How the Jazz Greats Became Great

GOOD FOR

Learn Jazz Standards Instuments
Steal My Jazz Gig Setlist!

Often when we think of jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Sonny Rollins, and a host of others, we think of them as icons of immeasurable talent. In jazz circles these musicians seem to be considered “gods among men”.

You often hear others speak of them, saying: “No one will ever be quite as good as they were.” Essentially their musical accomplishments have been perceived with such grandeur, that often times we dismiss them as extraordinary beings with unusual amounts of natural talent. And indeed, their musical accomplishments are grand. The bar has been set high, there is no doubt.

But if you’ve ever read Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, you know that talent is only a fraction of what has contributed to their success.

Was talent a factor at all in the success of these jazz musicians? Of course. No one can argue that Miles Davis or Wes Montgomery wasn’t talented.

But here’s the problem: I know a lot of people that are talented. I live in New York City, a bubbling metropolis that draws talented people from all over the world to pursue their careers. But all of the talented people in New York aren’t “successful” (success is a subjective term). In the musical realm, I see a lot of people who are incredibly talented, trying really hard, but no big opportunities seem to present themselves. They are forced to abandon ship. I see really talented musicians in less than desirable financial or social circumstances, often times holding them back from their true potential. In other words, talent alone will not make you “great”, “successful”, or whatever you want to call it.

Is it possible that there were contemporaries of Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery (and other jazz greats) that had equal amounts of talent, but never made the cut? Perhaps there are hundreds or thousands of mind-blowing musicians we will never know about.

Gladwell argues throughout his book on a number of factors that play into or hinder the success of ordinary individuals. But drawing from his ideas, two important factors that stick out when considering the success of jazz greats are Opportunity and Practice.

Opportunity is simply what events or circumstances presented themselves to the musicians that aided in their success.

Practice is how much time and effort did the musicians put into honing their craft. Did they take advantage of their talent by nurturing it through practice and playing? Gladwell describes what he calls the “10,000 hour rule”, which states that it takes roughly 10,000 hours to truly master a craft. That’s a lot of hours.

What is important to realize is that Opportunity and Practice go hand in hand. Without opportunity, it may be difficult to spend enough time honing ones musical skills. Without practice, opportunities and talent are wasted.

To demonstrate this, let’s take a look at the lives of two important jazz greats: Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. By examining their lives and careers we can learn a lot about Opportunity and Practice and how these aided in their success.

Charlie Parker

What is important to understand, is Charlie Parker was raised in Kansas City, Missouri in the 1920’s. What’s so significant about Kansas City in the 1920’s? At the time Kansas City was a booming cultural center of African-American music, which included jazz, blues and gospel. In other words, Charlie Parker grew up surrounded by music. He had the opportunity of hearing a lot of amazing musicians come through his city.

Another important thing to consider is Parker’s father, though he worked on the railroad and was an alcoholic, was a trained pianist, dancer and singer. So even though his father wasn’t around very often, this would have had a big impact on his life. Allegedly, when his father eventually abandoned the family, his mother gave him a saxophone to help cheer him up.

In public school he started taking music lessons, and while he was still in school he started playing the local club scene in Kansas City. Eventually he dropped out of school altogether to pursue a full time career in music.

Now let’s stop here for a second. Raised in a huge center for African-American music. A parent who was a trained pianist, dancer, and singer. Access to music lessons and band classes in public school. A city where he could get actively involved in the local music scene. Sounds like some pretty good musical opportunities right? Let’s move on.

Charlie Parker, now dropped out of school, was actively playing in the local scene in jazz and blues bands. In 1938 he was playing in Jay McShann’s band which toured Chicago and New York.

 

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE...

If you struggle to learn jazz standards by ear, memorize them, and not get lost in the song form, then our free guide will completely change the way you learn tunes forever.

Learn Jazz Standards The Smart Way Ebook Cover

Chicago and New York. Huge centers for jazz during this time. He held a regular gig in Chicago for a while before ultimately deciding to move to New York permanently.

So living in a city with a great music scene helped him land a gig with a band that went on tour, which allowed him to branch out to two big music scenes, and led him to New York City- the hub of jazz music at the time (and still today).

