The Jazz Hands Musicians Academy is helping more adults on the autism access quality music education and find community based volunteer and paid work opportunities by building on their musical talents, providing social, professional, technical and musical skills training

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 CREATING PATHWAYS FOR MUSICIANS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM TO EXPAND, SHARE AND BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR MUSICAL TALENT

ENRICHMENT 1

 For students who are interested in having music in their lives but are not interested in a career in music.






     • AGE: 18+

     • Diagnostic Scores:

     •  Music Theory & Instrument:

     •  Written: 25% or less)

     •  Performance: 1 or less

     •  Interest in socialization with a musical focus

     • Have at home/ in studio or family support if needed


    • Group instrument and performance classes

   

     • Group Piano class (1 hr/ week)

     •  Group JHTV (1 hr/ week)

     •  Group Musical Theatre (1 hr/ week)

     •  Group Beginner’s Ensemble (1 hr/ week)




ENRICHMENT 2

For students who are committed to improving their musical skills, want a career in music, but need additional and targeted support in progressing through some of the musical knowledge gaps they may currently have challenges with. (this is a one-year Conservatory prep program)

     • AGE: 18+

     • Diagnostic Scores:

     •  Music Theory & Instrument:

     •  Written: 25% or less)

     •  Performance: 1 or less

     •  Interest in socialization with a musical focus

     • Have at home/ in studio or family support if needed


     • Group instrument and performance classes

      •  A few 1:1 Classes required

      • Homework lab required

      • Expectation of at home practice


     • All Enrichment 1 classes plus

     • 1:1 Music Theory (1 hr/ week)

     • 1:1 Instrument class (2 hrs/ week)

     • Guidance counseling (1 hr/ week)

     • Homework lab (2 hrs/ week)





CONSERVATORY

An accelerated 3-4 year program for students who are committed to improving their musical skills, want a career in music and are ready for the rigors and pace of the conservatory (which prepares them for the rigors and pace of a very competitive music industry).


     • AGE: 18+

     • Career goal: Music

     • Independent (or have at home support)

     • 7th grade math & reading levels

     • Diagnostic Scores:

     • Music Theory & Instrument:

     • Written: 25% or more)

     • Performance: 2 or more


    • Rigorous & accelerated program

    • Expectation of at home practice

    • 1:1 and group classes


     • SEE CONSERVATORY COURSE LIST





"COMMUNITY THRIVES WHEN GIVING BECOMES RECIPROCAL
  COMMUNITY THRIVES WHEN GIVING BECOMES RECIPROCAL"

OUR METHOD
The Jazz Hands Musician’s Academy is designed to increase employment success rates for Musicians on the autism spectrum. We help improve the on-stage performance, social ability and employability of our students. 
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WE TEACH JOB READINESS SKILLS

Through our Work-Readiness curriculum, students learn skills necessary to learn and keep a job. The skills we teach include: writing and sending professional emails, constructing your portfolio/resume, appropriate attire, transportation training, leadership, conflict resolution, networking, setting goals, planning, planning and self-management, effective communication and teamwork
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OUR STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Our ABA-based curriculum includes experiential courses that give students an opportunity to put the skills they are learning into practice in real-life situations (like studios record labels & band rehearsals). Our experiential courses include work-readiness training, social learning training and group jam sessions. Through our experiential curriculum, students make gains in their executive functioning
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WE CREATE "SMALL WINS" IN EVERY SESSION

Research shows that the more frequently people experience a sense of progress, the more likely they are to be productive in the long-run.Small wins result in big gains by instilling a sense of confidence which increases the retention and transferability of skills learned.
At The Jazz Hands Musician's Academy, we employ this philosophy in our approach to ensure that our students are developing life-long skills that are necessary for them to become contributing members of society.
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WE BUILD ON STRENGTHS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS

The Jazz Hands Musician's Academy embraces person -centered learning. Through the individual work plans(IWP), students of the Jazz Hands Musician's Academy receive services, interventions and job placement tailored to their strengths, interests and career goals.
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WE PLACE GRADUATES IN FULFILLING WORK

We guarantee year-long residencies to all graduates of our program. These residencies are made available through our venue partners which include but are not limited to Sound Stages, Coffee Shops, Lounges, Retirement Homes, Music Libraries, Studios, Orchestras.
We also provide one-time gigs year-round to graduates of the Jazz Hands Musician's Academy.

CONSERVATORY COURSE CATALOG

What Can You Learn At Jazz Hands For Autism ?

