In this episode, we sit down with Jonathan Gewirtz, Professor and Music Department Faculty Lead at Lansing Community College, to explore the evolving landscape of music education, creativity in the classroom, and the power of interdisciplinary learning. With a career spanning performance, composition, and academic leadership, Jonathan shares his insights into nurturing the next generation of musicians and how community colleges can play a pivotal role in making music education more accessible and innovative.

We dive into his own journey as a musician and educator, the challenges and joys of leading a diverse music program, and how he sees the role of music evolving in both academic and community settings.

Whether you're a music lover, educator, or creative thinker, this conversation offers inspiration and thoughtful perspectives on the intersection of music, mentorship, and lifelong learning.

LCC Music webpage:

https://www.lcc.edu/academics/music/music/

Link to the LCC jazz band last Feb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x45ylLUQzGs

Link to a website with links to album:

https://thejongewirtzquartet.hearnow.com/

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Instagram: Conversations with Kate

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Conversations with Kate is like a conversation with your friend, hairstylist or therapist, where we will talk about music, life stories, and everything in between, with interviews and guests sprinkled in.

As an LCC student, it's an honor, and I love bringing a fresh perspective to the podcast menu on LCC Connect.

I am your host, Kate.

Let's get into this episode.

All right.

I have a very special guest with me today was my professor for the first two semesters, Music Theory 1 and 2.

Professor John Gewartz, right?

Yeah.

Okay.

Or Professor G, as I like to call you, throughout the whole.

That works.

First and foremost, why don't you introduce yourself a little bit, Kind of tell the people that are listening what you do.

I am the lead music faculty here at lcc.

I just started that position within the last year or two.

Okay.

I've been full time for about four to five years now.

Okay.

So I've been here.

I actually just got an email saying that I've been here for 25 years.

Wow.

Okay.

Okay.

How has music education evolved during your time here at lcc?

Do you mean as here at LCC specifically or as a whole?

We could do both.

Can you two parter?

So how has it evolved here at LCC and then also elsewhere?

Because you do teach elsewhere as well.

Okay.

I mean, I don't see the whole scope of music education so much from where I'm at, but at lcc, it's evolved quite a bit as the clientele evolves.

Okay.

And as the.

The school evolves and changes are made.

When I first started, the LCC Music program, I think had roughly around 60 majors.

Okay.

And it was really thriving over the years.

Things federally happen and Covid happened, and now we're trying to build it back up, and I think that's kind of where a lot of schools are at right now, too.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I've got a friend of mine that's a dean of students at College Campus in Poinciana, Florida, who's kind of said the same thing about the music and arts department at their university as well.

What are some unique opportunities or challenges community colleges face in building strong music programs?

Well, I think the cool thing about the community college environment is that it is community and embraces community.

Like the jazz band.

We have probably over 90% of our members are community members, and then we sprinkle in a few traditional students.

And, I mean, I'd love to have more, but again, the limited clientele that we have at LCC right now taking music classes.

It's just been amazing to have these community members that keep coming back.

Right.

And I have like a few that have been in the group for at least like 10, 15 years.

Oh, wow.

That's really cool.

That is really cool.

Yeah.

And raging in ages from 60s, 70s, all the way into their 20s and different experience levels and they all work together and help each other out and that's so neat.

Yeah, it's a really cool environment.

It was very neat.

We do have some of that going on with choir as well.

So FYI, if you're listening and you are interested, by all means.

How would someone get into the jazz band if they play an instrument and would love to do that?

The best way is just to email me.

Okay.

Gwertsj G E W I R T Z J at lcc Edu.

If you go to the LCC website and just.

Even just search music in the search box and then get to the music site, you'll eventually get to my name and my contact information.

Yeah.

We have the choir ensemble, rock band ensemble.

We have a new ensemble which is called multi instrumental ensemble, which I will be directing.

Okay.

It's gone through some different changes and kind of depending on who directs it.

Yep.

They kind of format the class to their specialties.

Okay.

And so my thought this year would be to try it out and kind of gravitate more towards improvisation.

Okay.

Because I've had a lot of students again with the jazz band kind of being the size that it is, and it can't really expand any more than what it is.

And I have a lot of community members in it.

And so to incorporate.

I've had a lot interest people interested in being in the jazz band, and I can't really accommodate for a whole lot more people.

Maybe it's time to start a new ensemble.

Yes.

And make it a little bit different than the jazz band.

It will be different because you don't have to have any skill.

Like you have to have knowledge of your instrument, but you don't have to have, like skills in jazz or improvisation to go into it.

That's the whole purpose of the.

Okay.

So any instrument.

Wonderful.

Yeah.

