The Classical to Jazz Piano Mastery Program
In 90 days, you will go from being reliant on sheet music, guessing your way through improvisation, and not knowing what or how to practice…
To sitting down at the piano and playing full jazz standards, or your own compositions — without sheet music — comping and improvising in real time, and sounding like a real jazz pianist, not a Classical pianist trying to fake it.
Dear friend,
There are pianists with far less technical ability than you who are improvising, playing gigs, and actually playing what they hear.
Meanwhile, you can play advanced classical repertoire — but when it comes to jazz, things can fall apart FAST.
Maybe you can't keep up. Improvisation can feel like guessing. And no matter how much theory you’ve learned, it doesn’t seem to translate in the moment.
The difference isn’t talent or work ethic.
It’s that those other pianists learned how to be a jazz pianist — you were trained to interpret music, not create it.
To read, not hear.
To execute, not improvise.
Most Classically trained pianists never fix this — not because they can’t, but because no one showed them HOW.
And that’s exactly what this mentorship solves.
Back in 2009, I already had 14 years of Classical piano training. I enrolled in college as a Classical performance major, discovered jazz after one semester — and was absolutely TERRIBLE at it.
I could play advanced repertoire, but I couldn't improvise or translate anything into jazz to save my life.
So I did what most serious musicians do — studied more theory, transcribed more, worked harder.
Nothing really changed.
It wasn't until I started studying with world-class jazz pianists like Art Lande, Eric Gunnison, Glenn Zaleski, Peter Martin, and Dennis Hamm that things finally clicked — not because I learned more, but because I finally learned how to connect everything into a process that actually worked.
From there I spent years refining that through real-world playing and teaching — earning a Master's in Jazz Piano, recording an EP that received radio airplay on KUVO 89.3 FM, performing and recording professionally in Los Angeles.
Later I spent 5 years on Noah Kellman's team mentoring students at every level, which forced me to get razor sharp at diagnosing problems and building roadmaps that fix them fast.
All of that experience — including things I've never seen taught anywhere else — is distilled into the system you're getting here.
Here's Exactly How It Works
Step 1: We will COMPLETELY ELIMINATE your dependence on sheet music, and significantly develop your ears:
You'll be able to hear chord changes, bass lines, melodies, and how tunes move — and connect what you're hearing in your head directly to the keyboard in real time — so your hands respond instantly, without stopping to analyze or search for notes.
Step 2: Rebuild your entire approach to jazz rhythms, time, swing and feel, so it actually sounds like jazz:
We'll fix deeply ingrained Classical habits like stopping and fixing, stiff phrasing, weak rhythm and groove, try-hard swing feel, rushing the time — and completely retrain how to learn, feel and play jazz rhythms so you sound relaxed, in time, and it feels right.
Those things are what makes ALL the difference in how you sound.
Step 3: Build a rich harmonic and improvisation vocabulary, that you can implement in real time:
You will develop and internalize the jazz language — pro voicings, soloing techniques, and tune-specific strategies — in ways that transfer directly to your hands, so improvisation stops being a difficult process and becomes automatic. You will learn to think, hear and play compositionally in real time.
Step 4: Learn exactly how and what to practice, using repeatable systems so you never have to guess ever again:
You'll learn clear, repeatable ways to analyze, approach, and practice any concept or tune — so every new piece of music feels structured and doable instead of overwhelming and confusing.
Whatever style or direction you're focused on — standards, blues, bebop, bossa, ballads, modal, modern, composition, arranging, solo piano, playing in a band, or anything in between...
This mentorship is built entirely around your goals, and directly addresses the Classical habits, gaps, and weaknesses holding your playing back.
After 3 months, you'll actually be able to play like a real jazz pianist — hearing your way through chord changes and tunes, comping and soloing without getting lost, and best of all: not feeling stuck on what to do next, or what and how to practice.
You'll have proven systems to keep progressing long after the program ends.
This is the exact shortcut I wish I had, instead of spending YEARS figuring it out the hard way through tons of trial and error.
Emerald came from a heavy Classical and Composition background, wanting to integrate jazz into her playing, compositions, and improvisations.
She was struggling with turning her improvisations and improv ideas into real music, and her ear training was non-existent when we started the program:
"As someone who wanted to compose in a wide variety of genres, I discovered ways to approach music making I would never have considered on my own.
I learned to see things musically and structurally, when I used to consider every phrase by itself.
I learned to listen in ways I never thought possible.
Justin was with me the entire way to encourage me, even when I could not see my own progress."
- Emerald He
for Jazz Piano Mentorship
Levi Clay is well-known in the guitar world as an established pro in multiple styles, celebrated transcriptionist, successful YouTuber (140K + subscribers), author of over 20 guitar method books, and has been teaching guitar for over 20 years. Classically-trained.
