While other students were practicing basketball or doing homework, young Jason Tiemann was in his bedroom, drumming to whichever song he chose for the day. That dedication to music eventually led him to a jam-packed schedule performing jazz in New York City, and he’s hoping to inspire today’s youth to follow their dreams.
He recalled getting his start as a drummer in Daviess County High School’s band rehearsals, a competitive drumming scene at the time. Tiemann said the amount of talent and competitive spirit pushed him to better himself.
“That inspired me. It may not have inspired everybody at the same level, but it was an incredible opportunity for me to get my hands together,” he said.
Eventually, he traded the marching band for a drum set, and the spark caught fire.
Tiemann said Steve Gadd and Vinnie Colaiuta records gave him endless lessons to learn from and pieces to study as “a perpetual student.” He added that he carries every note he took to each of his sets.
Some of his inspirations include Bill Evans, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, and several others. He said the greats of jazz music have left a “profound body of work” for everyone to study and enjoy for those who wish.
“You’ve heard the expression, ‘you are what you eat,’ and the same is true with music because you take little bits and pieces of everybody that you’ve studied and studied under a microscope with you,” Tiemann said.
Eventually, he played in Louisville for several years before moving to New York City in 2013. He said the idea of moving was terrifying because he knew it would change his entire way of life — down to car accessibility and traveling with a drumset.
However, he knew he might not stay as connected to the jazz scene if he stayed in Louisville.
In his first gig as a New York City resident, he worked with his now bandmate Peter Bernstein, then rubbed shoulders with jazz legends George Coleman and Eric Alexander.
“They immediately kind of shuffled me into the scene, and slowly but surely, I got my feet on the ground there, and now it’s to the point where I’m playing every night of the week and touring, recording, and teaching,” Tiemann said.
As a perpetual student, Tiemann said it’s always been essential to teach the next generation of musicians because of the shoulders he stands on as a creative.
When he teaches, Tiemann often thinks about the kid from Owensboro who didn’t have a private teacher yet had teachers and band directors who pushed him to listen to a few token songs.
He wants to “bridge the gap” between the people before him and those coming behind him.
“I want to give them the tools that they need to succeed,” he said. “If they really love this music, to go be able to chase their dream, the only way to do that is through humility and the joy of giving what I’ve gained from the masters.”