Now from New York, this is where things really started to blossom for Charlie Parker. It was just a domino effect from here on out. Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk heard him play and were struck by his style of playing. He got a gig with Earl Hines. He joined Billy Eckstine’s band. In 1945 he really made a break through as he started leading a band with Dizzy Gillespie as his sideman. They were pioneering bebop. Pretty soon he was the new big thing and everyone wanted to play with him.

Living in New York allowed him numerous opportunities to be heard and to play with other brilliant musicians. Sounds like a lot of opportunity to me.

But let’s not forget the other side of this story. The Practice side. As I said before, without practicing, the talent he possessed and the opportunities he was given would have been in vain.

In 1954, saxophonist Paul Desmond did an interview with Charlie Parker where Parker said that he at one time was practicing 11-15 hours a day over a span of about 3-4 years. 11-15 hours a day? That’s an absurd amount of practicing. Think about that for a second. Perhaps Charlie Parker had some talent to start out, but imagine what happened to that talent when he started dedicating that much time and effort to playing his horn.

But let’s not forget the most important part. Think about all of the opportunities he was getting to play. He was playing locally in Kansas City when he was a kid. He dropped out of school, so you can be sure he wasn’t spending his time doing mathematics; he was playing music. He started touring. He moved to New York where he was playing gigs constantly.

Think about all of that playing time he was getting. Is there any doubt that Charlie Parker’s opportunities opened up the flood gates to allow him to practice more?

John Coltrane

Unlike Charlie Parker, John Coltrane was not born in a booming music hub. He was born in Hamlet, North Carolina. However, his father (a taylor), was passionate about music and played several instruments. His mother was also an amateur musician.

Coltrane started playing the saxophone in his teens. He started playing alto saxophone in a community band as well as in his high school band. In 1939 his father passed away, and though his mother and other family members moved to New Jersey, he stayed back to finish high school.

In 1943, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia and he began studying at the Ornstein School of Music.

Now keep in mind, while he may have not had the same music scene opportunities Charlie Parker had when he was growing up, Philadelphia is where Coltrane’s opportunities really began to open up. During this time Philadelphia was a huge center for jazz. Jimmy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Reggie Workman, and a slew of others all came out of Philadelphia. And keep in mind that geographically, New York and Philadelphia are not that far apart. The jazz scene in Philly was booming.

All of this got interrupted though, by World War II. Coltrane was deployed in the U.S. Navy, but he never saw battle and he was stationed in Hawaii. This may seem like a big setback, and in a way I’m sure it was. But consider the alternatives. He could have been deployed overseas, and he could have been sent to battle. This is World War II after all. Instead he was able to “regularly perform” with his fellow sailors. Surely, much more time to continue honing his craft than others sent to the battle front.

When he got back to Philadelphia in 1946, he started studying at the Granoff School of Music and got involved in a number of bands. He joined Eddie Vinson’s band, Jimmy Heath’s band, and for a year and a half was a part of a big band lead by Dizzy Gillespie. In 1954, Duke Ellington chose him to temporarily replace Johnny Hodges in his orchestra, but unfortunately Coltrane’s heroine addiction lost him that job.

The big break was in the mid 50’s when Miles Davis asked him to join his band. We all know Miles’ album Kind of Blue, the Prestige Recordings, and many others. From here Coltrane would launch into his own career as a bandleader and he went on to become a huge innovator in jazz music.

Exposed to music at a young age through his parents. Access to music education throughout his adolescent and adult life. Able to play his horn regularly, even during war. Integrated into the booming jazz scene of Philadelphia. Made connections. Got big gigs. Opportunities; one building off of the other.

On the practicing side of things, it’s pretty clear that Coltrane’s opportunities allowed him to spend lots of time on his horn. Coltrane was also known as an obsessive practicer. His practice hours were similiar to that of Charlie Parker’s, and there are many stories, whether fact or fiction, of him spending hours upon hours playing just one note, or even falling asleep while practicing.

What can we as jazz musicians learn from Charlie Parker and John Coltrane?

