2026 Archive Page
Next Camp: 2027
Save the date for iGnitE jAzz! 2027.
Full details coming soon.
What Happened
For five days in June, 48 musicians aged 12 to 88 came together at Trinity United Methodist Church for iGnitE jAzz! 2026.
They spent mornings in warm-ups, instrument-specific technique classes and small combos, afternoons in big bands and elective classes, with lunch breaks listening to classic jazz recordings. Each evening the doors opened to the wider community for the iGnitE Buffet, a run of free drop-in sessions. The week finished on Friday with a shared dinner and a concert where every group performed the music they had built together.
That range, from a twelve-year-old improvising for the first time to players in their seventies and eighties, is the heart of iGnitE. Everyone makes music, everyone learns, and everyone plays.
An Educational Intensive for Every Player
iGnitE jAzz! is the Madison Jazz Society’s summer camp and educational intensive, open to musicians of all ages and skill levels. Over the week, every camper plays in large ensembles and small combos, gets coaching in instrument-specific sessions, and chooses elective classes. Beginner or advanced, twelve or eighty-eight, there is a place in the music for you.
A Day at Camp
Camp ran Monday through Thursday on a full daily rhythm, with an altered schedule on Friday built around the closing concert.
Monday to Thursday
- 8:30–10:00 AM — Warm-ups, instrument-specific
- 10:15–11:30 AM — Combo rehearsals, each group with an instructor playing alongside
- 11:30 AM–12:30 PM — Lunch, with optional classic jazz listening and discussion
- 12:30–1:45 PM — Elective Improvisation or Transcription sessions, divided by skill level
- 2:00–3:30 PM — Big band and large creative ensemble
- 3:30–4:00 PM — Break
- 4:00 PM onward — The iGnitE Buffet
Friday
- 4:00–5:30 PM — Set up and sound check
- 5:30–6:30 PM — Group dinner with family and friends
- 6:30–8:30 PM — Concert and presentation, free and open to all
The iGnitE Buffet
Each late afternoon and evening, camp opened its doors to the whole community.
The iGnitE Buffet was a series of free drop-in sessions led by camp instructors and guest artists, open to campers and public alike. Every session ran twice, at 4:00 and again at 6:00, so anyone could come after work or school. Free to attend, with a suggested $30 donation.
Monday — Practical Arranging for your Band (Adam Czerepinski); Learn to Speak Jazz (Chris Rottmayer)
Tuesday — Duo Collaboration (Leah Reinardy); The Color of Varied Time Signatures (Devin Drobka)
Wednesday — Freedom Dreaming & Improvisatory Play, remembering Jay McShann (Amy Lewis); Jazz Tap: History and Influence (Katherine Kramer)
Thursday — Circle Singing (Sally de Broux); Funky Drummers: The Beat and Influence of Clyde Stubblefield (Joey B. Banks)
Moments from the Week
The Closing Concert
Friday, June 19 · 6:30–8:30 PM · Free and open to the public
On Friday evening, families and friends gathered for a shared dinner, and then everyone, campers and community, packed the sanctuary for the final concert. Every group performed what they had spent the week building: the Jazz Combos, class demonstrations, the iGnitE Big Band, and the iGnitE Creative Ensemble.
Instructors & Facilitators
Austin Cebulske
Saxophonist, composer, and Lecturer of Saxophone at UW–Platteville. austincebulskejazz.com
Lucy Croasdale
Saxophonist, composer, and educator with a Master's in Music Performance from UT Austin. lucycroasdale.com
Jordan Kowalski
Drummer, educator, and composer; Ph.D. student in Music Studies at UW–Madison. Instagram
Laurie Lang
Bassist, educator, and president of the Madison Jazz Society. laurielangmusic.com
Cole Pecor
Guitarist, singer, and Master's student in Jazz Studies at UW–Madison. colepecor.com
Mark Saltzman
Retired band director at Madison East High School; directs the Madison New Horizons Band. wsmamusic.org
Katherine Schmit
Trumpeter; brass instructor and manager at the Wilder Deitz School for Creative Music. katherineschmit.com
Dan VanZeeland
Composer, arranger, and pianist; three-time DownBeat award winner. Instagram
Chris Wagoner
Violinist and multi-instrumentalist; Instructor of Music at Beloit College and author of the Hal Leonard Fiddle Method. gainesandwagoner.com
Help Us Keep the Music Going
iGnitE runs on donations and the generosity of instructors who give their time. Every gift helps keep tuition affordable and the music accessible to players of every age and background. If the faces on this page moved you, please consider supporting the next camp.