Music on the Brain with T.K. Blue and Joy Reeve

Join multi-instrumentalist jazz musician, composer, and educator T.K. Blue and music educator, author, and doctoral candidate at Columbia University Teachers College Joy Reeve for a jazz concert and dialogue exploring creativity, music education, and emotional development.

Music on the Brain is a collaboration between the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute with the support of Jazz Foundation of America.

Talib Kibwe, or T.K. Blue, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator. He has appeared on over 85 recordings and has performed with a vast array of jazz greats over the years. He is committed to music education. Having received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Psychology from NYU and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Teachers College Columbia University, Blue has taught at every level from pre-K to the graduate level and served as the Director of Jazz Studies at Long Island University. TK’s 2017 release, Amour, his 11th CD as a leader, was cited as one of the best jazz recordings of the year by Downbeat Magazine. His latest album, The Tide of Love, a recording of beautiful ballads and songs of romance, was released in 2023 on Arkadia Records and reached #11 on the jazz charts.

Joy Reeve is entering the final year of her Doctorate of Education in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, under the guidance of Dr. Lori Custodero. From an early age, Joy's motivation with music was from the emotions she connected with as she played her instrument. As an elementary-school music teacher in Toronto, Canada, Joy's curiosity about music and emotions bloomed. She discovered the emotional effects of music as children expressed themselves through song and music-making. Joy studies the connections we experience between emotions and music, whether as a performer or a listener, and asks how creativity through music education can support students' emotional development and enhance their mental health and well-being.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, 58 West 129th Street, New York, United States