christian Casolary
Instructors:

  • Roger Yamashita (bass): Roger studied music performance at Western Washington University under Chuck Israels. He has performed with many local, regional, and national jazz artists, such as George Garzone, Brian Lynch, Dan Faehnle, Mike Allen, Miles Black, Bill Anschell, Milo Petersen, Gail Pettis, and others. He has been an educator for much of his adult life, teaching privately for more than 20 years, and at the Jazz Center of Bellingham for the past 7 years. From 2006 to 2011, he taught English in public schools in Japan through the JET Program.

  • Christian Casolary (drums and percussion)

  • Isaac Devange (trumpet)

  • Kevin Woods (trumpet)

Questions? Contact Us! education@jazzcenterofbellingham.org