Private Instruction

Jazz Night School offers private lessons for aspiring Seattle area jazz musicians of all ages and levels.

  • Piano
  • Bass
  • Trumpet
  • Saxophone or Clarinet
  • Drums


Our Instructors:

 Jared Hall – Trumpet

Inquire about lessons with Jared Hall

Trumpeter and composer Hall hails from Spokane, Washington and has studied at Whitworth University, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the University Of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he received the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in 2015. His teachers include Terence Blanchard, Michael Spiro, David Baker, Bill Adam, Whit Sidener, and Brian Lynch, under which he pursued his doctoral studies.  Hall is the winner of the 2013 National Trumpet Competition - Jazz Division, and has performed and recorded with Bob Hurst, John Daversa, Peter Erskine, Dave Liebman, Alan Pasqua, Brian Lynch, Ira Sullivan, Jeff “Tain” Watts, David Binney, Fred Hersch, the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, the Frost Concert Jazz Band, and the Henry Mancini Jazz Septet directed by Terence Blanchard, among many others.

Jared performed at Carnegie Hall with Paquito D’Rivera for the Latin Jazz Traditions Concert and at the 57th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival with the Frost Concert Jazz Band  in 2014.  He has performed at many Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conferences including Brian Lynch’s Madera Latino: The Latin Side of Woody Shaw in 2016,  the University of Miami Afro-Caribbean Artist Ensemble with Brian Lynch in 2014, the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band in 2013, and  Mixteto Sonido (Latin jazz sextet) in 2012.  At JEN 2017, he presented oral history research on Whit Sidener and His Influence on Jazz Education.

​His debut album “Hallways”, featuring nine original compositions for quintet, was released in 2017 under the Hollistic MusicWorks record label.  As a performer, Jared finds himself comfortable in a variety of musical settings including jazz, Latin jazz, commercial, studio, church, and classical chamber music ensembles.   Active in theater productions, he has played  trumpet in The Producers, The Pajama Game, Shrek the Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Women, Catch Me If You Can, Damn Yankees, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hair, In The Heights, Les Misérables, and Annie, as well as many shows internationally on board Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Jared has performed with the 5th Avenue Theatre, Symphony Tacoma, Ron Jones' Jazz Forest, and many of the regions outstanding ensembles.  An in-demand clinician, guest artist, and adjudicator in the area, Jared has served Pacific Lutheran University, Whitworth University, Eastern Washington University, Tacoma Community College, Sno-King Music Educators Association, Lakewood Washington Solo-Ensemble Festival, Juanita High School, Edmonds Woodway High School, Salk Middle School, Stadium High School, Bellevue College Jazz Festival, Jazz Night School, Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences, Twin Falls Middle School, Chief Kanim Middle School, Northshore Jazz Festival, and Frontier Jazz Festival.  

Visit Jared’s website here: www.jaredhall.net

 

 Leah Pogwizd – Bass

Inquire about lessons with Leah Pogwizd

Leah Pogwizd is a jazz bassist who teaches classes, ensembles, and lessons at Jazz Night School. She holds a BM in Jazz Studies from University of North Texas and PhD in Ethnomusicology from University of Washington. She plays in various ensembles throughout Seattle, including Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO). Her mission is to make playing jazz accessible and enjoyable – regardless of a student’s age, level, or background. You can find out more about Leah on her websites Gig-Ready Jazz Bassist and Versatile Practice. In addition to performance and instruction, her other interests include comics, crafting, and yoga.

 

 Esteban Roybal – Drums

My name is Esteban Roybal and I’ve been playing the drumset for over 20 years. I love what I do, especially the teaching part! My teaching philosophy is that everyone can learn. I am often praised by others for being a talented drummer and then told they could never do such a thing. Many individuals believe they cannot play music because they are not talented. This I believe is a false understanding of musicianship. There is no such thing as an un-teachable person. Talent is helpful, but it is not talent that makes a musician, it’s dedication to consistent, healthy, and fun practice! Playing drums should be fun, and so should lessons so I try to tailor every lesson to what the student wants to learn. While I will recommend many advanced techniques that will help make drumming easy and efficient, ultimately I want you to choose what you learn so you can enjoy the process.

In addition to helping out at the Jazz Night School when I have free time, I am also involved in a variety of projects outside the school ranging from Rock and Pop, all the way to heavy metal, smooth jazz, and even some crazy fusion! Feel free to check out my website and click on my youtube page or projects to see what I’m up to!

Esteban Roybal studied for 4 years at the Lionel Hampton School of Music in Moscow Idaho, home to the famous Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. He has also studied under Seattle Drummer Garey Williams. In addition to teaching drum lessons and performing professionally throughout the Pacific Northwest, Esteban also spent 5 years working with adults and children with developmental disabilities. This valuable experience has helped frame his teaching motto that “everyone can learn” regardless of ability.

You can find Esteban online at:

www.fusionnerd.com

www.youtube.com/user/estebanpercussion

 

 Daniel Salka – Piano

Inquire about lessons with Daniel Salka

Daniel Salka is an active pianist/keyboardist on the Seattle music scene. Born and raised in Seattle, Daniel attended Roosevelt High School and studied jazz performance at the University of Washington under the direction of Ted Poor, Cuong Vu and Marc Seales.

Daniel has performed at many of Seattle’s venues in groups ranging from jazz, fusion, R & B, Hip-hop and rock. His teaching mission is to allow pianists to reach improvisational freedom. Through ear training, understanding the history of the instrument, working on technique, Daniel provides students with the skills to improvise in any context. Daniel customizes his teaching style to best fit student with any variety of background.

 

 Charles Williams – Saxophone, Clarinet

Inquire about lessons with Charles Williams

Saxophone and clarinet instructor Charles Williams has taught, performed and led ensembles of all sizes for over 30 years and has specialized in working with beginning and intermediate students his whole career. Originally from North Carolina, he is retired from public school teaching in the Tacoma area where he led his own popular jazz quartet for decades. Charles is also a member of Jazz Night School’s Board of Directors.