Meet Yamaha Master Educator Jeffrey Grogan

He quickly learned how to manage it all — from teaching and ordering buses to setting up stands, working with parents and much more. Grogan engaged fellow teachers, parents, custodians and others to “get the job done.” He continues to do this as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at Oklahoma City University and as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras.

Grogan’s collegial approach helped mold his fundamental belief that gaining the trust of one’s peers, while providing an inspirational angle to understanding the spirit of the music by the players, is fundamentally important. Core to his approach is ensuring that those under his baton know and understand their responsibility to the music and are able to trust and support the ensemble. This is what inspires successful performance experiences. Whether conducting a small chamber ensemble or large all-state orchestra, Grogan’s focus on each individual’s emotional engagement is key, ensuring every ensemble member is fully engaged in every moment of a rehearsal.

Grogan pours an exorbitant amount of emotion, energy and passion into every moment, and he also makes the time to celebrate the successes of the music-makers. He creates inspirational moments and fosters a unique vocabulary that serve to provide connections within the music and among the players. He believes that what’s most important is what’s happening in the “here and now” and looks for each opportunity to create a little bit of magic in every rehearsal.

A few of Jeffrey Grogan’s session titles are: