What is your unique gift?
– Do you believe in it enough to invest everything you have in it? I think it
is unique that I was trained as a classical alto saxophonist and eventually
began to play jazz full time. This allowed me to master the fundamentals of
sound and technique from an early age, giving me great facility, which equips
me to tackle the most challenging of musical endeavors. Inevitably, this means
I also learned how to read music very well alongside having the ability to
learn by ear. I’ve also been fortunate enough to be able to learn and play in a
variety of different ensembles which explore many other genres such as Gospel,
R&B, Funk, Soul, Rock, and Alternative. I also play a number of different
instruments, mainly saxophone and piano, but also some flute and clarinet. My
experience as a pianist informs my ear and knowledge of music theory in the
context of songs and arrangements. I
believe I’ve been gifted with highly extensive training from an early age which
sets me apart from most other saxophone players in proficiency on my
instrument. Coupled with my exposure to and appreciation for a wide variety of
genres, I believe in my skillset to keep growing and refining to achieve new
levels of success.
I’ve taken even more
gigs as a keyboardist which only fuels my saxophone playing and knowledge of
theory and music in general. I also try to combat egotism wherever possible,
because it will conflate true art. Ego is a barrier to true communal creativity
and if it can be kept at bay then I believe new heights of musical creativity
and output can take place. Especially when multiple people of this same mindset
can come together and create with a common goal. Also, I think my gift aside
from my music is my perseverance and steadfastness. I’m proud that I’ve overcome
a great deal of hardships in my life and continually surprise myself in my
ability to keep moving forward.
What difference are you
trying to make in the world? – How passionate are you about doing this? I am
very passionate about breaking down social boundaries between various racial
and ethnic backgrounds. I believe music is an extremely important vehicle for
doing so and creating music which draws from a multitude of different cultures
helps to bring people together. I also believe in the importance of access to
high quality music education from an early age in order to dispel the myth that
some people are just incapable of creating music. I think if people were more
educated about what’s involved in creating music, they’d be more equipped to
think for themselves about what they enjoy in music rather than blindly
following what’s popular. It would allow for a world where everyone could
communicate intelligibly about what it is that speaks to them in a particular
piece of music.
This is still as true as ever. I’m
increasingly annoyed by the various barriers that exist between disparate
cultures and backgrounds and my hope is that for the future, we can begin, as a
species, to look at the areas in which we are similar rather than where we
differ. I don’t think that other people are that different from myself. We all desire
the same basic things. There are a multitude of ways to approach doing so but
my vehicle first and foremost, will continue to be music. Much of communication
is lost through language barriers and inability to understand another’s way of
life. I think that music speaks louder than words and so I will continue to
speak through that medium. At a micro level, I attempt to live this by learning
as much about cultures that differ from my own so I am more well equipped to
communicate. I would also still like to see a society which places a greater
value on education in the arts from an early age. Of course science, history,
and mathematics are important but I think we would all be a bit more sensitive
and thoughtful if more of us had an exposure to great art and shown the value
that it can bring to everyday life as early as possible.
How do you define success for yourself? – What
challenges do you face in order to create success? Success to me, in the music
business is not driven by fame or money. If I’m able to stably survive whilst
being actively involved in music and fully realize my creative potential as a
player and composer, then I would say I’ve created a successful situation for
myself. Success as a player also involves knowing that I’m proficient enough on
my instrument to be able to clearly express on any musical project I would
potentially be a part of.
I still believe in
this mindset and will continue to not be driven exclusively by monetary means
or any ounce of fame or notoriety. There are many skillsets I have and am
working to refine in order to create lasting revenue for myself. As long as I
am able to meet my needs in order to keep surviving and keep stress at bay to
continue to create, I will be successful in my opinion. Any kind of recognition
on top of that is just icing on the cake.
What is career vision and
a mission? – A career vision should encompass the big picture of what one hopes
to achieve throughout their career. It’s not necessarily a concrete plan but an
outline of some of the jobs one would be involved in, lasting impacts one hopes
to make, and some of the projects and events one would partake in. This vision
is all about crafting a future “you” and attempting realize what path would be
the most fulfilling for each individual.
Again, a career vision
should seek to define at least a few of the major things one would hope to
accomplish in the span of their career. A mission should be the central driving
force that keeps you doing what you do on a daily basis. It should hope to
outline some change you are looking to make in the world whether it be social, political,
environmental, etc. through the vehicle of your product or output.
Can you innovate and
creates value and successfully communicate that value to intended audiences?
Yes, creating value stems from providing a product that people either want or
need, recognizing what that desire is and then finding a way to make it
blindingly apparent. Some of the greatest examples of success are people who
started doing something that no one else was doing or at least took a familiar
component of something and put it in an entirely new package (for example:
arranging pop tunes for a jazz combo). Being able to communicate value
successfully is somewhat political as well and involves understanding what will
resonate with your intended audience (i.e. what lyrics will they relate to?
What rhythms or harmonies are familiar?)