  1. Talent is not enough. You may think you have a lot of talent, or you may think you don’t have any at all. Regardless, talent alone will not guarantee you musical success. If you believe you are not talented, realize that musical success is still achievable. If you believe you are talented, realize that it means very little unless you nurture it.
  2. Look for opportunity. You may feel like you have been born into lots of musical opportunity. You may feel like you have been born into very little musical opportunity. Regardless, it is up to you to either take advantage of it, or seek it out. If you walk through one open door, it may lead to another, and then another. If you see no open doors, it could mean you just need to build your own, or move to a different house.
  3. 10,000 hours seems about right. Of course you could spend your 10,000 hours poorly. It’s possible you might not be practicing in a way that will produce real results. But at the end of the day, musical success is a result of time and pressure. The more time you spend, the closer you get to musical freedom and proficiency. There are no short cuts. Don’t just look for opportunities to sit in a room by yourself with your instrument. Look for opportunities to actually get out there and play.

TAKE YOUR JAZZ PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

We help musicians of all instruments start improvising confidently over jazz standards in just 30 days without mind-numbing hours of practice or the overwhelm.

TAKE YOUR JAZZ PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

We help musicians of all instruments start improvising confidently over jazz standards in as little as 30 days without mind-numbing hours of practice or the overwhelm.

“Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.”
WYNTON MARSALIS

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Learn Jazz Standards The Smart Way Ebook Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ STANDARDS LIKE A PRO

A step-by-step guide for how to effectively learn jazz standards so you’ll feel confident playing them, and won’t forget them.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Welcome to LearnJazzStandards.com! We’ve created this page so that you (and any visitor to LearnJazzStandards.com) will understand the terms and conditions that govern your use of this website. If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions, which together with our privacy policy comprise our (LearnJazzStandards.com’s) entire relationship with you.

Exclusion of Liability

The content found on any page of this website is for your general information and use only, and it is subject to change without notice. Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

Indemnity

By accessing our website, you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses including legal fees arising from or in connection with your use of our website.

Copyright Laws & Intellectual Property

This website contains some material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions. All logos, trademarks, and other intellectual property found on LearnJazzStandards.com are the property of their respective owners. They do not indicate ownership, affiliation, sponsorship, or any other relationship with LearnJazzStandards.com. In addition, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse those websites, and we have no responsibility for the content of those linked websites.

Unauthorized Use

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States of America. Any unauthorized use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offense. Thanks, and enjoy LearnJazzStandards.com!

Return Policy for Products

Refund Policy

For play-alongs and eBooks:

Because these are digital downloads, and not returnable, we have a strict no refund policy. All purchases are final and cannot be reversed. Please be sure that you fully understand the product you are purchasing and what is and what is not included. Of course, if you ever have any questions about a product feel free to contact us or visit our FAQ page.

For 30 Days to Better Jazz Playing eCourse

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing. 14 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
  • This guarantee lasts 14 days, which completely covers almost half of the course, enough for you to observe its’ effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 2 weeks. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

For Inner Circle Membership

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing. 30 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
  • This guarantee lasts 30 days, which is enough for you to observe the membership’s effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 30 days. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

Rights of use

All digital products are for the use of the individual customer only. Redistribution or reselling of our digital products is strictly prohibited and a violation of United States and New York State law.

PRIVACY POLICY

At Learn Jazz Standards LLC, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important.

Here are the types of personal information we may collect when you use and visit LearnJazzStandards.com, and how we safeguard your information. We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Log Files

As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL or Shaw Cable), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.

Cookies and Web Beacons

We may use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a popup once in your visit, or the ability to log in to some of our features, such as forums. We collect this information to help send you only pertinent content that we believe you are interested in and will benefit from.

We also use third party advertisements on LearnJazzStandards.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP, the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed.

This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

DoubleClick DART cookies

We also may use DART cookies for ad serving through Google’s DoubleClick service, which places a cookie on your computer when you are browsing the web and visit a site using DoubleClick advertising (including some Google AdSense advertisements).

This cookie is used to serve ads specific to you and your interests (“interest based targeting”). The ads served will be targeted based on your previous browsing history (For example, if you have been viewing sites about visiting Las Vegas, you may see Las Vegas hotel advertisements when viewing a non-related site, such as on a site about hockey).

DART uses “non personally identifiable information.” It does NOT track personal information about you, such as your name, email address, physical address, telephone number, social security numbers, bank account numbers or credit card numbers. You can opt-out of this ad serving on all sites using this advertising by visiting http://www.doubleclick.com/privacy/dart_adserving.aspx

You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.

