ARTISTIC STATEMENT
I have been a musician for as long as I can remember. I started playing piano as a young child, began teaching when I was fourteen, and have spent my whole adult life in music – studying it, performing it, teaching it, and leading at a community music school. I am married to a musician, with two sons who are both music students. Music has been the thread running through every part of my life.
I value the arts education I have received throughout my entire life, even into adulthood. Extraordinary teachers have inspired me to give back. So I approach my work in the arts the same way I have approached everything else in music: with discipline, with deep respect for what came before, and a desire to help the next generation of students.
WHY MUSIC MATTERS
I believe music is one of the most important things in human life. It should not be just entertainment or something playing in the background; it is one of the primary ways human beings make sense of their lives and connect with one another. A healthy musical culture goes hand in hand with a healthy society. And importantly, I think we lose something when music becomes only something we simply consume, instead of something we do.
MUSIC BELONGS TO EVERYONE
I have spent my career in community music education, and it has shaped me considerably. I have watched a seven-year-old at her first recital, a teenager preparing for college auditions, and a retiree picking up an instrument for the first time all find a place to make music. Music is not only for people who can afford the best seats, the best instruments, or the best teachers. Access and participation matter. I want all aspects of my work to open doors to music rather than close them.
STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE
WHAT I AM REACHING FOR
Recently, much of my thinking has centered on an idea I call Universal Resonance. At its heart is a question: can a music be created based on the shared human experience – joy, grief, longing, wonder, belonging – with a universality across differences of culture, language, and background? Is some type of universal music possible? I think of it as universal accessibility and openness, not universal consensus.
As a creator, that question has led me toward a particular goal: a new musical language that is not bound by any one genre or tradition. I think of the whole of humanity’s musical inheritance – its instruments, voices, forms, rhythms, and practices – as one vast archive, and I want to draw on all of it. My hope is to bring the world’s musical traditions together and, in doing so, create a genre all its own: music that someone, anywhere, might hear and feel was made for them. Universal Resonance is aspirational and an ambition, and one that I strive for throughout my work.
Whether it's a song, a class, a performance, or decision about arts leadership, ambition comes with responsibility. I take that responsibility seriously.
AN INVITATION
So, if I may, I would like to ask something of you, the way I might ask a student at the end of a lesson. Make music. Sing. Pick up an instrument, or pick it back up. Put on a recording and really listen to it, the way you would give your attention to anything that matters. Go to live concerts. Support the musicians in your own community: buy their recordings and show up for their performances. Working artists are not a luxury in a community; they are a sign of its health.
My music is here if it speaks to you, and if it does not, that is perfectly all right. But if it does, I hope it sends you back toward music itself: making it, seeking it out, and making room for it in your life. That, more than anything, is what my work is for.
Jon Michael Iverson, Ed.D.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 2026
PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT
Music exists in all known cultures, past and present: it is a foundational attribute of human existence, shaped by – and shaping – the lived human experience. Music therefore serves as a mirror, helping us understand the world around us as well as the world within us; it helps us learn what it means to be human. As a result, musical understanding and appreciation are important elements in the Art of Personhood, helping us lead an artful life that is well-rounded and balanced, helping bring purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to our lives. By providing a richer, deeper, and more beautiful understanding of life, music helps establish an informed, aware, and conscious citizenry – a populace that is emotionally and culturally intelligent. Above all else, these are the most profound benefits of music and music education.