Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s compositions have been commissioned by major North American orchestras, his works are performed throughout the world, he’s won an Emmy and he’s lauded in the Chickasaw Hall of Fame. But his proudest accomplishment is being a dad.
In fact, following this conversation, Tate was performing with the New York Philharmonic and at Carnegie Hall, where his talented 10-year-old son joined him on stage. (Local audiences will recognize Heloha Tate as “Fritz” from the 2023 OKC Ballet production of The Nutcracker.)
Raised steeped in his Chickasaw heritage in Ardmore, Okla., Jerod Tate says he grew up very cosmopolitan, surrounded by theater, ballet and classical music, as well as a family and mentors who supported his ambitions wholeheartedly. Now an American Indian classical composer and pianist who expresses his Native culture in symphonic music, ballet and opera, Tate lives his professional aspirations daily.
His Emmy was earned for his work on the OETA documentary The Science of Composing, and his music was featured on the HBO series Westworld. Tate served as guest composer, conductor and pianist for San Francisco Symphony’s Currents Program and was guest composer for Metropolitan Museum of Art’s program Home with ETHEL and Friends. He was named a 2021 Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and is a governor-appointed Creativity Ambassador for the State of Oklahoma.
Besides being a dad, Tate’s favorite gig is teaching the youth composers camp at First Americans Museum. For the past three years, Tate has worked with students to compose original pieces that are then played by professionals with the OKC Philharmonic. Tate also consulted with FAM for many years prior to the museum’s opening and, working with OKC Phil and Native musicians and singers, provided the original music for the grand opening celebration, which he calls “a total dream.”
Though Tate could live anywhere in the world, he remains in Oklahoma because “Oklahoma is home.” He appreciates the artistic opportunities and beautiful tribal community in our state, and he says it’s a wonderful place to raise his son and share in the joys of parenting.
“Parenting is a language that binds all of humanity together,” said Tate. “Our love for our children is universal and beautiful.”
We caught up with Tate to learn how his upbringing inspired his career and his love of dad life.
Has music always been a part of your life?
My dad was a special district and tribal judge, who was very involved in American Indian law and politics, and also a trained classical pianist and baritone. He was ridiculously talented, and I grew up with dad singing and playing a classical repertoire. My mother was a professional choreographer and dancer. When I was 9, I began private piano lessons. Three months in, I announced I was to be a concert pianist.
What inspired the melding of your loves of music and Chickasaw heritage into a career?
My mom choreographed ballets based on American Indian stories, and she asked me to compose a score — I was 22 at the time. It was such a positive experience, and I was met with great support and enthusiasm from the classical and Native communities. I went back to graduate school and added composition to my degree program. I was encouraged to focus on a career in Native heritage. I announced to my family that I would be a Chickasaw classical composer.
It’s funny because I never imagined my Chickasaw identity and my classical identity being woven together until my mom commissioned that work. It clicked in a very beautiful way. My mother was asking me to be all of who I am at the same time.
How has the support you’ve received impacted the way you parent?
I am very aware of how blessed I am to have that support and I am conscious of providing that support to others, too.
My grandmother came out of vocational boarding school in Oklahoma and she took from that a mindset of acquiring knowledge to achieve. She was industrious with finding solutions and learning to help herself — she was the first court stenographer in southern Oklahoma — and she helped her own kids and grandkids have that same mindset.
It has had quite an impact on me when I look at my son and see all his capabilities and wish for him to use them, however that manifests. He has his own super powers and they are different from mine.
Our children’s chances of success are magnitudes higher when we help them manifest their talents. We have to be adult learners when our kids have talents we don’t understand. My son is very talented in ballet and horn; he plays in the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, he studies ballet, he’s an incredible singer and a great visual artist. I lean into it and I learn. I have the advantage of knowing the arts, but if his talents were in robotics or football or restaurant management, I would school myself to be a proper support for him. It’s not that we have to become experts — but it’s my responsibility to find mentors to train him in the things he’s good at, to build a mentor support system.
What has the experience of working with kids at FAMcamp meant to you and what do you most hope to convey to your students?
My life mission is the development of American Indian classical composition — working with youth to help spread that legacy of composing is what I most want to do. I have enjoyed a great career myself and it’s important to pass on the opportunity to kids.
As a mentor, I’m a living encyclopedia, providing answers to their technical and notational questions. And I’m their life coach to make sure they are giving the best artistry they can give.
We have five to seven kids in each weeklong academy, and they compose short works for a string quartet. We bring in OKC Phil professionals and kids get to have their pieces played. Then they have the recordings for their portfolio to use for auditions to advance their dreams.
It’s many of these kids’ first time to compose. At the beginning of the week, they have blank music pages, and at the end, they have entirely finished works performed by professionals for a live audience. That’s it. That right there is what makes everything worth it. It’s really neat to see them demonstrate to themselves what they are capable of.
What’s your most important message to Oklahoma youth?
Pursue your dreams with discipline and abandon. There are two aspects to life: one is irrational passion. We are attracted to certain things and there is no rationale for it. That is to be embraced and met with [the second aspect:] high discipline.
Meet more inspirational First Americans and learn about the 39 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma by visiting First Americans Museum. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday. The third Sunday of each month is free for kids 12 and under. Learn more about the museum and kids programming at famok.org.
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series of articles produced in conjunction with First Americans Museum to share the stories of inspirational modern-day and historic First Americans. Find the full series at metrofamilymagazine.com/
