We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Dease a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My journey in music started when I chose the alto saxophone in my 5th grade’s beginning band class. Saxophone became my main interest, and I transferred to a fine arts magnet school called Davidson Fine Arts in Augusta, Georgia that had musical classes every day. Fast forward to the summer before my senior year of high school, and I found myself hooked on the sound of the trombone, as played by jazz trombone icon Curtis Fuller of Detroit, Michigan. Quickly, I abandoned the saxophone and began teaching myself through trial and error this new instrument from scratch at 17 years old. Without a teacher, I ran into several problems such as an incorrect embouchure (lip position) inadequate breath support and lack of endurance. My saving grace was the infatuation I had with listening and imitating Jazz music. Being a fan of encyclopedias, I looked up the entry explaining Jazz and found that the “Father of Modern Jazz Trombone” was listed as JJ Johnson. I quickly bought all of the JJ recordings that I could find and began listening, copying, memorizing, and emulating his style. As my technique began to grow and my ideas and phrasing approaches developed, my circle of musical friends began to expand and veteran musicians began inviting me to join rehearsals and performances. This was how my career started, and what ultimately led me to move to NYC in 2001 as a full scholarship student at The Juilliard School. The guiding light of my development has been observing, interacting with, and learning from sources of excellence in all forms. In this way, I look similarly upon a great movie, book, artwork, poem, performer and certainly a meaningful teacher.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a professional trombonist, saxophonist and a tenured full professor of Jazz Studies at the Michigan State University College of Music. My love and passion is America’s original creative language Jazz Music. Playing Jazz music requires a highly developed ear and often requires virtuosic technique, making myself and many Jazz artists capable of playing most styles of music. I recorded the Grammy-winning hit single “Superwoman” with Alicia Keys, and have performed with several Pop acts including Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, John Legend, Elton John. Jazz artists include David Sanborn, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Illinois Jacquet, Michel Camilo. I’ve played Gospel with Kirk Franklin and Latin music with Luis Miguel, and many others. It is very rewarding to have collaborated on over 250 recordings with many of my heroes and peers in the music industry.

As a solo artist, I have recorded and released 20 solo albums that focus on nearly 60 of my original compositions and my arrangements of songs that are meaningful to me. This work directly contributes to my goals as an educator and college professor, where I am entrusted to mentor and guide the next generation of young jazz artists. At Michigan State University, I lead an award-winning jazz trombone studio consisting of 10 – 12 students studying trombone full-time. My students have matriculated to play with artists like Michael Buble, Sarah McLachlan, Lewis Nash, The Four Freshman, and are professors and directors of their own programs. I’m tremendously proud of my current and former students. I also serve as director of 2 summer jazz educational organizations, the Brevard Jazz Institute and the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp. Both programs connect world-class faculty members with students passionate about learning, practicing, and performing Jazz music.

These roles as a collaborator, director, solo artist, curator, mentor, and world traveler serve to support my favorite role, that of a member of the Dease family with my wife Gwendolyn and my daughters, Brooklyn (8) and Charly (5). Gwen is a renowned percussionist and successful director of percussion studies and my daughters both play piano and cello. I occasionally take them with me on trips and it is the best time!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It was a head trip to catapult to New York City after only playing the trombone for 18 months. People in my circle were giving me praise, using all kinds of superlatives towards me that I began to believe my own hype. At 18, I thought that I was going to enter the biggest music scene in the United States and make a splash. I flopped. Being at a conservatory, I was surrounded with gorgeous, refined tones, extended ranges, deeply moving approaches to melody and harmony, and it shone a big light on all that I didn’t know and could not do. It was a big wake-up call, and it knocked the wind out of me. I remember feeling uninspired to practice, afraid that I wouldn’t make enough progress to feel “special” like I did back in Augusta, GA. Then, a masterclass with my biggest inspiration up to that point, the legendary Wynton Marsalis gave me a rude awakening to exactly how much I did not have together as a musician. I felt like giving up, and that I had lost the respect of my peers at school. Thankfully, the semester ended, and I decided to fight for the right to remain in New York. A chance audition for Norwegian Cruise Lines landed me a 3 month contract on a Caribbean Cruise, and I made the most of it. I practiced long hours every day, and was determined to be a different caliber of musician upon my return. I made it happen, and my friends still remind me of the transformation.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My greatest reward is seeing my musical creations, or the approaches and structures I used to access melodies have a positive impact upon the world around me. The positive impact is the inspiration for other musicians to nurture their own voice and share it with others as with my students, and fans of the music I play.. Also very important is to create the need to move, dance, bounce, and deeply connect with the rhythm. In this way, I feel that artists are catalysts for the development of soulful growth and depth.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.michaeldease.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deasejazz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009644289464
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@silvrtbon

Image Credits
Jessica Cowles