2024 Jazz Appreciation Month Interview Series: Roosevelt Griffin

In this interview, Roosevelt Griffin III discusses how to get young students comfortable with improvising. Founder of the Griffin Institute of Performing Arts NFP, Roosevelt holds the Dyett Chair for Jazz Studies at VanderCook College of Music, operates GI Music LLC, and serves as Jazz Academy Ensembles Director for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. His student-centered approach, emphasizing harmonious band rooms and technical proficiency, has led to numerous awards including the Golden Apple Award, John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year, and a street named in his honor. His innovative pedagogy has been documented in notable academic publications, and he holds degrees from Northern Illinois University, Concordia-Chicago, and Argosy University, with a sabbatical from Northwestern University.