After 12 years of weekly flights from Sydney to Brisbane, acclaimed guitarist and teacher Ben Hauptmann is departing JMI. In this conversation, he reflects on what has become the longest commitment of his career, the unique culture of jazz education at Jazz Music Institute, and the community that has become family.
An Unusual Commute
Every week during university semester for twelve years, Ben makes the same journey from the Central Coast: train to Central Station, another train to the airport, flight to Brisbane. Greg Quigley picks him up and drives him to JMI, as he has done since Ben started teaching there.
“Greg Quigley is probably one of the most passionate jazz enthusiasts I’ve ever met,” Ben says. “He’s still working basically full-time. And if he’s not here doing stuff, he’s practicing trombone at home. He’s kind of the life force of this place.”
After twelve years, this teaching position has become Ben’s longest professional commitment. “Out of all the jobs I’ve ever had, all the bands I’ve ever been in, this is the longest thing I’ve ever done.”
How Jazz Happened
Ben grew up in Canberra, where he attended a high school with a specialised music program for students without formal music education but with musical aptitude. His guitar teacher was a second-year jazz student at the Canberra School of Music.
“He was like the coolest person that I knew,” Ben recalls. “He’s living by himself with his girlfriend. I would get dropped at his house every week for a lesson, and he’d make me cassette tapes of Thelonious Monk or Wes Montgomery.”
Ben describes connecting with musicians purely through their recordings: “Back when I was listening to music, you only listened to music, you never saw YouTube of Monk or Wes actually playing. You just only ever connected with them through what they sounded like.”
This sense of mystery influences his teaching approach. “Sometimes you want to keep a bit of that mysterious. There are still things that I listen to now where I can’t put into words what it is about it that is so amazing to me. That’s what’s magic about music. We learn how to listen and analyse and deconstruct all this stuff, but there are some things that you just don’t want to touch.”
Starting at JMI
Ben joined JMI twelve years ago during a major transitional period in his life. He had recently returned from traveling through Europe and India, stopped playing with rock bands, and quit drinking.
“I was trying to sort myself out,” he reflects. “It was a bit of a life-changing point really.”
When a friend mentioned JMI was looking for a teacher, Ben was living in Maroubra and decided to reach out despite the geographic challenge. “I just sent Dan an email and said, I’m not sure how this would work, but I just wanted to put my hand up.”
He had some awareness of JMI from playing at Jazzworx a few years earlier, and had previous experience teaching at universities including VCA in Melbourne and UNSW. After meeting with Dan Quigley to work out the logistics, he started what would become his longest professional commitment.
The timing aligned with other significant changes in his life. He had just started playing with Gurrumul and was establishing new musical directions. “I’m really glad that things worked out the way they did,” he says.
What Makes JMI Different
“The number one thing would be the culture here,” Ben says.
He describes years of continuous evolution and experimentation. “During these first years I was here, every single year, we’d constantly be having conversations about the approach to teaching this music. We’d try things and then change them back, then try something else. We’re pushing them too hard here, we’re trying something different there. It never stopped evolving and trying to get better.”
JMI’s connection to Lincoln Center brings musicians like Vincent Gardner and Jerome Jennings who share insights into jazz history and tradition. “They come over and give you an insight into the history of the music and how you can incorporate what they understand about it into our take on it,” Ben explains. “We get to pick their brains. They have this proper cultural connection to the music.”
Central to JMI’s philosophy is the idea that “all the answers are found within the recordings.”
“I’ve never heard that phrase before teaching here,” Ben notes. “It’s such a great way to think about music education. If you listen to it, you’ll find what you need, and we’re here to help guide you because there’s a lot of recordings.”
While other institutions teach the technical aspects – theory, instrument technique – Ben sees JMI’s cultural connection as what sets it apart. “Each place that I’ve taught at has their own philosophy. I like JMI’s because it has that connection to where this music comes from. And I think there’s something really important about that. We have a direct connection to that as well, which is unique for anywhere in Australia.”
Teaching and Community
Teaching at JMI has shaped Ben both as a musician and communicator. As an introvert, he’s learned to articulate musical concepts more clearly through years of working with different students.
“Everything I say to my ensemble are things that I really try and pay attention to myself. Being in this position where I get to communicate ideas that reinforce what I think about when it comes to music is amazing. I don’t get to do that at the other places that I teach. I think it’s made me a better musician.”
The community aspect extends beyond music. “It’s like having a family up here, a musical family. That connection to all these people is probably what I’ll miss.”
As Ben prepares to leave JMI, he reflects on what this journey has meant. The weekly commute from the Central Coast will end, but the connections remain. “Whenever I come back to Brisbane from now, I’ve still got this. It’ll be different, but I’ve still got it.”