Cool.

Cool, cool, cool.

And then the jazz band, of course.

And the jazz band is the only one that you need to audition.

So if someone is interested in the jazz band, they do need to get a hold of me first and talk to me and I might need to hear.

And that's like I said before, it's any instrument.

It doesn't.

There's Not a specification for jazz band.

For jazz band.

Well, a preference, rather, I should say.

There'S more of a preference for jazz band.

And that's why I would like to have an audition.

Okay.

For the multi instrumental dome.

No, no.

It doesn't matter what instrument you play.

And anyone can sign up for those classes at any.

They don't need approval.

Oh, that's good.

Good, good, good.

How do you approach curriculum design to keep up with the needs of 21st century musicians?

Another good question.

So that is, again, assessing the clientele, talking to a lot of different people.

One thing that I'm pretty proud of within the last few years, and I had a lot of help from another colleague here, Steve Simonson, was that we reformatted our music tech curriculum.

And he definitely is way more involved in it, and it's way more in his wheelhouse.

But I was there to help him out and guide him.

The whole process was new to me as well.

We saw a need that in our community for more tech specialists, more people that need education in how to put together a podcast or the sound design for theater or for setting up the stage for a concert.

And that.

That something that I think will be popular within our community.

And I kind of see our music program maybe hopefully getting a little boost from that.

Yeah, absolutely.

I did take the.

I can't remember what it's called, but where you learn how to master music with Professor Jones.

Oh, 298.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, I think that's what it is.

There's a home studio production with Professor Jones.

And then he.

We changed the names of all these classes.

All I know is that I learned how to master music.

One of the things was a choir that was singing, which is really cool.

I didn't know.

Which helped me a lot because in my own production, I had no idea that there was specific levels that you, you know, so very.

That's absolutely glad that you guys have included that.

These are all classes I wish I would have taken when I was an undergrad.

Right.

We.

I mean, I was in a different type of degree.

And that's one of the things about music is that.

And it makes it difficult, especially for a small college like this, is to provide for everyone.

Because there's so many different avenues that you can go down in music, like with music education, music performance, music therapy, music tech, even within music tech.

I mean, like, our music industry degree is very broad.

Yeah.

I mean, it could be for somebody that wants to just go into the business side, management side.

They could go as a performer they could again go into the tech.

And it's only a two year degree, so trying to meet the needs of everybody that wants to go into it.

But it's a great place to start and get your foundation.

And if you want to pursue those more specialty skills, you have that foundation to do that.

Yes.

As the faculty lead, how do you balance administrative leadership with your creative vision?

Good question.

Because this is all new to me.

So I'm working on that vision again, that whole asking people, trying to get feedback.

I have a pretty good wherewithal within the community.

My kids go to school here in Lansing, my wife teaches here in Lansing and we have gotten to know quite a few people in the area.

Still a lot of more people to know.

But I think that's the big thing for me is establishing myself more in the community, letting people know that music exists here at lcc and it's a really good program and we have really good teachers and, and that it's a real viable option.

And I think as long as we can keep selling it that way, that people will come.

Yeah, I agree.

Absolutely.

How do you foster collaboration and innovation among faculty and students?

Mainly for me, it's just kind of being sincere, you know, being myself.

Absolutely.

And being consistent and set an example, you know.

Absolutely.

Do as I do, not as I say kind of thing.

And would you do that perfectly?

I try.

Yeah.

Very good.

I appreciate that.

So, yeah.

And so talking, whether it's the students or faculty, I feel more the approach of being a guide as opposed to like the master, telling people what to do.

Right.

This is, you know, like, let's collaborate.

Let's do this together.

Let me help you figure out what the problem is and help you find an answer.

That's the best kind of leadership, honestly.

All right, let's delve into your musical journey.

What originally drew you to music and how did that passion evolve into your teaching career?

Wow.

All right.

So I figured you'd say something like this.

Of course.

So I've been thinking about it like over the weekend.

What drew me to me?

Well, so going way way.

It's going to be my little therapy session too.

Yes.

That's what I'm here for.

Hey, I'm a, I'm a therapist.

I'm a hair pistol.

So it's part.

Part of my actual day job.

So.

Yeah.

When I was like five years old, my sister was playing piano already.

And so I remember going to a recital of hers and, and seeing a friend of mine in first grade at the recital plane.

I was like, I could do that, too.

So that's when I started.

And again, she was probably my first big influence.

Okay.

She still plays piano.

She plays at the Episcopal Church right across the street from the Capitol.

Okay.

She's a music director there.

Very nice.

And then I got into playing saxophone in middle school.

Still was playing piano.

Got into high school.

