Jazz in Texas: Theresa Chen

How is your fall semester going at Texas A&M? 

This is my second year in this teaching position. Life gets busier, but I’m very excited about the future growth of the jazz program. This year, I’m teaching jazz theory and will teach jazz pedagogy in addition to my ensemble and lesson coaching. It is my first time teaching both courses, so I can’t wait to invent something new to engage students in learning. At the same time, a few students and I are going to start a new jazz student organization, initiate community outreach, and find all kinds of opportunities to boost the jazz scene in South Texas.

What is your experience like performing in Texas? 

Because of my new teaching job, I just moved down to South Texas last summer. Since where I am now is also almost close to the US/Mexico border, I am exposed to a rich Latin jazz and Mariachi scene, which opened another door for me. In the future, I hope to perform more around the valley area, then expand the territory to San Antonio and Austin.

Do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about?

I’m working on my second jazz album called Not Afraid, a result of self-reflection upon my life as an Asian female jazz musician. Unlike my first album, Whispering to God, this one will feature 8 to 9 originals of mine. I hope to collaborate with drummer Allison Miller, whose sound and musicality resonate with the messages I want to share in the music.

Speaking of your 2021 album, Whispering to God, how did you meet your collaborators? I would love to hear about any long standing musical relationships you have!

The sidemen of this album were my classmates and colleagues during my graduate studies at Eastman School of Music. The musicians were often featured in my recitals, and their sounds, along with their musicianship, experiences, and personalities, always inspire and motivate me to become a better musician. They have been so patient, open-minded, and understanding during rehearsals and sessions. Even though we are scattered around the nation, we still keep in touch.

Can you describe your composition process? 

Most of my ideas do not happen when I sit down in front of the piano and diligently work on a composition. Instead they often come at random moments—like when I am on my way to work, or in the middle of lesson teaching. In order to not let the ideas slip away, I immediately get to a piano (or hum the melody) and record with my phone. When I hear ideas in my mind, I usually can envision how the whole entire band will sound, so that’s how I usually determine my instrumentation of the piece. When I gather enough demos, I assemble them together to form a section, then reorder those sections until the whole structure feels logical, coherent, comprehensible, and convincing.

Can you talk about an important mentor?  

Bill Dobbins and Clare Fischer are my main inspirations. Bill, who was one of my jazz professors back at Eastman, has a good relationship with Clare and compiled his songbooks. The influence of contrapuntal writing from classical music blending complex harmonization, adding good use of instrumental timbres, always gets my attention. They motivate me to explore harmonic possibilities and remind me not to forget my musical foundation—classical music.

Your bio mentions a connection to organ works and sacred music; can you speak a bit more about your experience with sacred music? 

I was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised Catholic, so sacred music has been an integral part of my life. I started playing church services in the 3rd grade, but I didn’t get to play the church organ until 2016. When I was in Syracuse teaching part-time, I also worked as a music director and organist of one church for two years. At one point, I began to wonder if jazz and Catholic music can go hand in hand together in terms of their healing power through music. That’s the genesis of my album Whispering to God. Now in Texas, I occasionally play services for Newman Center on campus, and I still love it because it keeps renewing my faith and makes me stay closer to God.

It seems like you have many non-musical interests. Do you find that they inform or inspire your musical work

Some of the pieces that are not recorded yet are inspired from reading literature about women and feminism and roaming in the places where there is lots of nature. Nature also has a healing power so it nurtures musical ideas and shapes my unique voice in my compositions.

What is your favorite thing about Kingsville, TX?

Beaches near the gulf, friendly music communities, and hard-working students (young people) who strive for their love of music!

To learn more about Theresa’s work visit: theresachenjazzpiano.com