Timothy Chandler
Office: Dunham Hall 1103(618) 650-3900tchandl@siue.edu
Timothy teaches Jazz Keyboard Theory, Private Jazz Piano, and Jazz Combo. Born and raised in East Saint Louis, IL, Timothy has been musically inclined since the age of 2. Initially acquiring an affinity for percussion, his skills as an “ear” player were manifested in his development as a drummer with his Father’s church, as well as his grade school and junior high school concert, marching, and jazz bands. At the age of 15, however, the necessity for a pianist with his Mother’s choir at his Father’s church inadvertently created a fork in the road of his musical journey, thereby diverting his full and unadulterated attention to the piano, keyboards, and organ, all of which he, at the time, taught himself to play by ear.
His musical development did not follow a traditional path, for he first elected to succumb to his love for math and science, consequently not studying music formally. Upon completion of his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Timothy was employed professionally by the Olin Corporation, United McGill, and Hewlett Packard, moonlighting as a musician only on the weekends. However, his love of music ultimately led him to leave Corporate America to pursue a full-time career as a musician in Las Vegas, during which time he toured with The Village People (YMCA), Hitzville USA (Motown Production), Carnival Cruise Lines, and The Dennis Edwards Temptations (Papa Was A Rolling Stone) from 2014 to the present. With these, and a plethora of other professional credits to his name, Timothy finally decided to formalize his musical training, thereby pursuing, and ultimately obtaining, his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance for Piano from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.