March 2027 Program
March 12: Jazz for Everyone, Xavier Davis
Topic Description:
Jazz can feel like a foreign language to those of us trained in the classical tradition—but its rhythms, harmonies, and spirit of improvisation offer something powerful for students of every age. In this 90-minute session, we'll explore jazz from several angles at once: a bit of its rich history and lineage, focused listening that trains the ear, the rhythmic feel that makes the music swing, and the harmonic and theoretical ideas that make it tick. Most importantly, we'll consider how to bring these elements into your own studio in ways that are accessible and fun for younger pianists—no prior jazz experience required. Whether you're jazz-curious or simply looking to expand what you offer your students, you'll leave with fresh ideas, listening to explore, and practical starting points. Bring your questions; we'll leave plenty of room for discussion.
Speaker Biography:
When legendary vocalist Betty Carter heard a young Xavier Davis performing with his college ensemble at the 1994 International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Boston, she recognized an exceptional talent on the spot. She brought him to New York and hired him as the exclusive pianist of her working trio — and with that, one of contemporary jazz's most distinguished careers was launched.
Today, Xavier Davis stands among the most accomplished jazz pianists in the world. As writer Bob Blumenthal has observed, Davis "knows how to make every note on his instrument sing," consistently finding the richest voicings the keyboard has to offer. His artistry has been shaped above all by three mentors he holds in deep respect — Carl Allen, James Williams, and Billy Hart — whose inspiration and guidance helped define the musician he became.
Coming from a family of music educators, Xavier regards passing knowledge on to the next generation as central to his life's work. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Jazz Piano at Michigan State University, following six years on the jazz faculty of The Juilliard School in New York, and has led master classes and clinics around the globe.
Over a career spanning more than 100 albums, Xavier has performed and recorded with a remarkable roster of world-class artists, including Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Christian McBride, Regina Carter, René Marie, Stefon Harris, Abbey Lincoln, Wynton Marsalis, Don Byron, Nat Adderley, Nicholas Payton, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Greene, Steve Turre, Al Foster, and Jeremy Pelt. He served as Musical Director of the Boys Choir of Harlem during the 1999–2000 season and played keyboard for the television series Cosby. As a member of the Christian McBride Big Band, Xavier has been featured on three GRAMMY Award–winning recordings: The Good Feeling (2012), Bringin' It (2018), and Without Further Ado, Vol. 1, which won Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2026.
As a bandleader, Xavier has released three critically acclaimed albums — Dance of Life, The Innocence of Youth, and Rise Up Detroit. Jazz Times praised the "mature, nonchalant ease" of his playing, while Down Beat awarded Dance of Life four stars and hailed it as an "accomplished debut." Rise Up Detroit, released on Mack Avenue Records subsidiary Detroit Music Factory, has become a favorite among DJs worldwide. In April 2022, he followed it with the digital EP Cautious Optimism on the German label G2 Records.
Xavier's distinctions extend well beyond the bandstand. In 2005, he became the first person ever to receive the prestigious New Works Grant twice from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, under the auspices of Chamber Music America, and he has earned honors at numerous festivals and in Down Beat magazine.
A gifted composer, arranger, and producer, Xavier has written and arranged music for artists such as Carl Allen, Regina Carter, Robin McKelle, and Hans Schuman. He co-produced Tom Harrell's Wise Children and produced two albums for singer Lizzie Thomas, and he remains an accomplished and passionate composer and producer of music for film and commercial projects.
March Program
March 13, 2026: Justin Colwell - Problem-Solving & Pianism: Leadsheets as a Musical Sandbox
Topic Description:
Piano teachers are often encouraged to break the time-honored mold in order to connect with our students, sustain our livelihoods, and make teaching fun! Studying leadsheets in the context of piano lessons can add variety to the content of your teaching and motivate students by allowing them to pursue music they find interesting, while allowing us to impart high-level musicianship concepts like analysis, voice leading, fingering, voicing, and playing by ear. In this presentation, I will discuss what leadsheets are, how they are useful, and what preparation students need before working with them. I will also highlight resources for accessing lead sheets online and offer teaching strategies for Lennon-McCartney’s “Yesterday” and Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” to show how this format can be an entrée to high-level music-making with students of all ages.