He already had an understanding of jazz and sharp ears, but when he switched his focus to piano incorporating it into his daily practice for the last 5 years, he struggled to translate everything.
Here’s how my program helped him break through:
"My actual understanding of the inner workings of piano, and how best to apply concepts I already knew, were severely lacking.
Justin has really helped me dig into the areas I felt I needed improvement in, and to be honest, the areas I didn't realize I needed improvement in."
- Levi Clay
What The Next 90 Days Look Like
We start with a complete audit of your playing, your goals, and your gaps — and build a comprehensive, personalized roadmap that attacks your weaknesses head-on, and maps out exactly how to achieve your goals.
We’ll work together throughout the program with a consistent coaching rhythm — typically 1 live session per week as the core structure, supported by a combination of guided practice, feedback, and structured lesson material depending on your level and what you need.
This means our live sessions are focused on the highest-value work: diagnosing your playing, correcting issues in real time, and showing you exactly how to apply what you’re working on at the piano.
For some, that looks like deeper breakdown and explanation early on.
For others who already have more experience, it shifts quickly into refinement, application, and targeted correction — but the goal is always the same: making sure you’re progressing efficiently without getting stuck or not knowing what or how to practice.
Between sessions, you get unlimited direct support so you’re never stuck or unsure of what to do next. Along with detailed, custom practice routines tailored to your specific goals, and exactly what to work on.
You'll also get access to a curated set of my supplemental material and courses I've designed specifically to reinforce the transformation. These resources directly support and fix major areas Classically-trained pianists typically struggle with in jazz.
And when the 3 months are up, you're not left hanging. You walk away with next steps and a detailed post-mentorship roadmap so you know exactly how to keep moving forward on your own.
Why Traditional Jazz Education Doesn’t Work For Most Serious Pianists
University programs like Berklee College of Music can cost over $300,000 for a full degree once tuition, fees, and living expenses are included.
And while they can provide valuable experience, most students still graduate without the ability to confidently sit down and actually improvise, comp, and play jazz in real musical situations.
A large portion of the time is spent on general coursework, ensemble requirements, and material that isn’t aligned with your specific goals as a developing jazz pianist.
Local jazz programs throw pianists into playing situations that are far above their level, expecting much more than they can handle and are ready for. All with little to no specific guidance, and general vague advice.
There's a more direct path — focused, personalized, structured mentorship built entirely around your playing, your gaps, and the actual skills you need from someone who has lived through everything you're going through.
No unnecessary coursework. No wasted time.
Just a structured system designed to help you become the confident player you’re trying to become, in the most efficient way possible.
You have a Classical piano background and can already read and play — but when it comes to jazz, improvisation, and real-time playing, things don’t translate or are a major struggle.
That typically shows up in a few stages — you’ll recognize yourself in one of these:
1. “I can read and play notes fine, but I can’t improvise and feel lost.”
You rely on sheet music, feel lost without it, and don’t know how to play or hear in ways that translate to real jazz at the piano.
2. “I can kind of play jazz and improvise, but it doesn’t sound good, sounds empty, or sounds lost.”
You’ve tried learning scales, voicings, theory, but your playing still feels stiff, uncertain, aimless, or is "missing" something and you're not sure how to connect everything or balance it all.
3. “I can play some jazz but I feel stuck; I don't know what to work on or prioritize, and I don't know how to practice in ways that actually make real progress without feeling like I'm wasting time.”
Maybe you can "get by" when playing tunes, but your time feel, vocabulary, and ability to confidently navigate new music is still inconsistent, shaky, unclear, or just simply lacking.
If you’re in any one of those stages above, this program is designed to close and permanently fix all of those gaps — and finally make jazz feel natural, structured, and playable at the piano.
If you have a heavy Classical piano background, this is especially relevant.
Even if you don't have a big Classical background but fall into any of the camps above or similar, you can still book a call with me.
I only open mentorship to a small number of students at a time, a few times per year.
This isn’t for people who are just exploring options. It’s for serious musicians who are ready to commit and follow a clear system that bridges the gap between Classical training and real jazz improvisation.
So if you want me to personally coach you each week, help you permanently fix the gaps in your playing, and give you clarity on exactly what to work on so you stop guessing what to do next — then book your free call with me today.
Finally have clear direction every time you sit down at the piano.
You’re going to tell me exactly what you’re struggling with, and I’m going to tell you exactly how to fix it.
And then you’re going to do it.
You follow the plan, apply it, and be able to play in ways you didn’t think were possible — and we're going to have a lot of fun in the process.