Detroit-born trumpet player and animator Timothy Abrams finds connections to opportunity through Interlochen and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Gifted in multiple areas, Abrams has found friends, mentors, and professional direction through his time with both institutions. Now, he’s looking ahead to an exciting future in animation.
Spend five minutes with Timothy Abrams, and you’ll be struck right away by the young artist’s confidence and charisma. At seventeen, this recent Arts Academy graduate has a talent for trumpet, but that’s not all: he’s also a gifted animator who plans to found his own studio someday. Abrams’s story is marked by a joyful collaboration between Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), both of which teamed up to ensure that his abilities were rewarded with the opportunity to pursue his dreams. With a little help from instructors who noticed his potential, Abrams is now on track to pursue an exciting future in animation.
The beginning of everything
Abrams’s interest in music was evident from an early age. At just nine years old, he joined one of the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles under the tutelage of Damien Crutcher. Founded in 1970, the Civic Youth Ensembles (CYE) provides musicians of all ages with a comprehensive music education experience. For Abrams, this connection proved invaluable, allowing him to hone his considerable skills on the trumpet—and get noticed for his gifts in other areas.
While at the CYE, Abrams had the chance to work with Karisa Antonio, Senior Director of Social Innovation and Learning at the DSO. She invited Abrams to join Senza, a DSO-sponsored professional development framework for teens. During his time at Senza, Abrams volunteered, visited other organizations, and even helped younger children learn to play trumpet. Soon, a conversation with Antonio led to open doors in a completely new direction. As a budding animator, Abrams needed mentorship to help develop his skills. He received that personal attention when Senza connected him with a professional animator living in New York City. Abrams pursued online lessons and began building up a portfolio of his work. With Senza’s guidance through the audition process and additional financial support, Abrams was soon able to set sights on his next step: Interlochen Arts Camp.
It felt like the entire atmosphere at Arts Camp was filled with the arts.
Making friends, meeting industry leaders, and chasing big dreams
Abrams’s family weren’t initially sure they’d be able to afford Arts Academy for their son. But Abrams’s gifts and bright spirit had earned him a team of supporters, and they soon began to work on his behalf. Briana Yarhouse, Interlochen’s Director of Animation, encouraged him to apply and connected with Antonio and the DSO to see if there were any scholarships available for him. When Abrams was accepted to Arts Academy, it was just a matter of making it work financially.
Together, Interlochen and the DSO helped secure multiple scholarships that bridged the gap for Abrams, allowing him to spend senior year at the high school of his dreams.
“We worked as a team and did more than any one person or organization could do on their own,” Antonio reflects. “Helping connect him to this opportunity was a great joy. Timothy is so deserving of the chance to pursue his talents at the highest level.”
At Arts Academy, Abrams dove deep into his academics, honed his animation skills in the studio, and met industry leaders. Highlights included chances to work with Troy Quane, an animator and director known for Spies in Disguise and Nimona, as well as Dreamworks animator Anna Kotyza.
“I got to talk with these guest artists and have them look at my work,” Abrams says. “ They all offered very cool feedback. Meeting them was like looking into the lives of people who make all your favorite movies and shows happen.”
He also focused on making friends with other talented young animators and other artists from around the world.
“ Making friends in academic classes or art classes was one of the best parts of Arts Academy because you can share how you feel about the subject matter, or even help each other. In the Animation program, we all had almost the same kind of humor. We all understood the struggle. I met people who think way differently from the way I do. Everyone has a different way of viewing the world because we're all from different places, and it’s a very special experience because I could learn from all of it.”
Interlochen was also great prep for the real world of college and beyond.
“I had to make my own schedule and navigate what was basically a mini college campus,” says Abrams. “I learned how to get along with a roommate, someone who is not a family member, and how to work around any disagreements or differences in living style. It was a great way to get prepared for college.”
This fall, Abrams is headed to the College for Creative Studies in his home city of Detroit. He leaves behind a whole team of Interlochen and DSO friends who care for him and want to see him continue to excel.
“Timothy is a very special student. He is extremely hardworking, talented, and cared for by his peers. You can see it—wherever he goes, he builds friendships and collaborations,” says Antonio. “It’s been our honor to get to know him and his family and see him grow and develop, and then be challenged to find ways to build an environment where he can do all the things that he needs to do.”
Interlochen Center for the Arts and the DSO continue to work together to ensure more and more students can achieve their artistic goals and make the world a more beautiful and creative place.
“We’re transforming as an educational institution to make sure our students are better off from their engagement with us, and in many ways our students have taught us more than we have taught them,” says Antonio.
About Interlochen Center for the Arts
The nonprofit Interlochen Center for the Arts is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the only organization in the world that brings together a 3,000-student summer camp program; a 500-student fine arts boarding high school; opportunities for hundreds of adults to engage in fulfilling artistic and creative programs; two 24-hour listener-supported public radio services (classical music and news); more than 600 arts presentations annually by students, faculty and world-renowned guest artists; and a global alumni base spanning nine decades, including leaders in the arts and all other endeavors. For information, visit Interlochen online at www.interlochen.org.
About the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. The orchestra makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall (one of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls) within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center. In addition, the DSO presents robust community programming. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.
