We believe in the power of technology to bring new learning experiences to students and teachers of music. TI:ME was first conceived at Villanova University in a lunch meeting with John Dunphy (former TI:ME Exec. Director), George Pinchock, and Tom Rudolph (Exec. Committee Chair and former President). “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” TI:ME took its first step in 1995. John Dunphy recalls the first conversation about TI:ME. It all happened over a bag lunch in my (John Dunphy’s) office at Villanova University during the summer of 1995. Tom Rudolph, on break from his Technology class, came in followed by George Pinchock, who was the Summer Program coordinator. The group only had a few minutes, but the conversation was about organizing and formalizing a group of music teachers around the idea of spreading the news about the use technology in the music classroom. After a half hour of talking, gulping, and chewing, the meeting ended and we agreed to work toward such an organization. It has always amazed me how an idea become reality, but this was one of those moments. The correct number of verbs, adverbs and nouns had all come together to shape a new project. I don’t remember whether I had the ham on rye with mustard or the yogurt, but I clearly remember the moment. I can’t explain, in any certain terms, too much of “what happened next.” I do know we needed some buy-in from other like minded people in the field. We needed a next step. With the help of the late Mike Kovins, then President of Korg USA, Tom Rudolph and I traveled to NAMM in 1996 and 1997 and presented a proposal for funding the organization (by now, our steps had turned into a “jog”). NAMM agreed to fund the organization with a grant of $200,000.00 and the first official meeting of TI:ME took place in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1997 (we moved from “jog-mode” to “full sprint” by this time). The first TI:ME certification courses were offered in 1998 and the first TI:ME conference took place in Pennsylvania in April, 1999. And the rest, as they say, is history.
