Musician. Educator. Worship Leader.  Speaker.

Imer is an expertly-trained trumpeter, jazz musician, singer, and worship leader with 20 years of experience in the music industry. Originally from Lorain, Ohio, and of Puerto Rican descent, Imer speaks four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. His love of language influences his work as a performer, ensemble leader, and composer, adding exciting twists to classical pieces and incorporating multiple languages. 

Imer’s love of music began in elementary school in his hometown of Lorain, Ohio, when he learned to play the trumpet. He played throughout middle and high school and continued his music studies at The Ohio State University, graduating with bachelor’s degrees in Jazz Studies and Atmospheric Sciences. After graduation, Imer moved to New Orleans to obtain his Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies. During his college years, Imer had the privilege of learning from musicians and educators like trumpet master Pharez Whitted, the late Clyde Kerr, Jr., and renowned pianist Ellis Marsalis.

Imer then moved to Nashville, immersing himself in the city’s musical culture and inspiring a new jazz movement in a town known for country music. As a performer and ensemble leader for local musical groups like El Movimiento and the Imer Santiago Quintet, he explored infusing various musical styles and languages into original and arranged compositions. He also served as a middle school band director with the Metropolitan Nashville Public School District and was an adjunct trumpet professor at Tennessee State University. Imer met and married his wife, Laisa, and they had their first two children in Nashville.

In 2015, the Santiagos moved to Central Florida to be closer to family. They have three children and live in St. Cloud, FL. Imer currently performs and leads worship at various churches, Christian events, and conferences throughout the year. He is also the Director of Bands at St. Cloud Middle School. When he’s not playing trumpet or leading worship gatherings, you can find him with his family watching his son’s baseball games, traveling throughout the United States, or making smoothies with his children.

SERVICES

Musician & Band Leader

Imer is a jazz-trained trumpet and flügelhorn player as well as a singer. He has experience in many musical styles, from Top 40 hits to classically composed symphonies and hymns. His extensive training in improvisation is displayed in his arrangements of genres such as jazz, Caribbean, and gospel. Imer performs, arranges, and manages ensembles for concerts and special events, from conferences to weddings. Over his musical career, Imer has worked with various recording artists, such as Salvador, Jaci Velasquez, Kirk Franklin, TobyMac, and Group One Crew. He also performed at the Dove Awards and has opened for acts like the Carli Muñoz Trio.

SERVICES

Music Educator

Imer provides private lessons, teaches, leads workshops, and serves as a guest conductor for children and adults ages 10 to 100. He has also taught jazz, concert band, chorus, music exploration, and keyboard to middle school students, at ages he believes are ideal for shaping students’ musical journeys. Imer offers private lessons in trumpet and other jazz instruments, using his technical background to bring this musical genre to a new generation. He has also taught math, science, Spanish, and PE. Imer works with students individually and in a classroom setting, using mutual respect as a catalyst for instruction.

SERVICES

Worship Leader

Imer serves local and global church communities as a multiethnic worship leader, honoring a variety of cultures and languages in every arrangement. Imer combines his training in improvisation, jazz, and swing with his knowledge of North and South American music to create new interpretations of well-known worship songs. Imer works with churches, worship teams, and Christian organizations to facilitate inclusive worship gatherings that encourage Christ followers of every background to unite in praise. Imer was honored to lead worship with various global organizations, including the Ethnos Network Global Gathering in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the InterVarsity LIVE! Online Series. He has also spent several years leading worship for Urbana, the largest missions conference in North America.

SERVICES

Speaker

Imer speaks on a variety of subjects, including cultural awareness, multicultural worship, music education (including Jazz, Concert, and Mariachi Bands), establishing sustainable classroom momentum via cultural intelligence, and how to build diverse worship teams / music ensembles that perform culturally inclusive music in an authentic and honoring manner. He is available to speak at conferences and events, in-person and virtually. Imer has spoken at many events, including the Urbana 18 & Urbana 22 Missions Conferences, various webinars, churches, school districts, and online events. If you are interested in having Imer speak at your upcoming event, contact him via the form below.

Credentials & Awards

  • Professional Teaching Certificate, State of Florida: Instrumental Music K-12
  • 1st-Year Teacher Award – St. Cloud Middle School, Florida
  • Teacher of the Year—McKissack Middle School, Tennessee
  • Rookie Arts Teacher of the Year—Osceola County Public Schools, FL
  • Edwina Hefner Award —Nashville Symphony  

Education

  • University of New Orleans Masters of Music— Jazz Studies Performance
  • The Ohio State University—BM in Jazz Studies Performance
  • The Ohio State University—BS in Atmospheric Sciences 

LISTEN & SHOP

Albums, EPs, Worship & More

Urbana 18 Live: Faithful Witness 

Urbana Worship is a collective of artists and campus ministers who are passionate about global, multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual music that draws people deeper into the heart of God and God’s love for the nations. We’re rooted in InterVarsity’s Urbana Student Missions Conference, one of the largest missions conferences in North America. Generations of students — more than 300,000 — have found their place in God’s global mission as Urbana participants.

