By Ana Jaramillo
From playing the trumpet in a fifth-grade band to being the campus director for the Music Institute of Chicago's Lake Forest campus, Timothy Cook has been active for years in the music industry.
“I find it deeply rewarding to play a small part in a person finding their artistic voice or learning to develop the one they already have,” Cook said. “It’s amazing to watch a student have the ‘ah-ha!’ moment and feel a sense of accomplishment.”
“I see my role as shaping the overall educational experience and atmosphere for both students and faculty,” says Timothy Cook.
Cook values his connection with his students, something that carried over from working as a music teacher at Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, N.C. When the job of being a campus music director for Lake Forest at the Grove Cultural Campus came along, Cook knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“Being the director of our campus allows me to focus on the bigger picture and empower faculty to do what they do best—teach,” he said. “I see my role as shaping the overall educational experience and atmosphere for both students and faculty.”
Recently, he had the opportunity to work with an exceptional pianist at the Lake Forest campus who was accompanying a friend on a challenging trumpet concerto.
“The pianist played everything technically proficiently but lacked fluidity, particularly in the faster sections,” Cook said. “Drawing from my teaching experience, I introduced him to the concept of note groupings -- breaking down long, complex passages into more manageable groupings.
“Once our smaller segments were identified and he played through the passage again everything came to life! Not only did he execute the difficult section, but his playing became notably more musical. The moment when everything clicked was truly rewarding.”
Being a campus director requires multi-tasking: planning and coordinating events, working with the City of Lake Forest and the Chamber of Commerce and collaborating with other music and teacher associations. “My primary focus is ensuring that our campus provides a welcoming and inspiring learning environment for students,” he said. “Second to that are placement interviews to match students with appropriate faculty based on their interests and goals, organizing events such as our Fall Open House, and overseeing staff to ensure smooth general operations.”
When not inspiring and teaching students, Cook enjoys listening to composer J.S. Bach. “His compositions have a unique ability to resonate with all audiences on such an emotional level, which is exactly the essence of live performances—to make people feel something,” Cook said.
As a campus director, Cook is looking forward to “connecting with the community and making sure everyone knows we're here. There's truly something for everyone!”