Tim Brimmer, associate professor of music education and technology, received the Apple Distinguished Educator award for teachers that are pioneers in using a variety of Apple Inc. products to transform teaching and learning in their classrooms.
Brimmer was presented with this award for his innovative use of technology in the field of music. He is where the two worlds of technology and the arts meet.
Usually, the computer junkies and the musical artists stay separate, but not in Brimmer’s class. They meet here to learn how technology can make them better at their art and how important technology can be to their success.
He was hired to help with the neglected use of technology at Jordan College of Fine Art 17 years ago, and the first thing he did when he came here was set up a seminar so faculty could learn about the development of technology in the arts. For this, he brought in many experts and evaluated the technological needs of JCFA.
Brimmer did this and also raised the funds necessary to build the lab they now have at the college.
Many of his colleagues admired his progress and gave reasons for why he has been able to do so much.
“He doesn’t sleep,” Penny Dimmick, professor of music, said. “He functions very well on two hours of sleep at night, and the amount of energy and passion for helping students he brings to class is phenomenal.”
His course on technology in music, which he created, involves technology in every aspect of the class.
“He’s one of these creative people who knows how to use technology to not only teach better, but to have fun, and when students have fun they are more likely to learn,” Stephen Laurent-Faesi, professor of dance, said.
He shows students how to do everything from posting their résumé online to composing and choreographing on their computer.
Apple and its products have a special role in what makes Brimmer tick.
“Brimmer has always been a champ of Apple as it is the most creative manufacturer of software and hardware in the disciplines of the arts. That’s Mac’s strength,” Laurent-Faesi said. “They make it fun and that is the key. It is an absolute logical fit.”
Brimmer uses Apple products to show students how useful technology can be in the arts and in education.
He is not only helpful to students but is also famous for setting up workshops for faculty members, to inspire them to use more technology in their classes.
There is a notable difference between how Brimmer and other professors use technology, Laurent-Faesi said.
“The greatest difference is his knowledge of technology and his instinct of combining technology in whatever he does,” he said. “I now have a technology component in all my classes that I teach, and my students find it fun.”