Actually quit before going into high school.

Really?

Yeah.

I wasn't a fan of the high school band director.

Okay.

But he left during that summer.

Okay.

We got a new band director, and he brought a bunch of people down that were in band in eighth grade and said, we want to try it again.

I always loved music.

I was like, yeah, I think, you know, I'll give this a try.

And luckily, he was there.

And luckily that happened because it's always been a part of me.

I think I always knew that I wanted to do something with music.

It was, you know, just kind of.

Yeah.

I really can never see myself doing anything else.

Whether it was same.

Yeah.

Whether it was playing music, teaching music, talking about me.

Somehow music was going to be a part of me.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Kind of.

It just went from there, you know, I never stopped.

When did that kind of go from just being a performative or enjoyment type of thing to the music education part?

Yeah.

I think I always kind of knew teaching was always a part of me as well.

Even in high school, again, had some really good teachers, good band directors, very passionate about music.

And you could just see that in the way they taught and the way they presented themselves.

Great saxophone teachers at cmu, at msu.

And.

And I knew that that was gonna be a part of my life in some way.

In some regard.

Yeah.

Like, I know a lot of performers that don't want anything to do with teaching.

Right.

They just want to play or they want to do something else.

Maybe music adjacent that involves music, but not necessarily teaching.

But I always knew that teaching was gonna be part of what I did as much as playing.

Yeah.

I feel that with my whole soul, actually.

Can you tell me about a formative moment or mentor, which you kind of did with your sister, but other than your s. Another formative person.

Formative moment.

That happened.

Well, one story I like to tell.

It's not, again, kind of involves my sister.

Is eighth grade.

Going.

Transitioning to ninth grade.

In ninth grade, they started up a jazz band.

Eighth grade, I think my sister gave me a brand for Marcellus tape.

Okay.

Which is how old I am.

If those kids out there don't know what tapes are.

Tapes are.

Yeah.

Use a pencil and you have to rewind it.

No.

So I got a brand for Marcel's tape.

I listened to it.

I was like, no one's singing on this.

I don't understand it.

So I put it away.

And then we started the jazz band.

One of the smartest decisions in my life, I think at that point, again, very formative, that I was like, I should probably listen to this style of music if I'm gonna play it.

So I listened to the tape again, listen to it again.

I listened to it again, and then finally it was like, this is really cool.

And then from there I was like.

And the cool thing about tapes and CDs back in the day is that they had a lot of liner notes and you learned a lot of information.

Especially jazz guys love to go on and on about all their influences and everything else was wrong in the world that didn't include jazz.

They love to preach on those things.

So Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, they just really like to go on and so.

But it was great for me because I learned a lot about Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker.

So then I got Charlie Parker recordings and Duke Ellington recordings.

And so I was listening to all that in high school, which.

And these guys are the foundation of jazz.

So I was very fortunate that, like, right from the get go that I was listening to the right stuff.

And again, my band directors in high school were very supportive and also very knowledgeable and very encouraging.

That's so great to hear.

I do know that you still perform currently.

How does that help you with your teaching?

I think it's almost imperative.

Okay.

As a music teacher, why is that?

To be performing.

Because you're constantly reminded of what it's like to be a performer.

I took a class this summer through lcc.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

A teaching class.

Okay.

To learn to be a better teacher.

And.

Yeah.

And this was the first class that I've taken in a really long time.

Okay.

And it was a nice reminder.

Again, kind of getting back to what you just asked.

Yes, it was just a nice reminder to like what it's like to be the student.

I got a little nervous at the beginning of the first week or so because it's such a different experience, especially if you've been out of the game of being a student.

Yes.

To be reminded of that.

So that's where I think the being a performer, you're just constantly reminded of the nervous energy.

Just even going to, like, new place.

I've gig all around Michigan, so going to new places, new venues, different people that you're working with.

Exactly.

And you're sharing ideas, too.

So you're getting a lot of.

You're finding out what's going on, what's current.

Right.

I work with even these gigs with college students.

Msu, you know, has a great program over there, and these kids are playing top level.

So I do a lot of gigs with them, and they're.

They're telling me, like, what's current as far as technology goes?

So, yeah, I think it's just to keep up with your craft, you need to be performing as well.

I agree.

I definitely agree.

Where and when can anyone listening right now see you perform?

Or where can they find information?

Do you have SoundCloud?

Do you have Spotify?

Wink, wink.

I already know that you have Spotify.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually, I'm glad you brought that up.

I am on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, pretty much Pandora.

It's really good.

You're super talented.

Oh, thank you.

Yes.

That album was something that I decided to do during COVID when everything kind of shut down.

