Ian Sims

Clarinet, Saxophone, Jazz Ensembles

A native of Stephens City, Virginia, Ian Sims completed his undergraduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University and its Peabody Institute as a member of the Double Degree Program. In May 2008, he was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Electric Engineering with a Mathematics Minor from the Whiting School of Engineering and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the Peabody Institute. As an undergraduate student, he was a recipient of the Robert A. and Irene M. Boenning Scholarship (2003-2008) and a Technology Fellowship through the Center for Educational Research. Additionally, he served as a Jazz Department Undergraduate Assistant (2005-2008) and was appointed as a Teaching Associate for saxophone and clarinet in the Peabody Preparatory (Fall 2007) through the Tuned-In outreach initiative.

Ian continued his graduate studies at Peabody and, in May 2010, he was awarded a Master of Arts in Audio Sciences with a concentration in Recording and Production and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Jazz Studies. During his time as a graduate student, he was a recipient of the Peabody Jazz Studies Graduate Assistantship (2008-2010), Richard & Elizabeth Case Scholarship (2008-2009), Willard and Lillian Hackerman Scholarship (2009-2010), Matthew S. Polk Scholarship for Recording Arts and Sciences (2009-2010), and the Kuehne-Finn Memorial Endowed Scholarship (2009-2010). His primary instrumental studies have been under the guidance of world renowned saxophonist Gary Thomas, with minor clarinet studies under Steven Barta. As a student of Gary Thomas, he was given the unique opportunity to assist in founding the Peabody Improvisation and Multimedia Ensemble as well as implementing a comprehensive set of educational tools for theory and improvisation via Moodle e-learning software.

As a member of the Peabody Preparatory, Ian was recruited to assist in revitalizing its jazz program. With the help of fellow faculty member Blake Meister, he was able to implement a successful jazz ensemble. The program has now expanded to include two jazz ensembles as well as a jazz theory course. For his work as an instructor in the Tuned-In program, Ian was a recipient of the 2010 Diversity Recognition Award from the Johns Hopkins University. He continues to work as a faculty member in the Peabody Preparatory, while also serving as Academic Coordinator of Jazz Studies in the Peabody Conservatory and a woodwind instructor in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids program.

In addition to his rigorous academic schedule, Ian performs regularly. Recent performance venues have included the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Music Center at Strathmore, Kennedy Center, Kossiakoff Center of the Applied Physics Lab, Gordon Center for Performing Arts of the Jewish Community Center, Johns Hopkins University, Peabody Institute, and Maryland Institute College of Art as well as numerous clubs, restaurants, and private functions throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Ultimately, Ian is preparing for a career that focuses on the application of technology in music. As an active performer and educator, he aspires to use technology to record and publish performances, develop tools for performance enhancement and teaching, and explore protocols to support virtual concerts and studio lessons using high speed internet communication.