JJ Jackson

  • Title: Creator of the Jackson Music Program, Music School Owner & Music Instructor
  • Organization: Jackson Music Program
  • Location: Fairview, Michigan
  • Ages: All ages, 0 and up
  • Instruments: Drums, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Bass, Uke, Mandolin, Banjo, Cello, Violin, Tongue Drum, Congas, Bongos, Djembe, Kalimba, Slit Drums, Xylophone, Tablas, Didgeridoo, Singing Bowl, Timpani, Marching Quads, Orchestra Percussion, Native American flute, Tin Whistle

Congrats to our Music Teacher of the Month, JJ Jackson! Jackson has been teaching music for 18 years and has performed with 15 bands so far. He musical achievements started early, co-writing his first song at the age of 5.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who nominated you? How long have you been teaching?

I was nominated by my biggest fan, my mom. Both my parents have always been supportive of my music and teaching pursuits, since starting out as a pots-and-pans drumming kid who co-wrote his first song with friends at age 5. I've been teaching professionally in classroom settings for 18 years, since 2006, and even earlier when I taught my sister to play the drum set so we could form a band in high school. I cut my performance chops by playing in eight bands throughout high school and college. That eighth band, Ashes to Light, heeded the call of adventure to take our music on the road and we bought a 1976 Fireball RV and traveled the country, earning our way by playing music and doing odd jobs. We spent a year-and-a-half traveling before settling in a beautiful area on California's Central Coast for 11 years. 
 
While out West, I started teaching at a music conservatory and quickly rose up to become the general manager, lead teacher trainer, marketing manager, and lead designer/co-author of a myriad of music teaching books. I subbed for a few other bands out there to push my career total up to 15 bands that I've played with, so far. My main band became Explode the Machine, a high-energy blend of rock, blues, hip hop, and funk with socially and politically-charged lyrics. Our motto was, "As kids, we raged against the machine. Now, it's time to explode it." It wasn't about real explosions of violence, but a perspective that it's necessary to metaphorically blow up the old capitalistic machine to allow a new, healthier society to rise out of its ashes like a phoenix.
 
We all saw society evolve during the pandemic and the surprises of 2020 led me to getting divorced and moving back to Michigan less than a year into starting my own music teaching business. And once again, music was there to help me through a challenging time in life. Music was a big part of helping me to heal and move on from my divorce, especially writing an album during the healing process that was very cathartic. While writing this album that I entitled, Ascend, I discovered a development of my singing voice while exploring vocal drones and harmonies. This unlocked something in me that gave me a new level of confidence and insight into the new person I had become throughout the last dynamic decade of life. It also opened up so many unrealized musical ideas that it led me to write and produce my 11th solo album, Meditation & Manifesting Music
 
In 2023, I opened my first brick-and-mortar music school in Fairview, MI and have been growing steadily teaching both in-person and online lessons, as well as hosting classes and camps. One of the flagship classes in my Jackson Music Program that is becoming really popular is the Toddler Tunes class, which teaches music fundamentals and instrument exposure to parents and kids ages 1-7. I also offer a Tators & Tots class for grandparents and kids to play songs together, an ukulele club, songwriting class, and camps for music theater and learning to play in a band. I created the Jackson Music Program to give families and individuals the most access to the benefits of music at every stage of life.

What has music and/or teaching taught you?

Music helps me to understand harmony and disharmony in the world. It helps me to communicate better. Music gives me stability and an eternal outlet. It's a never ending playground where imagination gets to adventure with the ingredients of music to cook up new experiences every time. Music has shown me there's always something to be curious about, always something new to learn and the more I learn, the more epiphanies I have about music and life. Playing and teaching music; indeed, using it in all its ways, has taught me it can have a big impact on living a good life. There's many ways to interact with music to get its benefits and I encourage everyone to interact with it daily. 
 
Teaching music, specifically, has shown me how accessible the benefits of music are to every single person, regardless of if you want to be a professional musician, someone who enjoys sharing music at home with family and friends, or prefers to only partake by yourself. Music is here for you, whatever your age or situation.

What types of music or instruments are your favorites to teach?

My favorite instruments to teach are: 1) drums for how all kids let loose while being loud on the kit, 2) vocals for how it gives people confidence and brings them out of their shells, 3) ukulele because it's the most approachable instrument for any age and every strum brings a little rush of happiness, and 4) theory and improvisation because they are the biggest tools to allowing someone to jump into making music.
 
Altogether, I teach piano, drums, vocals, guitar, uke, bass, mandolin, banjo, tongue drum, bongos, congas, xylophone; as well as intro to cello, violin, tablas, didgeridoo, singing drum, Native American flute, tin whistle, and recorder.

What is your favorite type of music to play?

My favorite type of music to play is improvisational and/or experimental music with good grooves, melodies, and entrancing energy. This usually shows up as hybrid songs that blend heavy metal, blues and electronic music, or improvised adventures on piano, tongue drum, or guitar.

What do you like to do for fun? Do you have any hobbies?

When I'm not playing, writing, teaching, or recording music, I like to take part in hobbies, like hiking, hanging with animals, making films, doing art, learning to cook Thai food, geocaching, discovering new coffee shops, taking road trips, woodworking, gardening, writing books, and putting on events.

What advice would you give music teachers just starting out?

What excites you? Find out what makes you jazzed about music and how you want the students to feel as they're learning, what kind of musicians you want them to be. Lead from that place. The biggest thing students will take away from lessons with you is your attitude, perspective and behavior. A less-experienced teacher who is enthusiastic, respectful, inspiring, adaptable, and who encourages exploration, imagination and creativity will have far greater, more long lasting impacts on students, compared to a more-experienced teacher who may be rigid and unmotivating.
 
What are your strengths? All music lessons don't have to look the same. In fact, a variety of approaches is most beneficial. Don't feel as though you have to fit a mold or follow some traditional mode of teaching. Many traditional teaching models are out of date and ineffective, anyway. Identify where your strengths are with music and interacting with students and highlight these as you develop your teaching style. This will give you a better connection with your students, because they will be more engaged with your authenticity, and your student retention will increase. I'm still teaching the very first private lesson student that I started with 13 years ago. 

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to all music students if you could?

Remember that music is always here for you. Music is your friend, confidante and supplemental therapist. It's the perfect place to put all those big emotions that are hard to express through words. Try to engage daily as much as possible with the 7 Uses of Music: listening, learning, playing, performing, writing, recording, and teaching. This will give you access to the most benefits of music. Pursue what excites you and set personal goals with your music that are in-tune with your life. Keep a balance of the 7 Uses of Music as you practice at home, so you don't get burnt out making your brain do too much of one thing at a time. And always remember that the first, most important thing about music is to have fun and develop a relationship with it. Be curious. Let out your self-expression. Having your own relationship with music will keep it a vibrant part of your life, bringing music wellness into every stage of growing and aging. 
 
So, go strum some happy!