About Imagination Music Unlimited

Imagination Music Unlimited (IMU) is the sum of all combined artistic and educational enterprises launched by its founder, musician and educator Greg Diaz. IMU’s area of involvement encompasses performance and education.

Our mission statement is to inspire others to create their own personal destiny, musical or other, by encouraging them to tap into their own innate abilities through various resources that include, but are not limited to personal example, performing professional and community ensembles, clinics, educational literature, and other untapped educational aids.

I’m sure there are those of you out there who consider the statement generally vague and would like to know what the hell we’re talking about. Allow us to explain. We at IMU have our own dreams we wish to fulfill. By realizing our goals, the mythical barrier between us and our fulfillment begins to crumble and the subtle energies contained within the wall that imply “You can’t do that!” begin dispersing. Most of us believe that only artists, scientists and engineers can create. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all have the innate ability to make our dreams, destinies and desires into reality. One of our goals is to create an outlet to perform our music for large audiences nation and worldwide. We’re working on it! Another is to present a viable and creative alternative to the rapidly shrinking and self-imploding world of what’s euphemistically called “music education”.

Education

Allow us to elaborate on that last statement. As most of you already experienced, arts programs are being gutted left and right nationwide from primary to secondary schools. Colleges and universities aren’t exempt. Those programs left in operation after the reorganizations and lootings (yes you heard me right, LOOTINGS!) more closely resemble vacuous shells lacking any appreciable substance than schools for creative learning. I can personally attest to this, having taught at a South Florida “arts magnet” school for 2 years as well as 8 years at Miami-Dade Community College (Kendall), the largest campus of the largest community college in the country. Both programs were severely affected by budget cuts, questionable accounting, reorganization and internal squabbling during my tenure. This is NOT a new problem; and it’s NOT merely a financial issue. It’s also a conceptual one dating back many, many generations, and NOT just limited to the arts.

If you look at what’s happened to American Education over the past 100 years, you’ll find a not so marvelous blueprint on how to dumb down the American public. Although there are many dedicated excellent teachers out there, they are figuratively handcuffed by the overseers of institutionalized education and prevented from teaching in a manner that would encourage actual creativity and critical thinking. Instituted in its place is the “one size fits all” method of learning that leaves one susceptible to blind and mindless consumerism. From the top down, teachers are pressured into accepting this assembly line concept. As a result, many resign from teaching, or worse; they stay and bide their time until retirement, resigned to the fact that they’ve become de facto correctional officers for juveniles, collecting a paycheck and receiving benefits in lieu of actually teaching.

There’s much, much more, but that goes beyond the scope of this preface. However, we will publish essays in the next few weeks that cover this subject in more detail for those on our mailing list. We look to help turn that tide by offering an alternative to “institutionalized” learning, a way of learning that goes beyond just learning to play music geared more to the individual rather than the “huddled masses”. In other words, we offer creative self-empowerment, as opposed to mass mind control.

Encourage Individual Freedom

Some of our upcoming projects will journey beyond the realm of music in order to address the issue of individual freedom. We feel that the creative potential of a musical arts program would be self-limiting if we exclude this factor. It would severely limit the potential for musical creativity and the scope in which one could manifest his/her own path. By individual freedom, we mean the right to create our own destiny, while not intruding on someone else’s right to do the same. We believe it to be an inalienable right as opposed to a privilege administered by Homeland Security. It is part of our philosophy at IMU. Those of you on our mailing list, as well as students will receive pieces via email that expound on this issue.

Clinics, Workshops and Private Lessons

These and other related projects launched from IMU will encourage the promotion of the most creative elements of all types of music, specifically, elements that emphasize improvisation and interaction between its ensemble members. Clinicians include Greg Diaz, members of his ensemble, and guest clinicians from around the country. Click here for more info.

IMU Performing Groups

The Art of Imagination Ensemble is one of Miami’s best kept secrets! This creatively versatile group utilizes a number of musical vehicles and grooves (from bebop to R&B to avant-garde to swing and then some…) as a send-off to the multi-improvisations that help recreate the very pieces being played. Click here for more info.

Sovereigns By Decree is one of South Florida’s top high-energy groups. This highly versatile (AND 100 PERCENT LIVE! NO BACKING TRACKS!) band performs primarily for private and corporate events.  Members of this group are all very much in demand from some of the busiest bands in South Florida. Click here for more info.

Helping other groups and performers

In addition to our own public performances and related events, we’ll be sending out performance alerts of other talented local groups/performers via email to those on our mailing list. This kind of grass roots promotion will only help strengthen the live local music and arts scene. Also check out our links page.

Feel free to explore the entire site and let us know what you think…

Cordially Yours,

Greg Diaz

Founder of IMU

Email: imaginationmusic@earthlink.net