Tucson Community Music School is home to the Tucson Symphonic Winds and the award-wining Tucson Jazz Institute. We offer music classes for Combos (small ensembles), Big Bands, Vocal Jazz Ensembles, Concert Band, Music Technology, and privates lessons for middle and high school students as well as adults. Our school is so much more than classes: students can record, sit in and jam with students and faculty at either of two weekly gigs, listen to music, or just hang out with many of the dedicated young musicians that make our school a second home. We offer so much more because of our unique position in the music community and the high caliber of our talented students.

We offer a place for many of the best young musicians (middle through high school) to meet, share ideas, practice, travel, and work paying gigs! In 2010, the TJI Ellington Big Band was selected by Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center (included a trip to NYC) as the top community high school jazz band in the USA. Year after year TJI students continue to impress judges across the country and receive top recognitions, rankings and awards.

In July 2011, 30 TJI student musicians performed at four jazz festivals in Italy, France and Spain while on a 12-day European tour! During the school year, students travel and perform at the following jazz festivals:

• Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, Fullerton College (California), Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival (California), Essentially Ellington Festival (NYC)

Students play every Tuesday at the Sheraton Inn and Suites (Rosemont & Grant, Tucson) with the faculty and in a student-run quintet every Saturday night. Requests for performances come frequently throughout the year because of the students' reputation for demonstrating amazing talent. Past performances include:

• Opening the Tucson Jazz Society's NYE performance at Starr Pass Marriott two years in a row, multiple performances for Second Saturday at the Fox Theatre, Berger Performing Arts Center, Temple of Music and Art, multiple performances at SaddleBrooke's Mountain View Theatre, Green Valley Community Performing Arts Center, St. Andrews Presbyterian Chuch, and others.