I have
carried this attitude and perspective into my research but also in my own individual
playing and is starting to shape the way I play my instruments. I am increasingly
more thoughtful of how what I play will resonate with who I am playing for.
Do you have a positive
attitude? Yes, I think what keeps me positive most of the time is being
grateful for my opportunities to continue to create music. People are
definitely attracted to the positivity of others (no one likes to be around
someone who’s a drag). I think many opportunities present themselves to those
who try to be genuinely good people and search for the positives of every
situation. It’s a choice that everyone has the capacity to make.
I am
continually grateful for every opportunity I have to make an impact through
music. I’m especially grateful when that opportunity bears fruit and sustains
me financially. Whenever I begin to feel anxious about the direction of my
career I try to refresh my mindset and remember how fortunate I am to have the
skills necessary to be earning income solely through music. On the stressful
days when reality sinks in a little harder than days previously, this perspective
change usually calms my spirit and I’m able to view my achievements, my progress,
and even my failures in a more positive light. Each experience whether negative
or positive brings me closer to where I actually want to be.
Have you set your goals?
What is your road map to success? Can you set inspiring and realistic goals? –
I do have a number of set goals but I think it’s important to have a backup
plan and be open to future opportunities I hadn’t fully considered before. For
instance, I have the short-term goals of completing my bachelor’s degree and
writing enough material for a short jazz combo EP by the time I graduate. But
long term I could be satisfied taking some time to play and travel after school
providing a viable opportunity comes, or I could attend graduate school and
work towards a master’s degree. Ultimately in 5 years, I want to have at least
written, recorded, and produced 3 original albums/EPs featuring me as a
soloist. As a saxophone player, I have many achievable short-term goals as far
as learning tunes and refining my proficiency as an improviser
For me, these goals have
not changed very much. I still think they are realistic and attainable. If
anything I’ve added more short term and long term goals. There’s a number of
avenues in the field of music that I would like to operate in and seek revenue
from. Not only as a player and gigging musician, but also I would like to teach
part time, do instrument repair in the future, and refine my skills as a music producer,
mixing engineer, and mastering engineer.
Do you have and/or
acquire the necessary expertise to actualize your vision? I have a great deal
of experience as a jazz saxophone player and as an improviser and I am
continuing to work on those skills. I am also working to continue developing my
skills as a composer and producer which will aid me in being able to fully
realize my creative projects.
I am still working on
developing these skills daily and gaining experience in my field as a working
musician. On top of this, I am working to further my knowledge about the
business aspect.
What are your priorities?
Can you set priorities? My priorities first and foremost include my health and
mental stability. Without sound mind and body I would not be fully equipped to
handle the level of output necessary in this field. Secondly, I have to
prioritize my playing and practice in order to be consistent. My financial
stability and independence is also a major priority (I need to eat!) and I need
to be consistently growing financially and investing in equipment which will
further my music education and/or improve the quality of my musical output.
Continually seeking ways to further my education is of the utmost importance as
well (education goes beyond the classroom and often the most important things I
learn I have worked to teach myself).
My health and
soundness of mind will continue to top my priorities list. I have become even
better about sticking to my plans and being able to differentiate between what
needs to be handled at this very moment and what can wait. All of these things
I wrote previously are still very important to me but finances are taking an even
more crucial role as I get older.
What opportunities are
you looking for? What opportunities are you creating or intend to create?
Ultimately, the opportunities that I’m looking for the most are the ones that
allow me to express myself as a saxophone player and an improviser. I’m also
looking for opportunities that allow me to gain more experience working in a
music studio (understanding the equipment and knowing how to produce a desired
sound on command). I intend to create some of these opportunities for myself by
writing material and seeking out players who I know would be interested in
playing with me.
Over the course of
this semester, I have made substantial progress in this area by seeking out
more opportunities to play and gain exposure. Through these experiences I have
met and networked with many other musicians in the Jacksonville area and have
even more opportunities lined up for this summer and the near future. I am
still ultimately looking for opportunities that allow me to either gain
exposure as a musician, gain experience as an improviser, or opportunities that
have something practical to teach me about the industry.
How comfortable are you
with uncertainty? What risks are you willing to take? I think that as a
musician, we have to embrace uncertainty. The music industry is volatile with
trends consistently changing and the demand for certain types of music always
fluctuating. Every gig that I’ve ever had has never lasted and I’m certain this
is one trend that will continue forever. Thus, I have to be prepared to be
adaptable and be comfortable with exploring different styles or learning how to
play in ways I wouldn’t initially desire to. As humans, we learn through
failure and experience so many risks are worthwhile if there’s something to be
learned.
I still have to be as comfortable
with uncertainty as much as possible. Especially if I desire to play jazz music
in any capacity. The very nature of the art is uncertain and thrives off of
chance. I’m very grateful for my training in jazz because I’m able now to draw
many connections between playing this music and how we live life. We improvise
daily even when we strike up a conversation with a friend. None of that is
planned and relies entirely on communal improvisation. Real progress for me
occurs whenever I’m able to take calculated risks. Preparation and research
eventually meet opportunity.
