Will Patterson ’16: Jim Erwin, the new Music Department Chair, has big plans for the Episcopal Academy music department. Coming from the Murray School in Washington DC and a two year stint in the New Orleans charter school system, Erwin has returned to the East Coast to bring his passion and love for music to the Episcopal community.
Scholium: How did you find EA?
I was actually looking for a school just like EA after I left the Murray School. EA has this larger program, and I didn’t have a string program before. I just thought, “What would a larger school be like? What would being a department chair in a situation like that be like?” Coincidentally, when I was applying two years ago EA’s position was not open. Haverford, believe it or not, back three years ago had an opening but I chose to go to New Orleans over that. It’s funny how things have worked out now that they’re our big competitors. I started looking nationally again, the second time, and there were a couple schools, in this area actually, that had openings. I have family on the east coast so I knew that this was the right place for me. And then this position opened up and I couldn’t believe it, it all kind of clicked into place.
Scholium: You mentioned New Orleans, how did you get there?
I had a previous student that had started these charter schools in New Orleans and I always felt this kind of tug to give back to the community, as far as ‘what could the arts do?’ in a very underserved, poverty-stricken community. Anyway, [the student] won a grant and offered me a position down there to help start an arts program for these charter schools. I was really naive, I went down there and it was just extremely frustrating with getting classes off the ground, the violence in the school was difficult, close to what a prison system would be. I made some success in my second year, but I kind of instantly knew that I needed to get back to an independent school.
Scholium: What was/is the most intimidating thing about coming to EA?
I think it is the size of the campus and everything being new and the organ. I was like, “Is this place for real?”
Photo courtesy of Brie Dinkins ’17
Scholium: Speaking of the organ, how long have you been playing?
Well, luckily I had a few church jobs previously where I played periodically. Actually in New Orleans I played piano/organ as an accompanist in a little church there. So I’ve probably had three, four, maybe five years of experience playing off and on. I’m one of those people who really loves learning new things so that challenge [of playing the organ] was exciting for me.
Scholium: What are your goals for the music program?
I would like to see the choir double, to about 50-60. The reason being, when you hear such a large group of young people singing it’s such a powerful experience. I would love us to be the number one arts school in the area and I would like to see it advertised and more visible in the school—a rolling webpage with recordings of students’ performances that gets constantly updated. I’m looking to have our groups do some J-Term tours, not internationally, but more branch out in the community here or go to places like New Orleans, LA, Boston, or Miami. That way it will be cheaper and more accessible to kids that might not be able to afford it. I want people in Philly to know about us here. I want everyone in this community to look at this as an arts hub, so I’m also hoping for a recital series. The chapel is such a work of art, not just as a piece of architecture, but acoustically. Every time I hear solo violins and singers, I’m just blown away.