The conservatory also offers community education classes and workshops for instrumentalists and vocalists and precollege youth programs for beginning, intermediate and advanced musicians.

In 1989 she left the Cal music department for private teaching and professional performance, playing at various times with Sonny Rollins, Sheila E., Marian McPartland, Marlena Shaw and Arturo Sandoval.

[3][4][5] In 1997 Muscarella bought an old 1880s residence at 2377 Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley to house the school and a connected cafe called La Note, the latter run by her neighbor, environment designer Dororthée Mitrani-Bell.

[3] The new location—the basement of the historic S. H. Kress & Co. retail store in the middle of the Downtown Berkeley Arts District—was rebuilt to contain 12 rehearsal rooms, 14 classrooms, a 60-seat concert space and a snack shop called Jazzcaffé.

In January 2002 the inaugural performance in Hardymon Hall featured singer Madeline Eastman backed by pianist Frank Martin, bassist Peter Barshay and drummer Vince Lateano.

"[2] San Francisco Bay Area musicians who have taught at the California Jazz Conservatory include pianist Taylor Eigsti, vocalist Kim Nalley, violinist and violist Mads Tolling, singer Madeline Eastman, violinist and arranger Jeremy Cohen of Quartet San Francisco, percussionist John Santos of the Machete Ensemble, singer Joe Bagale of Jazz Mafia, percussionist and vocalist Edgardo Cambón of Candela, flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny, saxophonist Anton Schwartz, singer Kellye Gray, saxophonist Michael Zilber, pianist Mark Levine, horn player Ellen Seeling of Isis, and guitarist Mimi Fox.