Jason Brown, new Fine Arts director, comes to District 219 after demonstrating significant achievements in music and  leading students.

Brown’s experience with music started as a fifth-grade trumpeter in an East St. Louis public school district. His richest experience, however, was in East St. Louis Senior High School, which was known for its outstanding jazz program. With the encouragement of his mentor and jazz band director, Ron Carter, Brown received a scholarship to Eastern Illinois University. Once he finished his music bachelor degree, Brown started his first teaching job in St. Louis. After four years, he became the band director at his alma mater, East St. Louis Senior High School, and decided to complete his masters degree at St. Louis University in education administration.

Once he received his masters degree, Brown temporarily relocated to Virginia to become an assistant principal for one year then returned to St. Louis as principal of an elementary school for four years. Because of the unsuccessful history of the Fine Arts program at that school, “[I became] the fine arts director to revitalize the fine arts program in Riverview Gardens School District, 12 schools in total,” Brown says.  For two years in that position, he “brought in several external resources to help support the needs of the Fine Arts program… [which] was challenging since they did not have that many resources.” Yet even with those limitations, Brown’s was still one of the eight school districts in the country to receive a VH1 Save The Music Foundation grant.

As a fine arts director, Brown began to receive considerable recognition for his transformation of the Riverview Gardens fine arts program. He was named the 2012 Arts Educator of the Year by the Arts Education Council and earned the St. Louis American Salute to Excellence Award program.

Brown’s mentor, Ron Carter, currently the director of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University, told him about the opening at District 219.

Aside from his professional career in St. Louis, Brown was the lead trumpet player and a chairman of the board of a group called the Jazz Edge Big Band. Right now he is a candidate for his doctorate is in the process of completing his dissertation.”

So far his experience with the students and the parents in District 219 has been positive.  “I have seen some fabulous performances… and tremendous things [from all of the programs]… I find a high level of motivated and determined students who are committed to the world of arts… The students are very excited; they are anxious, and they want to be a part of these groups,” Brown said.

“The parents have been very welcoming. They are a great group to work with, and they are a great support system to help address the needs of the students and the Fine Arts program as a whole,” Brown said.

For his first year, Brown plans on assessing the fine arts program and find ways to improve it. “For Institute Day on Oct. 31, I plan on presenting the topic ‘The Future of Fine Arts in District 219.’  This topic will basically cover the types of courses that are being offered to students. It will also look at what other programs surrounding schools offer and finally it will help form goals to improve the program.

“We have this great facility and these great resources but I really think that the people behind it that help push it and have that vision and direction as to where they want to go, so they are key players in the success of the program as well,” Brown said. Even though the programs are doing tremendous job, Brown will focus on improving the visual arts area with technology since his main goal is to continuously improve.