Dr. Parkinson was a member of the original 1994 ISJA faculty and assumed the directorship in 1996. The Polish administrative director is Grzegorz Motyka, director of the Krakow School of Jazz, and a renowned jazz guitarist. The majority of the students who attend the ISJA are high school and college students from Poland and the United States. Other countries that have been represented include Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, and Iceland. Thus, a true international flavor prevails at the academy.
Students are generally at the intermediate or advanced skill level.
The American faculty members concur that the ISJA students are eager to learn, very attentive in class, and work hard to improve. Having a variety of cultures and educational backgrounds raises the expectations of the faculty and the students. As established in 1994, the objective is for the faculty to have contact with as many students of varying levels as possible throughout the daily curriculum. Whenever possible, master classes are rotated among the various teachers to allow for a maximum exposure to various pedagogical ideas and performance styles. In addition to performances for the ISJA students, the faculty presents concerts at various clubs in Krakow and on the famed Rynek Glowny in the heart of the old city.