Definitely not. I like using jazz as the structure for training a well-rounded musician because it combines all the aspects of musicality. The structure includes: 

• Arrangements (which require interpreting), 

• Chord symbols (which can be re-written, and rely on the players to "voice"), 

• Traditional notation (usually just for the melody, which needs to be referenced to recordings to be played accurately) 

• Improvised sections in which you "play the changes", 

• and opportunities to completely deviate from "the form", and compose original material on the fly. 

It's also convenient because the "real book" standard tunes are written in the same format so it makes it easy to apply the learnings to a bunch of different types of songs (in terms of sub-genres, tempo, rhythmic "feel", and time signature). This is an all-encompassing skill set. Once learned, it can easily be applied to almost any other genre. 

Traditional reading is not a necessary skill to be a great musician. With a well-trained ear and mind, it can be avoided. It is, however, very useful for communicating rhythm, and it is important to know to which note we are giving a numerical context. So you might change your mind as your skill set develops faster than you’re used to.

If you haven't liked learning music theory in the past, it is likely because you didn't experience its usefulness. I'd encourage you to give it another try with me because it will almost certainly be more interesting, engaging and understandable than what you learned before—I hear this from almost every student.

For me, what separates Jazz from other genres is the presence of embellished harmony. You can apply jazz elements to any genre thereby "jazzing it up". For example, if you're playing minor triads in a reggae song, try adding a b7 or a 9 or an 11 to your chords , and see what happens! It'll start to sound more jazzy. A great improviser in a jam band, will almost inevitably be playing scales that intentionally step outside the key at some point, especially when their solo "gets weird". If it sounds good, there is always a theoretical explanation for why, and that explanation requires jazz theory to explain. It is my belief that many of the most catchy songs in popular music are interesting and catchy because of their jazz elements. Journey's Don't Stop Believin' comes to mind. The bass player hits a "sharp eleven" on the "four chord" and the melody passes thru the 13 to the 5 on the “five chord” as melodies from the jazz repertoire so often do. This is what makes the song so catchy!

Traditional notation is usually two staffs (bass and treble) with different types of dots and symbols carefully placed on or between horizontal lines, this system specifically tells you what note to play, and when to play it. 

Tabelture lays out the grid of a stringed instrument with numbers and location on horizontal lines to indicate specifically on which fret to place your finger, but doesn't clearly articulate rhythm. 

Chart reading uses chord roots and chord symbols to provide a general picture of the harmony for each moment in a song. They are often referred to numerically, for example, "let's play a three six two five one in G". Chart reading requires an understanding of chord arranging to do properly since not every chord is played in root position (1, 3, 5, 7). In Jazz, 1, 7, 3, 5 is often used instead, for example. Chart reading also requires flexibility and adaptability, because you are expected to compose the harmony (and vary it) to some extent even though you are given a qualitative context for the notes you use, and are specifically told what the root will be on the downbeat of the measure (or as otherwise indicated). It is definitely the hardest and most useful type of reading. I’m here to help.

The idea that if you can play jazz, you can play anything is absolutely true. I spent most of my music career in almost every other genre—jazz always seemed too complicated, and now that I have the capacity to play jazz, it is much easier to memorize, learn, participate without imposing, and embellish tastefully in any genre.

I am definitely not the most proficient and technical player, on any of my instruments—partially because I was never able to pick one. However, I do feel uniquely blessed as a teacher of this language. I’ve spent my whole life studying it, and paying attention to how things are traditionally taught every step of the way. My experience is incredibly diverse. I’ve learned from so many teachers (everyone I’ve played with) of various skill levels, who all had unique strengths and backgrounds. I learned in the context of a great many types of ensembles, roles and genres. My deep fascination with music theory (more than anyone I’ve ever met), and passion for making learning more efficient and fun—as well as playing 6 instruments professionally for almost two decades—makes me uniquely qualified as a music language specialist. Finally, in my experience, the best players are often not the best teachers.

Knowing the language allows you to easily observe those unique assets and strengths in people you listen to or play with. Being fluent in the language allows you to gear your practice in whatever direction you feel most inspired to master, and on any instrument. It’s fun to be able to differentiate between styles and genres, applying the concepts in different ways in order to reflect the integrity of a particular genre, all the while noticing, it really is all the same universal language! It also will help you break out of the norm (if you feel inspired) because it’s easy to understand what is common, and do the opposite.

Every note in every moment of every song in every genre has two numerical contexts: a reference to the root of the key, and to the root of the chord. Our ears are naturally able to recognize these different sounds, and patterns in that we have an emotional and physiological reaction to the music we hear. The reason this happens is because of those two numerical contexts. Any musical term you’ve ever heard (unless it’s in reference rhythm or articulation) is, to put it simply, a vocabulary word that can be defined with a combination of numbers. Once I learned to think about music in this way, I realized I had all the tools I needed to teach myself any instrument and play any genre—as long as I have enough time to practice. You will likely feel this way too after a couple semesters (6 months) at I DO JAZZ.

Music School instilled in me an infatuation with Music Theory. After music school, and years of touring and playing professionally, I spent years pouring over every mathematical combination of notes and numbers like a mad scientist. Once I finally felt ready to immerse myself in the Jazz world, this made it easy for me to catalog the stark differences in the way all the teachers of Jazz* all taught, played and thought about the language—they only had few things that were common to all of them, and the heart of my curriculum is designed around these common traits.

*I studied privately under various professors of jazz piano, music theory and jazz department chairs, and one well-immersed pianist of the jazz era (Art Lande) who offers jazz master classes at Universities around the world, and who has shaped the lives of thousands. He is my mentor and I owe the bulk of my philosophy and skill set to him—thanks Art for helping me play from the heart and making sense of the chaos.