And it was just an interesting time for everybody.

But I had a lot of.

Really was.

Yeah, I had some originals stored away, and I was going through them, and I was like, the title pertains to what's sort of happening right now.

I had one, like, first tune I ever wrote was called no Vacancy.

And just at that point, kind of thought about all the no Vacancy at any of the hospitals.

Like, everybody, everything was filled up at that point.

And then another one called Lucid Dream, which is what it felt like.

It really did.

Like a fever dream, for sure.

Yeah.

And so it just had all these titles and it just kind of made.

I wrote a couple brand new originals, just kind of fit in to fill it out.

But it just.

It seemed to all just fall together very organically.

It felt right.

And so, yeah, I got some friends to.

To perform with me on it and did it all kind of grassroots sort of thing.

Very nice.

So that's out there.

Unfortunately, I am not that tech savvy, so I need to find out a way to be better about promoting myself in the local scene.

Okay.

I play with several bands around town, including Orchesta Ritmo, which is salsa band.

Okay.

And you've talked about some of the gigs during class?

Yeah, well, not during class, but before class.

We just played this couple days ago in.

In Grand Rapids at their Hispanic Heritage Festival that they had.

Cool.

I play in a band called Summer of Soul.

Okay.

My Wife sings in and Wonderful.

It's a funk R B cover band.

Okay.

I played quite a bit at Moriarty's with a few different bands.

Okay.

So you can usually catch me from time to time there.

Okay.

So Moriarty's locally if you guys want to hear some good jazz music.

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Tuesday night jazz is great there.

Good to know.

Good to know.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about either music education and or music in general?

What slice of advice would you give someone that has no knowledge of either but a passion for one or both?

Passion has to be there, that has to be key.

But then in part of passion, there has to be a willingness to work.

You have to be driven and it's a very self motivated craft.

Yes, it is.

Yeah.

Because your teacher will tell you you need to practice, but they're not going to sit there with you and make you practice for hours.

And that's one thing that a lot of students I've found don't always realize is that like with, say with private lessons, it's a one credit class.

Yes.

But it takes up your life the most.

The most.

The most.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I have to square away hours, our blocks.

Not hour long, but two to three hour blocks for myself for that, just for voice practice.

And then separately this last term, even for piano.

I could not play piano before last term and I actually do play piano now.

So.

Any other advice other than that?

Ask questions.

Okay.

Go to places like LCC or other schools and ask the teachers, email them, ask questions about it so that you can be knowledgeable of what, like what's out there.

Right.

Because I think sometimes we go into this, I get students that come here and they, I think they just know they want to perform.

Right.

Well, performing is hard.

It really is.

It's not impossible.

And the act of performing is not hard.

But getting paid to perform is hard.

It is, it is, it is.

Honestly.

And I, you know this.

I am, I'm a hairstylist, I am a dj.

So being in front of people and talking to people regularly is not a problem for me.

But actually standing up in studio class in front of people and singing was terrifying and nerve wracking.

Even just at the end of each term doing the jury, I feel like I was the most prepared and the most excited for this last one.

But having that piece going into that.

Oh yeah, it is.

You are.

Right.

And one other thing you just mentioned too is be diverse.

Like be prepared as a musician to do that.

Do everything.

Yeah.

Like I work here at lcc.

I work a couple of different colleges as well.

If they said, can you teach this class?

I'd say yes.

Even if I did, I would prepare for that class.

I might be a week ahead of the students as I'm teaching it, but I'm gonna teach that class and I don't turn things down.

Same with gigs.

I don't.

There's very few.

I'm starting to a little bit more as I get older and trying to actually spend some time with my family as well.

That's a good thing.

You know, you might want to do.

That a little bit.

I think so.

Yeah.

But yeah, like playing gigs.

Teach whatever comes across my table.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm going to say so be diverse as well.

All right, Jonathan Goertz, thank you so much for hanging out.

The last thing I usually do with all of my guests so far is do the random question generator.

So let's press this cute little button.

What is something that you in that will instantly annoy you?

Ooh.

I don't get too annoyed that often.

I think maybe just because I just experienced on my way here is stupid drivers just doing dumb.

Professor Goertz, do you get road rage?

That's the only time my kids hear me swear.

I think.

Okay, fair enough.

Fair enough.

All right, well, again, I'm going to include any of the links.

If you are interested in anything that Professor Goertz I talked about, I will include all of his links when we post this.

So thank you again for hanging out with me today.

Thanks for having me.

This was fun.

You're welcome.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Conversations with Kate.

You can find more information on LCC Connect site as well as all social platforms.

Facebook, Instagram.

Yes, TikTok as well.

Big love, Sam.