Buy on Apple Music
Buy on Amazon Music

Dios De Toda La Creación/God of All Creation EP

Imer Santiago reveals a portion of his heart for reconciliation of the nations and boldly declares that Central Florida has become a home base for a rapidly growing global movement. This three-track original EP features multicultural, multilingual worship music. 

Buy On Apple Music 
Buy on Amazon Music

El Movimiento (The Movement)

El Movimiento is a contemporary jazz septet led by percussionist Giovanni Rodriguez, trumpeter Imer Santiago, and saxophonist Rahsaan Barber. This album features original Latin jazz and World Music compositions influenced by the world’s musical hotbeds like New York, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Africa.

Buy On Apple Music 
Buy on Amazon Music

Available now: charts and arrangements for original worship songs by Imer Santiago.
View Charts

UPCOMING EVENTS

Shows, Speaking Events, Worship & More

March 2024

3/6/2024 Imer @ Osceola High School (Kissimmee, FL)
Imer will direct the St. Cloud Middle School Mustang Pride Band for the 2024 FBA District 23 Concert Band MPA in the school auditorium. Performance Time is approximately 12:30pm. Admission is free and the event is from 10am-6pm.

3/31/2024 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Lake Nona)
Imer will serve on the Harvest Worship Team for their Easter Sunday Services!  English Service begins at 10AM. Servicio en español begins at 11:30AM.

Harvest Website |

April 2024

4/14/2024 Imer @ FSYO (Orlando, FL)
Imer will conduct brass sectionals for the FSYO Jazz Bands. Private Event.

4/28/2024 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Lake Nona)
Imer will co-lead musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Harvest Website |

May 2024

5/19-21/2024 Imer @ Red River Region RECWEEK (Waxahachie, TX)
Imer will lead musical worship and present a seminar on multiethnic worship at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Red River Region’s Annual RECWEEK.

RECWEEK Website |

 


 

PAST DATES…

February 2024

2/11/2024 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Lake Nona)
Imer will co-lead musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Harvest Website |

2/14/2024 Imer @ Tohopekaliga High School (Kissimmee, FL)
Imer will direct the St. Cloud Middle School Jazz Ensemble for the 2024 FBA District 23 Jazz MPA in the school auditorium. Performance Time, approximately 11:30am. Admission is free and the event is from 10am-4pm.

January 2024

1/2-5/2024 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Staff Conference (Orlando, FL)
Imer is honored to lead a dynamic team of ethnically diverse, talented, and creative artists on the SC24 Worship Team for IVCF’s National Staff Conference.
Conference Website |

1/12/2024 Mecum Kissimmee 2024                                                             

Imer, along with some of his St. Cloud Middle School Band students, will perform the National Anthem at approximately 8:45AM.
Mecum Website |

1/13/2024 Mecum Kissimmee 2024     

Imer, along with guest trumpeters Shawn Villa & José Valle, will perform the National Anthem at approximately 8:45AM.
Mecum Website |

1/27/2024 Osceola Jazz Festival 2024                                                         

Imer will direct both the St. Cloud Middle School Jazz Ensemble & the Osceola All-County High School Jazz Band II at the annual Osceola Jazz Festival.    Times & Location TBA. |


2023 Dates (July to December)

July 2023

7/2/2023 Imer @ Crossroads Impact Church.           

Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

7/6/2023 Mecum Auctions Kissimmee Summer Special
Imer will be playing the National Anthem at approximately 9:45AM
Buy Tickets | Get Directions

7/7/2023 Mecum Auctions Kissimmee Summer Special
Imer will be playing the National Anthem at approximately 9:45AM
Buy Tickets | Get Directions

7/8/2023 Mecum Auctions Kissimmee Summer Special
Imer will be playing the National Anthem at approximately 9:45AM
Buy Tickets | Get Directions

7/9/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

7/23/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Lake Nona)
Imer will serve on the worship team and host. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

8/6/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

8/20/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

8/27/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

9/9/2023 Imer @ East End Market with Mark McKinney Quartet
Performance is from 2PM-5PM. Live Jazz & Latin Jazz!

East End Market Website

9/10/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

9/17/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

9/24/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

10/8/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

10/15/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

10/29/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

11/5/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Harmony)
Imer will be leading musical worship. Service begins at 10AM.

Church Website

11/19/2023 Imer @ Life Church (Kissimmee, FL)
Imer, along with the SC24 Worship Team, will be leading multi-ethnic, multi-lingual musical worship. Service begins at 10:10AM.

Life Church Website

12/23/2023 Imer @ Harvest Community Church (Lake Nona)
Imer will serve on the worship team (trumpet) for the Christmas Eve Service. This Saturday Service begins at 6PM.

Harvest Website |

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