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Brian Thomas Jacobs is a Chicago-born composer, copyist, and musician. He has composed chamber, orchestral, choral, electroacoustic, and film music, as well as, composed in a variety of popular music genres. He strives for his instrumental and chamber works to have a "musical narrative" when there is no scene, text, or program to follow. Brian is currently working as a composer and copyist in Fort Myers, Florida and enjoys the freedom of working remotely.
Brian began his training in music at age 5, taking private lessons in piano at the Beverly Arts Center of Chicago. He began private lessons in guitar at age 12, attending Horizon Music Studios in Evergreen Park, IL, and The Music School in Oak Lawn, IL. From age 17-18, he took private lessons in voice, music theory, ear-training, and dictation, at the Beverly Arts Center of Chicago. His first classes in music composition were in college at the University of Michigan, taught by: James Aikman, Stephen Rush, and Erik Santos.
Brian received a Master's Degree (MM) in Music Composition from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts, and Bachelor's Degree (BA) in Music Composition from Columbia College Chicago. His principal composition instructors include: Kyong Mee Choi, Stacy Garrop, Gustavo Leone, Ilya Levinson, and Doug Lofstrom.
Brian's compositions have been performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble, Palomar Ensemble of Access Contemporary Music, Logan Square New Music Ensemble, and the Cathedral Choir of St. James Cathedral in Chicago, having performances at Logan Square Studio, ROOMS Gallery, The Charnel House, Sherwood Conservatory of Music, Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University, the Music Center at Columbia College Chicago, and St. James Cathedral in Chicago.
Brian was a national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) 2008 Composition Competition, and received 1st prize in the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association (CAMTA) 2007 Composition Festival.
Brian performed his own post-tonal composition for solo piano, "Circus Bear", at the Recital Hall of Sherwood Conservatory of Music in 2007, and performed his own Folk-Rock song for acoustic guitar/voice, "I Was Caught, Abigail", at the Music Center of Columbia College Chicago in 2006. While attending the University of Michigan, Brian played Tabla in a classical recital of music from India, lead by Rajan Sachdeva in 2002, and was a percussionist and singer in a class recital of Javanese gamelan music, lead by Susan Pratt Walton in 2001. Brian has played in several bands as a singer and guitarist, and has played his favorite coffee house once or twice, but generally prefers to leave the performing to others.
Brian has also played the role of the music critic. In 2002, his self-titled album and concert review column, "Under the Influence of...[Band name]", came out monthly for one year in a free Ann Arbor magazine, Mad Peeps Post, edited by Jason Kirk.
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