When facing challenges,
do you persevere or do you walk away? Again, we learn best by failing,
recognizing what went wrong and how we could have been better, and making the
necessary changes. It’s important for me to keep in mind the grand scheme of my
musical journey and know that if I continue to grow, I’ll be much better in a
year, 5 years, etc. Each challenge that I’ve faced has been worthwhile and has
made me a better person and musician. I would say that I try to seek out
adversity in order to learn.
There’s an old cliché among jazz
musicians and improvisers but its as true as ever and doesn’t pertain solely to
music. “You have to play the wrong notes to find the right ones.” Sure, there’s
also the fact that we don’t have time to make all the mistakes ourselves. But
keeping this in mind, I’ll always get back up again and try again when I do
inevitably fail at something.
What experience have you
learned the most from? So far, the experience I’ve learned most from was my
time in a band called Eclectic Soul. I’ve learned so much in the academia world
through all my schooling and it’s all been important and worthwhile. However,
what I learned from playing next to some other horn players who were much more
skilled than I at 15 years old taught me so much about restraint and clear
phrasing in improvisation. I learned how to relax when playing and how to be
confident in my musical ideas. This is also where I learned it was acceptable
to take a leap of faith and jump into something and fail a little along the
way.
In truth there are
countless situations I could write about that have sculpted and molded me as
musician and person. But, I would say this particular experience is still
important to me because it’s one of my earliest experiences getting paid to
play music.
What actions are you
taking to realize your vision? Are you consistently taking action? Of course I
practice as much as possible but I also try to consistently reach out to
acquaintances and former colleagues even old professors fishing for potential
opportunities. I’ve gotten several gigs just in the past month doing this. I’m
also consistently trying to seek out new information to better inform my
approach to how I play and write. The more artists that I know of and the more
I keep up with the current scene and what’s in demand, the better equipped I am
to handle this constantly changing musical landscape.
Adding to this now, I
am more keen at seeking out people to network with whenever I do play an event
or attend an event where there will be people relevant to my field. I usually
now walk away with at least one or two potential contacts that I can gain
something from or vice versa. I’ve also learned to place a greater importance on
saving what I do earn as much as possible for the future
How well do you put
things in context? Are you able to easily respond to changes in your
environment? What’s your best example? My best example of this is the multitude
of times I’ve been asked or expected to play something that I’d never dealt
with before on the spot. Sometimes it’s on a gig and the band leader felt the
audience would appreciate a certain tune over another and I’ve had to be able
to switch gears to accommodate.
I think that I am a pretty adaptable
person. I don’t like to add unnecessary tension and will always try to seek
ways to cooperate and come up with a solution that benefits the whole of a
group.
What is your plan to
continually grow and evolve? How have you grown or evolved in the past year or
three? I’m working to establish more routine in my life which covers all the
basis of keeping up with my skills. Again, I’ve mentioned health as a priority.
When I’m working on my health, I have much more energy to be creative and
inspired. Consistent practice is paramount to my success. I’ve learned it’s
acceptable to take a break from the horn every now and then if it means I can
return to it with much more vigor. Learning new tunes and writing as much as
possible is also important to furthering my skills. I’ve grown so much just in
the past year or so especially just as a person. I’m much more confident in my
capabilities and my potential and my priorities are in order more than ever.
Adding to this, I’m seeking
out even more ways to improve my skills and education especially in the areas
of business and marketing. The more I acquire, the more equipped I’ll be to add
value to any given situation.
How easy is it for you to
reach out to others to ask for support and to offer help? I’ll admit I could be
better about this. For a long time I thought I’d be looked down upon by needing
to ask for help. I’ve definitely gotten better and I’ve been much more gentle
with myself and understanding that it’s fine to be inexperienced in some areas
at this stage in the game. It’s only natural and I’m only twenty two after all.
Now I am at a point
where I ask for help as much as possible. Most people I ask of are actually incredibly
willing to help and derive pleasure from being of service in some way. I’ve
realized that sometimes it’s actually an advantage to be inexperienced in some respects
because people are more forgiving of inexperience at this age and they thrive
off of getting to be the one to impart knowledge on a future generation. Often
this is enough to where I can receive the help I’m looking for whilst offering
very little in return.
How are you inspiring
others to join and/or support your mission in order to create a financially
sustainable enterprise that allows you to live your gift and contribute
something valuable to society? If you aren’t currently, how do you intend to?
Right now, one of my projects involves starting an artist friendly independent
record label with a good friend of mine. Hopefully a project such as this could
serve as a community platform for artists to realistically and reasonably
produce their own projects (and projects of my own). Other than that, I seek to
inspire others around me to want more from their own musical experiences by
just being the best musician I can be. I hope to encourage others to achieve
great heights in music through hard work.
I still believe that by being both the
best musician and person that I can be all around, I will inevitably inspire
people to work in tandem with me. Other than that, by continually researching
and looking for opportunities to grow and make money in this field I will be more
equipped to provide others with opportunity as well. I still would like to
establish something like my own recording studio in the future to help realize
my own creative projects and those of others within my community.