Deleting cookies does not mean you are permanently opted out of any advertising program. Unless you have settings that disallow cookies, the next time you visit a site running the advertisements, a new cookie will be added.

Email Addresses

If you share your email address with LearnJazzStandards.com via the contact page, we will only use it to contact you, and will NOT add you to any lists or newsletters without your consent.

In addition, if you sign up for the free newsletter, your email address will only be used to send special offers and updates from LearnJazzStandards.com. Addresses are recorded and kept secure through MailChimp, which we use to distribute information to our subscribers. Neither MailChimp nor LearnJazzStandards.com will give or sell your address to any third party, nor will you be added to any additional lists.

Right to Be Forgotten

If at any point you wish to be completely deleted from our databases, whether it be as a newsletter subscriber or an account holder on learnjazzstandards.com, you have the complete right to do so.

Contact us, and we will ensure your data is cleared from our system.

Data Control Contact

If you ever wish to reach out to us regarding the use of your data, we are reachable at [email protected]. Additionally, you can use our contact page, to reach out any time.

In short, your information is safe with us, and we greatly value your trust.

Thanks for using Learn Jazz Standards!

Terms of Use

Welcome to LearnJazzStandards.com!

We’ve created this page so that you (and any visitor to LearnJazzStandards.com) will understand the terms and conditions that govern your use of this website.

If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions, which together with our privacy policy comprise our (LearnJazzStandards.com’s) entire relationship with you.

Exclusion of Liability

The content found on any page of this website is for your general information and use only, and it is subject to change without notice.

Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose.

You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

Indemnity

By accessing our website, you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses including legal fees arising from or in connection with your use of our website.

Copyright Laws & Intellectual Property

This website contains some material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

All logos, trademarks, and other intellectual property found on LearnJazzStandards.com are the property of their respective owners. They do not indicate ownership, affiliation, sponsorship, or any other relationship with LearnJazzStandards.com.

In addition, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse those websites, and we have no responsibility for the content of those linked websites.

Unauthorized Use

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States of America. Any unauthorized use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offense.

Thanks, and enjoy LearnJazzStandards.com!

Return Policy for Products

Refund Policy

For play-alongs and eBooks:

Because these are digital downloads, and not returnable, we have a strict no refund policy. All purchases are final and cannot be reversed. Please be sure that you fully understand the product you are purchasing and what is and what is not included. Of course, if you ever have any questions about a product feel free to contact usor visit our FAQ page.

For 30 Days to Better Jazz Playing eCourse

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing.

14 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee

  • This guarantee lasts 14 days, which completely covers almost half of the course, enough for you to observe its’ effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 2 weeks. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

Rights of use

All digital products are for the use of the individual customer only. Redistribution or reselling of our digital products is strictly prohibited and a violation of United States and New York State law.

Learn Jazz Standards Messaging Terms & Conditions

Effective Date:

This SMS message program is a service of Learn Jazz Standards. By providing your cell phone number, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing text messages (e.g., SMS/MMS cart reminders, sale notices, etc) from Learn Jazz Standards. These messages include text messages that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system, to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up or any other number that you designate. You give Learn Jazz Standards permission to send text messages to the enrolled cell phone number through your wireless phone carrier, unless and until you end permission per these Terms & Conditions. Consent to receive automated marketing text messages is not a condition of any purchase. Message & data rates may apply.

Message frequency may vary. Learn Jazz Standards reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time, so as to increase or decrease the total number of sent messages. Learn Jazz Standards also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number from which messages are sent and we will notify you if we do so.

Not all mobile devices or handsets may be supported and our messages may not be deliverable in all areas. Learn Jazz Standards, its service providers and the mobile carriers supported by the program are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

By enrolling in the Learn Jazz Standards messaging program, you also agree to these messaging terms & conditions (“Messaging Terms”), our Learn Jazz Standards Terms of Use and Learn Jazz Standards Privacy Policy.

