Teaching

With over 18 years of experience as an educator, Jordan brings a unique skill set, a rich breadth of professional experiences, and a creative approach to teaching.

Teaching Philosophy

For me, teaching is like breathing. It is something I have always done as a musician, and it is something that I cannot imagine my life without. The jazz tradition is a cornerstone of my teaching. I encourage my students to explore the expressive language of the blues through the development of rhythm and groove, develop a command of improvisation and composition, and develop their ear through the language of jazz. My teaching is built on the foundation of mentorship, and I seek to nurture students as whole people as well as musicians.

I teach all levels and ages of students and take particular joy in sharing jazz with experienced musicians and teachers who may not have a background in jazz due to not playing a “jazz instrument” or not having a strong jazz pedagogy program prior to entering the field as a K-12 music educator or concert/orchestral musician. No matter what the reason, I share with my students the beauty and depth of the jazz tradition. The key part of learning jazz is developing your skills through the lens of tradition. In learning who came before you, you can understand and find who you are within the creative landscape of the jazz art form and use those tools to innovate and become part of the conversation. This is a key takeaway of my teaching.

29497172_10155850555146077_8202208926748074271_n.jpeg
41199949_10156248766661077_2957469357099188224_n.jpeg
187900887_10158876620281077_7883586095429596100_n.jpeg
218362805_4440893299277341_5222166504441205720_n.jpg
218710357_4440893009277370_4624726839812124237_n.jpeg
218710357_4440893009277370_4624726839812124237_n.jpg
305275292_10159774208326077_2511660111346711446_n.jpeg
305897709_10159774208161077_154719388183516169_n.jpeg
262499665_10159288738671077_4545987584911775047_n.jpeg
311678434_10221824871992041_7239253826590042269_n.jpeg
312138673_10221824871672033_1066207752161803615_n.jpeg
312298016_10159853520706077_2941154401328074022_n.jpeg
312420855_10221824871792036_1945293116107668010_n.jpeg
312590541_10221824871552030_3997334719805789263_n.jpeg
312825256_10221824872952065_7145990988318490547_n.jpeg
316279814_10159997020946077_110889968701511224_n.jpeg
316958903_10160010939041077_5904450313114864200_n.jpeg

Masterclasses

Dr. VanHemert has presented masterclasses all over the US, including but not limited to:

  • The Ohio State University 

  • University of Wyoming

  • University of Michigan

  • Central Michigan University

  • Oakland University

  • Furman University

  • South Dakota State University

  • Georgia College and State University

  • University of Nebraska Lincoln

  • 92nd St. Y

  • Calvin University

  • Grand Valley State University

  • Bradley University

1:1 Lessons and Consulting

Aside from his schedule at Northeastern State University, Jordan makes time to connect with a small group of individuals to help them reach their goals. Previous Clients have worked with Dr. VanHemert on the following:

  • Ins and Outs of the Academic Job Market

  • Advanced Saxophone Lessons

  • Intermediate and Advanced Jazz Theory Improvisation (any instrument)

  • Composition and arranging

  • Jazz Educator Consulting

  • College and Honor Band Audition Preparation

  • and more!

Jordan’s Teaching Bio

Passionate about empowering musicians of all ages and their teachers, Jordan VanHemert has a proven record of excellence as a jazz educator. His teaching philosophy centers mentorship as an inextricable part of the jazz tradition, merging aural and written modes of music learning, and an emphasis on the historical and cultural context of jazz. VanHemert has studied and played with many legendary jazz musicians and he possesses a keen ability to distill the lessons learned through these experiences to the benefit of his students. 

Using a vibrant ear training approach and the ideology of “connection before correction”, Dr. VanHemert is able to hone in on what students and ensembles need to elevate the level of their performance through community. Articulate and inspiring, VanHemert encourages students to maximize their creativity by fostering in-the-moment communication and improvisation, developing ear training skills, and encouraging students to go beyond the page in his classes. Interdisciplinarity in music is second nature to VanHemert, who has collaborated and presented in classrooms in lighting design, dance, neuroscience, sociology, politics, and more.

One of Dr. VanHemert’s many educational passions is demystifying jazz education for music educators without a jazz background. Many times, educators want to know the correct information to teach their students, but they are unaware of the places to look for it, or in worst-case scenarios, the information is gate kept. VanHemert has been a time-tested advocate for educators, having taught clinics for K-12-university students for 18 years.

VanHemert’s teaching has been recognized with many awards, including an Honors College Faculty Fellowship, Hope College Faculty Award of Merit, and the 2023 Outstanding Teaching in the Honors College award. 

Jordan is currently on the faculty of Northeastern State University where he serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and directs the NSU Jazz Ensemble. Previously, he served on the faculty of Hope College and the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University. While in Michigan, VanHemert was a trailblazer in the jazz education scene, starting the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra Jazz Ensemble, and the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to jazz education. He is in high demand as an adjudicator and clinician, and has adjudicated or presented clinics for the MSBOA District and State Jazz Festival, Central Michigan University Jazz Festival, Georgia Governors’ Honors Program, Georgia All State Jazz, and been a featured clinician at the Brookings Optimist Jazz Festival.