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.

Back to School with NAfME 2025 images of music students

Category

  • Jazz Education

Resource Type

  • Video

Year Added

2025

Virtual Symposium on Music Education and Students with Disabilities and/or Living in Poverty. Saturday, November 15, 2025. A free, virtual event for music educators
Crayola Creativity Week. Join the free celebration January 26 to February 1, 2026. Sign up now button
Read the all new Teaching Music magazine! Image of October 2025 cover