The New Jersey Jazz Academy

Spring 2026 Registration Is Open

Students in grades 7-12 are invited to join the next session of the New Jersey Jazz Academy! While no audition is required, students must have at least 2 years experience playing their instrument and should also have excellent sight reading skills. Spots are limited for certain instruments and once an instrument section has filled, it will be taken off the registration form.

Rehearsals take place in the first floor recital room at Elefante Music in New Providence on the following Thursdays:

DATES
February 26 – Meet and Greet/Sectional Rehearsal
March 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2, 16, 23 & 30 – Full Rehearsals
No rehearsal April 9

A final performance will be at Kean University’s Enlow Recital Hall on May 7th at 7:30 PM.
Other performances TBD

TIME
7:00pm – 8:45pm

REQUIREMENTS
Students in grades 7-12 with at least 2 years playing experience

PRICE
$350

INSTRUMENTS (Limited spots)
alto, tenor, or baritone saxophone; trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drum set/percussion, flute/piccolo, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals

LOCATION
Elefante Music – 1790 Springfield Ave, New Providence NJ

Register Now

Stream past concerts

Meet the Instructors

Vinnie Turturiello is a Grammy-nominated music educator. His Scotch Plains-Fanwood jazz band, The Moonglowers, has taken top honors in the NJ Association for Jazz Education’s Division II competition in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He is an adjunct professor at Kean University and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Al Elefante, founder of Elefante Music, studied at Kings College and the Manhattan School of Music. He studied clarinet with Charles Passhaus, Charles Russo, and Leon Russianoff.

He is a fixture of the local jazz community and performs regularly with his band Elefante & Green.

He opened Elefante Music in 1996 where he continues to teach private lessons in New Providence.