CSMA invites you to “An Evening with John Daversa” on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30pm in Tateuchi Hall. Three-time Grammy Award winner John Daversa will be performing and sharing stories about works featured on his American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom album, which features DACA artists. The album won three Grammys in 2019: Best Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.
We spoke to John Daversa to learn more about him, his award-winning album and what the audience can expect from his performance at Tateuchi Hall.
John Daversa
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin playing and performing music?
Both of my parents are musicians. Growing up, classical music, jazz, R&B, pop, country—everything was being played in the house—therefore, I had a wonderfully varied set of influences. I first sang in church, then I played piano, and then learned to play trumpet in the middle school concert band. I studied classical composition at UCLA and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in jazz studies at CalArts and USC. My first professional gig was when I was about 16, sitting in for the Barnum and Bailey Circus in Sacramento, CA.
Did you have access to music education in school?
I began trumpet in 6th grade at Ada Middle School in Oklahoma with a dedicated music educator, David Vandewalker and band director, Bronson Warren. I became more focused on jazz after moving to Sacramento. There, I got to work with Craig Faniani at Rio Americano High School. For my last two years of high school, I was under the direction of Sid Lasaine at Hamilton Academy of Music in Los Angeles.
Tell us about a great music teacher you had.
The one who has been ever-present is my father, Jay Daversa. We never had formal music lessons, but he was always present as a creative example and influence. I observed and listened and he knew it. My mother, Mary Ann Daversa, started me on piano and later was my choir director in middle school. She has been a constant support in my musical life.
During my undergraduate days at UCLA, I worked with trumpet masters Mario Guarneri and Malcolm McNab. As a graduate student, I was mentored by David Roitstein (CalArts), Shelly Berg (USC) and Bob Mintzer (USC).
I observed how these teachers lead their lives, their music and their bands. I’ve learned so much from everyone aforementioned and there are so many more! The common denominator with all of these master educators is an unwavering support and belief in me. They have all made me feel like there’s nothing I can’t do and encouraged me to find my own path in life and in music.
How often do you practice and/or rehearse? How do you balance teaching and performing?
I would practice all day long if possible but there are other priorities that fill my day. I’m the chair of the Frost School of Music, a teacher, I have to constantly promote my music and I’m a husband and a father. So I’ve learned to be efficient with my practice. The physical part is just maintenance—keeping the strength and stamina, the rest is mental and spiritual which can be applied to every facet of life.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
Only what I would tell myself:
Time is an illusion. The past no longer exists. The future doesn’t yet exist. The only true reality is the “now”—so, stay present.
Live with immense gratitude for every moment.
Live in true, sincere humility.
Live with honor and integrity. Know you’re a badass! NO ONE can be you like you can be you!
Have goals and intentions, direction, purpose, meaning—with NO EXPECTATION.
Tell us about your album “American Dreamers” and the DACA artists. What inspired you to work with them and how did this album come about?
I, like so many others, was reading about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in the news. I wanted to do something and all I know how to do is music! I believe that the current positioning of jazz on the global stage can be a powerful vehicle for awareness and social transformation. American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom has been an incredible journey. I traveled to 17 states across the country, collaborating with 53 Dreamers from 17 birth countries, to create a poetic, artistic platform for recipients of the DACA Program to tell their stories through music.
The project has been covered by mainstream news; The Associated Press, Variety, Billboard, and CNN, among other outlets, and recently recognized with 3 Grammys. The album has even received bipartisan endorsements from US Senators Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris and Lindsey Graham. Jazz can be an agent for social change, from the role that it played in—and well before—the civil rights movement to serving as a compass for the current direction of our country.
What does it feel like to be a three-time GRAMMY award-winning artist? How has your life changed since?
I am grateful to the academy for recognition. It has certainly brought my music to the attention of a larger audience and brought awareness to an important human issue.
What can the audience expect during the performance in Tateuchi Hall?
We will take a journey together through the “making-of” experience of American Dreamers. I will showcase the music-making process and the people that brought the concept to life.