Speaker Biography:
Justin Colwell began playing the piano at age four and has enjoyed making music as a collaborative artist, music director, and occasional composer ever since. Recent projects include a debut solo album the fires & the river: piano music for modern dance (2021), collaboration on the piano duo accompaniment for Side by Side by Sondheim with Grand Valley State University Opera Theatre (2021), performances of the Brahms and Mozart requiems in chamber orchestration with Grand Rapids Community College choirs (GRCC, 2023-24), and VoxGR’s holiday concert VOXmas (2024).
Today, Justin’s work revolves around performing and teaching music in community spaces in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He currently serves as the Faculty Accompanist at GRCC and Music Director at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan. With his spouse Melia, he co-owns Yellow Door Music Studio and Joyful Sounds Music Studio, offering comprehensive music education services to families in the region. His teaching specialties include collegiate group piano and private piano for intermediate students and adult beginners. He serves on the board of Piano Teachers’ Forum of Grand Rapids.
Justin holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance & Humanities from Indiana Wesleyan University (piano studies with Phoenix Park-Kim, conducting studies with Jason Thompson) and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri Kansas-City Conservatory (piano studies with Robert Weirich). Justin lives with his spouse, two children, and two cats in Grand Rapids’ West Side.
March Program
March 14, 2025 - TJ Lymenstull: “Off to a Great Restart” (with Transfer Students)
Program Description:
Together we’ll explore ways to quickly and effectively get to know our new students and their families in detail both personally and musically. We will quickly assess a wide range of skills, crafting questions to obtain the most helpful and useful answers. We’ll set up a productive educational plan that both builds on their abilities and addresses their needs and goals. And we’ll look at ways to set up a positive working relationship with both students and parents.
Bio:
T. J. Lymenstull has been Instructor of Piano at the Interlochen Arts Academy since 1998. At Interlochen he has built a studio of outstanding young pianists from around the world. His students have won prizes in national and international competitions, and have gained admission to Curtis, Juilliard, Eastman, New England, Peabody, and most of the other leading conservatories and universities.
Lymenstull has performed and given masterclasses at conservatories, festivals, conventions and music schools across the US and Asia, including competitions in Washington DC, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Japan, and Singapore, and guest masterclasses in over 20 cities in China. He has also been a guest teacher at the Montecito, Shanghai, and Amalfi Coast music festivals. In 2023 he was the first American pianist after Covid to give masterclasses at the conservatories in Shanghai, Chengdu, and Shenzhen, China.
Before Interlochen, Lymenstull was Associate Professor of piano pedagogy at the University of Southern California, where he was honored as a Teaching Fellow of the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching.
In 2024 Lymenstull began what he considers to be a long, permanent sabbatical, working on projects old and new in performance and teaching. Over the coming years this “sabbatical” may gradually look more and more like what could be called “retirement.”
Dr. Lymenstull studied at Eastman and the University of Southern California, working with Frank Glazer, Cecile Genhart and John Perry, and was a Fulbright Scholar in piano and conducting in Vienna, Austria. He has performed with the Kronos Quartet, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and with orchestras in the United States and China.
March Program
March 8, 2024 – Emily Peterson: Teaching Students on the Autism Spectrum
Program Description:
This presentation will consider the intersection of music therapy and education in the private lesson setting, provide a review of peer-reviewed research regarding current practices in the field, and end with an open discussion. As Emily does not have a diagnosis of Autism herself, she welcomes perspectives of those on the Autism spectrum and encourages sharing of lived experiences.
Speaker Biography:
Emily DuPont Peterson (she/her), originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, is a music therapist, music educator, and performer. Emily received her bachelor’s of music degree in voice and music therapy from Appalachian State University and earned her master’s degree in adult & higher education in 2019 from GVSU. In addition to co-owning West Michigan Music Therapy LLC, Emily maintains a thriving private music studio with locations in Grand Rapids and Rockford High School that serves all ages and abilities. The bulk of her clinical work is in end of life care and currently works with children with autism and Rett syndrome in her private practice. She taught music at Grand Rapids Community College, a NASM school for four years and gained her reputation as a sought-after vocalist and clinician; frequent collaborations include soloing with the Vintage Parlor Orchestra and chamber groups from the Grand Rapids Symphony. You may have seen her recently as the Master of Ceremonies/musical director in Kander and Ebb’s Chicago, music director of Grand Rapids' first Grown Up Theater Camp, and you can find her this fall as a teaching artist at the Civic Theater.