Erik Hanson studied jazz piano and has a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz composition and arranging from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA where he benefited from mentoring by luminaries Herb Pomeroy and Mike Gibbs. With a music career spanning over twenty-five years, he has been a big band and small ensemble composer, arranger, and leader; recording industry synthesist, arranger, band coach, and producer in Los Angeles, CA; and private music educator.

Erik Hanson is the founder of Jazz Night School and has created an outstanding environment for learning at all levels. Drawing on inspiration from his own encounters with jazz and pop music icons, such as Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Terri Lyne Carrington, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Rod Temperton, and the best of his learning experiences, Erik has created an outstanding jazz education curricula and methodology especially suited for beginning to intermediate level jazz musicians—empowering musicality and improvisation at each ability level.