(Q): Question
(B): Dr. Tim Brimmer
B : Well, I don’t know if I chose it or if it chose me, because I did not start out in this area. I studied classic, voice, conducting, then education, and then, I fell into jazz. One of my heroes, my voice professor, was also a jazz bassist, a fabulous man. He introduced me to Chuk Man Jion, and then we tried to sing vocal jazz in his choir, and it was so difficult, it was so hard, but that’s what inspired me. It was impossible, just impossible, and then the whole semester we learned three pieces and that was when I was 21. Since then, it has been a wonderful and challenging journey to meet and work with some of the world’s greatest vocal jazz musicians. So, it has not been a clean and clear decision, it has been an evolution.
B : I think that vocal jazz is the ultimate international language. It is appropriate for all ages, countries, skill levels and tastes. It can be done with one child, or it can be done with a hundred highly skilled adults; it can be done a cappella, it can be done with only instrument or any combinations of voices and instruments.
B : I realized that what we are offering now in music education is very limited and often inaccurate. I am interested in these areas. Music Leadership Institute, Multisensory Learning Faculty and even Jordan Jazz, have been based upon the first hand experience of watching carefully how people learn, how children become mature, how we all become artistic, and how we become world citizens. We do not learn music just by itself, we do not become artistic in individual pockets; we are complete humans and we approach all of the arts, in a very curious, athletic and integrated way. One thing affects the other, and everything affects everything else. There was a famous, native American, his name is Chief Seattle and he said, “We are all a part of the web of life.” That is my observation; it is a very profound difference from what many of my colleagues believe the way music education should be taught.
B : I use many technologies, because children use technologies. I have discovered that, yes, there are technologies that help people become accelerated learners of oral and visual literacy. After working with Apple closely on many projects for 35 years, I was invited to become an Official Apple Distinguished Educator. They have selected 50 people from the whole of the United States, and I am one of these 50 people. I get special emails, special soft wares, invitations for special training, and they ask me to fly around the country. I am here with Apple Asia to work with leading educators, to see what is possible in bold, innovative ways. It is very thrilling, it is an honor, but it is also scary to be working with such great technology experts, master teachers, innovative brilliant people of public and private education, government and business.
B : Festive Chamber is an amazing organization, full of very gifted, hard working, disciplined artists. Keep doing what you’re doing. Your approach, your philosophy, your music making is so healthy, so good. It will last you a lifetime, it won’t just prepare you for school, or it won’t just prepare you for your career, it’s preparing you for life.
