ABOUT | Stephen Grindel

Biography

As a young musician growing up in southeastern Washington, Stephen Grindel began performing with local jazz musicians at wineries and other small venues.

His interest in music led him to Chicago, Illinois, where he studied music education and jazz studies at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. While at NU, Stephen studied jazz trumpet with Brad Mason and was also mentored by Chris Madsen, Victor Goines, and Maud Hickey.

While living in the Chicago area, Stephen performed with NU jazz ensembles and was an active pit orchestra musician in the school's thriving theater department. He was also a member of Bassel & and the Supernaturals (neo-soul/funk) and performed occasionally at the Green Mill Lounge with the Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra.

In 2014, during his last year at NU, Stephen studied for a semester at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands, taking trumpet lessons with Ruud Bruels and Jan Oosthof and improvisation lessons with Michael Moore. It was during this formative time that Stephen discovered his fascination and interest in free improvisation.

From 2016-2018, Stephen was a Graduate Employee (formerly Graduate Teaching Fellow) at the University of Oregon, where he studied trumpet with Brian McWhorter, Paul Krueger, and Sarah Viens and composition with Steve Owen.

In Eugene, Stephen performed with the Eugene Composer's Big Band, Event Horizon (fusion/funk/hip-hop), and co-led a quartet, Semi-private Ego Union, which performed original compositions by band members and freely improvised. Their album, Eponym, is available on Bandcamp (see "Media" tab for more info).

Stephen was the Jazz Director at The Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee, Florida from 2019-2021. At OCSA, he coordinated the jazz program, directed pit orchestras, and assisted with concert bands. He also performed regularly with the Orlando Jazz Orchestra.

In 2021, Stephen moved back to Oregon with his wife and two rescue animals. He is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Milwaukie High School & Milwaukie Academy of the Arts, where he coordinates concert bands, athletic bands, orchestras, jazz bands, and directs the pit orchestra for musicals. He is active with the Oregon Music Education Association and Oregon Band Directors Association and is passionate about advocating for music in the schools. He continues to perform in the Portland metro area, including with the PYJO Vanguard Big Band.