Cancellation

Text the keyword STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to cancel. After texting STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message you will receive one additional message confirming that your request has been processed. If you change your preferences, it may take up to 48 hours for it to take effect. You acknowledge that our text message platform may not recognize and respond to unsubscribe requests that do not include the STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT keyword commands and agree that Learn Jazz Standards and its service providers will have no liability for failing to honor such requests. If you unsubscribe from one of our text message programs, you may continue to receive text messages from Learn Jazz Standards through any other programs you have joined until you separately unsubscribe from those programs.

Help or Support

Text the keyword HELP to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to receive a text with information on how to unsubscribe.

No Warranty

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE MESSAGING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AGREE THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER OF Learn Jazz Standards OR ANY PARTY ACTING ON BEHALF OF Learn Jazz Standards BE LIABLE FOR: (A) ANY CLAIMS, PROCEEDINGS, LIABILITIES, OBLIGATIONS, DAMAGES, LOSSES OR COSTS IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO Learn Jazz Standards HEREUNDER OR $100.00; OR (B) ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES. YOU AGREE EVEN IF Learn Jazz Standards HAS BEEN TOLD OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE OR LOSS ARISING OR RESULTING FROM OR IN ANY WAY RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE Learn Jazz Standards MESSAGING PROGRAM. Learn Jazz Standards AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DELAYS OR NON-DELIVERY IN THE TRANSMISSION OF MESSAGES.

Indemnity

To the maximum extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Learn Jazz Standards, its directors, officers, employees, servants, agents, representatives, independent contractors and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, actions, causes of action, costs, expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, judgments or penalties of any kind or nature arising from or in relation to the these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers.

Dispute Resolution

  1. General. Any dispute or claim arising out of or in any way related to these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, and regardless of when a dispute or claim arises will be resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, BY AGREEING TO THESE MESSAGING TERMS, YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION AND THAT THESE MESSAGING TERMS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO AND GOVERNED BY ARBITRATION.
  2. Exceptions. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, nothing in these Messaging Terms will be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit the right of you or Learn Jazz Standards to: (i) bring an individual action in small claims court; (ii) pursue an enforcement action through the applicable federal, state, or local agency if that action is available; (iii) seek injunctive relief in aid of arbitration from a court of competent jurisdiction; or (iv) file suit in a court of law to address an intellectual property infringement claim.
  3. Arbitrator. Any arbitration between you and Learn Jazz Standards will be governed by the JAMS, under the Optional Expedited Arbitration Procedures then in effect for JAMS, except as provided herein. JAMS may be contacted at www.jamsadr.com. The arbitrator has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement.
  4. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. You agree that, by agreeing to these Messaging Terms, you and Learn Jazz Standards are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action, collective action, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding of any kind.
  5. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
  6. Modifications to this Arbitration Provision. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Messaging Terms, if Learn Jazz Standards makes any future change to this arbitration provision, you may reject the change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to Learn Jazz Standards’s contact information provided in the “Contact Us” section below, in which case this arbitration provision, as in effect immediately prior to the changes you rejected, will continue to govern any disputes between you and Learn Jazz Standards.
  7. Enforceability. If any provision of these Messaging Terms is found to be unenforceable, the applicable provision shall be deemed stricken and the remainder of these Messaging Terms shall remain in full force and effect.

Changes to the Messaging Terms

We reserve the right to change these Messaging Terms or cancel the messaging program at any time. By using and accepting messages from Learn Jazz Standards after we make changes to the Messaging Terms, you are accepting the Messaging Terms with those changes. Please check these Messaging Terms regularly.

Entire Agreement/Severability

These Messaging Terms, together with any amendments and any additional agreements you may enter into with us in connection herewith, will constitute the entire agreement between you and Learn Jazz Standards concerning the Messaging Program.

Contact

Please contact us with any inquiries or concerns at [email protected]

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ STANDARDS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE eGuide “Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way” and follow the 5 simple steps for crushing it with jazz standards.

Learn Jazz Standards The Smart Way Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ THEORY LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE “Jazz Theory Made Easy Fast Track Guide” and follow the 4 simple steps that make learning jazz theory easy.

Jazz Theory Made Easy Fast Track Guide Ebook Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR IMPROVISING JAZZ SOLOS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE “Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide” and follow the 3 simple steps for improvising amazing jazz solos.

Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide Ebook Cover

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "How the Jazz Greats Became Great" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "How the Jazz Greats Became Great" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "How the Jazz Greats Became Great" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart