Music
James Brinkmann
Title: Adjunct Lecturer, Flute and History of Rock
Department: Music
Email: jbrinkmann@uttyler.edu
Degrees
- Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance, Michigan State University
- Master of Music in Flute Performance, Certificate in Music Career Development, Michigan State University
- Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance, DePaul University
Biography
JAMES BRINKMANN fosters people’s curiosity, creativity, and sense of belonging within
Western classical music and other music communities. He unites performance, teaching,
and research to create interactive music events that encourage listeners to be aware
of their reactions with music and share them in fun and meaningful ways. From playing
in concert halls to jamming in the subways, he has performed and collaborated with
communities around the country, including the University of Utah, Atlanta Flute Club,
Lakeview Orchestra (IL), and the Broad Museum Art Lab (MI). He has presented lecture-recitals
and research papers at National Flute Conventions, College Music Society conferences,
the Society for American Music, and presented “Collaborative Listening” at TEDx DePaul
University. In 2018, the Chicago Tribunefeatured his spontaneous performances in the Chicago subway stations and ideas about
audience engagement.
A versatile orchestral and chamber musician, James recently played Principal Flute
on the national orchestra tour of the Netflix’s Our Planet Live in Concert (USA) and the premiere run of the musical The Principle Wife (UT). He previously held the positions of Principal Flute in the Lakeview Orchestra
(IL) where he was a concerto soloist, Second Flute in the Northbrook Symphony (IL),
and has subbed with the New World Symphony (FL) and Jackson Symphony Orchestra (MI).
He co-founded the hybrid-arts ensemble Floboe Productions with oboist Alli Gessner,
which presented a workshop on interdisciplinary audience engagement at the 2022 International
Double Reed Society Conference. While living in Chicago, James was a flutist with
the Chi Flutes Quartet, CHAI Collaborative Ensemble, and Second City Wind Quintet.
He also won prizes in the 2012 and 2013 National Flute Association Orchestral Excerpts
Competition and the 2017 and 2019 Donald Peck International Flute Competition.
James seeks to understand the diverse and nuanced ways that people interact with music
and music communities. He creates long-term projects that are inclusive, collaborative,
and engaging spaces for people to connect with music, creativity, and other people.
In 2023, he premiered sixteen pieces from his international project, What If… Call for Scoresand presented the concept in a recital at the National Flute Convention. The call
invited composers of any age, expertise, and nationality to write flute repertoire
(beginner, intermediate, professional) based on the prompt “What if the flute represented
a character other than a bird?” Composers of thirty nationalities submitted 128 flute
works. Judges included two professional flutists, an adult amateur flutist, and a
non-performing music listener.
With an enthusiasm and curiosity for practical teaching methods and the learning process,
he is the Adjunct Lecturer of Flute at the University of Texas at Tyler and flute
instructor in the Rockwall and McKinney ISDs in the Dallas area. Before moving to
Texas, he taught flute methods and flute lessons at Michigan State University and
served on the flute faculty and as the Woodwind Department Chair at the Merit School
of Music in Chicago. James regularly presents workshops on fundamentals, pedagogy,
and developing healthier relationships with the flute and music. He has presented
for multiple National Flute Association events, the University of Utah, and the New
Jersey Flute Fair among others.
An advocate for student belonging and interdisciplinary collaboration, James was a
member of the MSU’s Residential College of Arts and Humanities Graduate Fellowship
cohort for three years, where he also served as the Interim Co-Director in Fall 2021.
Along with Dr. Liza Calisesi-Maidens and Dr. Erika J. Knapp, he researched undergraduate
music students’ sense of belonging. They presented their findings at the International
Society for Music Education World Conference, the College Music Society National Conference,
and CMS Great Lakes Conference.
James earned his DMA and MM degrees at Michigan State University, where he also completed
a Graduate Certificate in Music Career Development. He holds a BM from DePaul University.
His primary flute teachers include Richard Sherman, Mary Stolper, Lisa Byrnes, and
Christina Smith.
More information available at: www.innovativeflutist.com