Dr. Jennifer Jester (she/her/hers)
FT Assistant Professor of Music Business Technology, Instructor of Tuba/Euphonium; Director, Entrepreneurial Leadership Center
Dr. Jennifer Jester is a musician, educator, songwriter, entrepreneur, and board-certified music therapist. Dr. Jester has a background performing around the world in low brass (trombone, euphonium, tuba), and as a vocalist and percussionist. Musical performance includes work with the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s River City Brass Band, Balkan Brass Ensemble, the CalArts Liberation Music Orchestra, Chicano Power Revival, Orchestra Latin Jazz Ensemble, off-Broadway productions, blues duo Jester and King, the Lancaster British Brass Band, and many other projects. As a professional musician, Dr. Jester traveled around the United States performing with the River City Brass Band, various solo performances, and to China with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Past projects have included compositions for euphonium, trombone, bass trumpet, and includes her one woman show called “The Last Tango.” Jennifer established School of Rock Springfield, Missouri between 2013-2020 and produced 7 years of concerts for student and adult performances, events, and festivals. Currently Dr. Jester is Assistant Professor at Millersville University in Live Audio, Tuba and Euphonium, and also teaches Intro to West African Dance and Drumming, Modern Band, and Commercial Ensembles.
Dr. Jester holds a DMA in Euphonium performance with a research emphasis in interdisciplinary education, performance, and entrepreneurship from UCLA, MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, a B.S. in Music Performance from Arizona State University, and a Music Therapy degree from Drury University. Dr. Jester is a Board-Certified Music Therapist with Neurologic Music Therapy and NICU-MT certifications. Dr. Jester was named a recipient of the Modern Band Higher Education Fellowship in 2021 by the nationally renowned Little Kids Rock Program based in Montclair, New Jersey, and in 2022 a Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow. Dr. Jester performs on euphonium with the Lancaster British Brass Band, and in her jazz group as a singer/bass trumpet player called “Dr. Jester and the Kings of Swing”.
Dr. Jester holds a DMA in Euphonium performance with a research emphasis in interdisciplinary education, performance, and entrepreneurship from UCLA, MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, a B.S. in Music Performance from Arizona State University, and a Music Therapy degree from Drury University. Dr. Jester is a Board-Certified Music Therapist with Neurologic Music Therapy and NICU-MT certifications. Dr. Jester was named a recipient of the Modern Band Higher Education Fellowship in 2021 by the nationally renowned Little Kids Rock Program based in Montclair, New Jersey, and in 2022 a Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow. Dr. Jester performs on euphonium with the Lancaster British Brass Band, and in her jazz group as a singer/bass trumpet player called “Dr. Jester and the Kings of Swing”.