FOUNDATIONS

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  • INSTRUMENT
    • Guitar
    • Bass
    • Drums and Percussion
    • Piano
    • Voice

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  • MUSIC THEORY

SPECIALIZATIONS

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  • MUSIC BIZ

    MUSIC BUSINESS


    • Contracts & Legal
    • PRO’s
    • Copyright
    • Marketing & Branding
    • Touring
    • Artist Management

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  • MUSIC TECH

    LIVE SOUND

    DAW’s/ STUDIO

    ENGINEERING


    • Pro Tools
    • FL Studio
    • Sibelius
    • Logic Pro
    • Audacity
    • Serato

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  • ONSTAGE PERFORMANCE
    • Audience Engagement
    • Repertoire Building
    • Stage Movement
    • Mic Technique
    • Group Performance
    • Stage Communication
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  • ORIGINAL MUSIC

    SONGWRITING

    COMPOSITION


    • Poetic analysis
    • Orchestration

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  • TEACHER TRAINING
    • PEDAGOGY
    • LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT
    • CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
    • MOCK TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

$52,000+

Earned BY JHMA Musicians

200+/1400+

 Musicians Served Directly/ Served Through Educators Trained (JHET)

 6000+

Hours of Classes & Training Offered (and counting)

140+ YEARS

 OF EXPERIENCE IN MUSIC AND MUSIC INDUSTRY WITHIN THE JHMA INSTRUCTIONAL AND ADMIN STAFF

230+ Community Work Opportunities

 

  • $50/hour minimum pay
  • 65% paid gigs
  • 2 Long term residencies 
  • 3 Internships 

 

 Meet Some Current & Past Students of Jazz Hands Musicians Academy

And hear what some of them have to say about their program
A person with sunglasses, long hair, and a guitar, leaning against a wall and playing music.
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"I wanted to tell you that i have never been happier in my life now that i am at Jazz Hands. I am so grateful for your program"
SHAYNE
Man wearing glasses, looking down, in a grayscale, round image.
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"Without Jazz Hands For Autism i may have never had this opportunity. It is hard to find young adults on the spectrum who are willing to perform"

AARON

Person with glasses, hat, and microphone singing on stage. Black and white.
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"I love Jazz Hands For Autism for their unwavering love and support in helping us achieve our dream, goals and careers as amazing musicians."

KSUSHA

Woman with microphone, wearing a patterned shirt, black headband, and braces. Smiling, inside a room.
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"I love Jazz Hands For Autism for lifting everyone up when they are feeling down about themselves and their music."

BRANDI

Journey map for Jazz Hands for Autism students: Stages of the program, from exploration to employment.

FAQs

Got a question? We’re here to help.

  • How old to I have to be to participate?

    The Jazz Hands Musician’s Academy provides training to adults (age 18 and older) of the Autism Spectrum

  • How much does it cost?

    The Jazz Hands Musicians Academy is a tuition-based program and we provide a monthly invoice that details the number of hours and the type of classes you take each quarter at JHMA. If you are a consumer fo the Regional Center, please contact you service coordinator for more information about funding.


    The Jazz Hands Musicians Academy also accepts Self Determination Porgram (SDP) and Private Pay


  • Information About Funding

    We accept Regional Center funding, Self Determination Program, and Private Pay. We can also accept Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) funding as well.

  • Are there scholarships available?

    Yes! When we have fudning available, we offer partial scholarships depending on the financial need of the student

  • How long is the program?

    The Jazz Hands Musician’s Academy offer 3 different programs, most of which provide individualized training and resources. 


    Enrichment 1: This is an ongoing program that individuals can particiapte in for as long as they woudl like! 


    Enrichment 2: This program is a conservatory-prep program and has a timelimit of 1 year to matricualte into the conservtory 


    Conservatory: The conservatory is designed to be a 3-4 year program. However, the completion time depends on the commitment and progress of the each student. The Conseervatory includes:


    STAGE 1 - Foundations & Exploration (Approximately 1 year): Complete your foundational instrumnt, music theory and musicianship courses and explore electives in 1 of 5 JHFA tracks (On Stage Performance, Original Music, Music Technology, Music Business, Music Pedagogy)


    STAGE 2 (Approximately 2 years): Internship & Specialization in one of the 5 JHFA tracks and apply to the Jazz Hands Jobs Program for an internship or mentorship


    STAGE 3 (Minimum of 1 year): Finish up Specializaiton courses and receive Job Placement & On-The-Job Coaching via the Jazz Hands Jobs Program


    The Jazz Hands Musicians Academy academic year is divided into FOUR 11 or 12 week quarters.

  • Is it Monday through Friday?

    The Jazz Hands Musician’s Academy offers up to 19 hours a week of training from Monday – Saturday. Because training is individualized, the schedule of each student may vary.


  • Do you pay for transportation?

    Unfortunately, we do not, however, we do provide transportation training!

  • Do you teach music?

    Yes we do! However, depending on the program, we require different level of prior music experience. For Enrichment 1, no proior musical experience is required. But for the Conservatory, we expect each prospective student to already have 1-2 years background in their instrument. From there we can help you improve on your instrument whether it is voice, guitar, piano, drums, etc. So the short answer is yes, but for the conservatory, we provide instrument training and music theory, but only to students who already have some background in their instrument. 


    Please check out our Enrichment 1 or Junior Academy programs for more information about music lessons for beginners

  • Do you only work with individuals on the autism spectrum?

    At Jazz Hands For Autism, we recognize that sometimes a person may have multiple diagnoses. While musician who on the autism spectrum are our primary focus, we do also sometimes work with aspiring musicians who have other Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities. Please email us to schedule an intake session in order to determine if we can be a resource you or your loved one.