The Jazz Academy is The Shedd Institute’s professional performance training program for secondary school students who really want to perform and understand what it takes to become a practicing jazz musician. Students learn jazz standards, theory, technique, improvisation, professionalism, and combo and solo playing. Emphasis is placed on repertoire from the American Songbook – the core of popular song from the 1920s-50s that constitutes the repertoire base of standards-based jazz, a key component of the professional jazz musician’s toolkit.