{"id":377,"date":"2013-02-04T10:33:11","date_gmt":"2013-02-04T16:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/inside.augsburg.edu\/news\/?p=377"},"modified":"2022-05-09T20:03:57","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T20:03:57","slug":"student-spotlight-devante-jackson-finds-the-twin-cities-a-sweet-spot-for-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/2013\/02\/04\/student-spotlight-devante-jackson-finds-the-twin-cities-a-sweet-spot-for-jazz\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: DeVante Jackson finds the Twin Cities a ‘sweet spot’ for jazz"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Augsburg
Augsburg College student DeVante Jackson \u201917<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DeVante Jackson \u201917 performed jazz around campus and across town during his first semester at Augsburg College.<\/p>\n

Jackson\u2014a saxophone player and pianist\u2014regularly joined the Augsburg Jazz Band on stage in Hoversten Chapel, and had experiences only available to students who study in an urban location. Jackson amplified his formal music education by accompanying professional groups and amateur artists at theaters, jazz clubs, and cultural centers throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Twin Cities are a vibrant area for jazz musicians,\u201d according to Andrea Canter, the Twin Cities Jazz Society\u2019s chair of education. When compared to other U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is \u201c\u2026smaller in terms of population, but we have an awful lot going on. We have long been considered one of the top jazz centers in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discovering his voice in music<\/h2>\n

Jackson selected Augsburg for his post-secondary education because he wanted to benefit from the high-caliber instruction at the College and to capitalize on the lively music scene in Minnesota\u2019s largest metropolitan area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some debate about the value of what formal schools teach versus the \u2018learning-by-doing,\u2019\u201d method upon which jazz was founded, according to Canter. \u201cBut, I think DeVante\u2014and students like him\u2014have found the \u2018sweet spot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson, a St. Paul native, grew up playing in local student groups, and he is taking his musical talent to the next level with the encouragement and expertise of Augsburg faculty members.<\/p>\n

When Jackson was in the midst of his college search, Robert Stacke, chair of music, invited him to audition at Augsburg College and sit in with its jazz group. \u201cIt\u2019s when a student comes by and plays with the band that they find out what we\u2019re about,\u201d Stacke said. \u201cThey feel at home, like they\u2019re already welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Stacke, the College was a natural fit for a musician like Jackson, someone who wanted to combine high-level music instruction with a college degree in a complementary field. <\/ins><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I like playing music is because of my relationship with people,\u201d Jackson explained. \u201cIt\u2019s because I get to be on stage and show people my talent. It\u2019s a connection I form with them, so I might do communications or I might do sociology. We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson is exploring a variety of College courses during his first year at Augsburg in order to determine which degree program will best match his interest in music. And, no matter which major Jackson selects from Augsburg\u2019s 50 undergraduate offerings, he will continue to mature as a student and as a musician\u2014developing his life story with each jazz composition.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeVante talks with his horn,\u201d Stacke said. \u201cHe really does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson attends Augsburg on a performing arts scholarship, a benefit that gives him the flexibility to fuse his desire for a liberal arts education with his passion for jazz.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Augsburg, I\u2019ve been challenged to discover myself as a musician\u2014to find my own sound,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cThe instructors are also challenging me to try new things and study the basics.\u201d<\/p>\n

These \u201cbasics\u201d\u2014he said\u2014are often the most difficult aspect of music to master. \u201cYou would think practicing a scale would be easy, but there are more layers once you get into it. It\u2019s like a sport: you practice your free throws, and it helps in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faculty-professional networks<\/h2>\n

The Augsburg Music Department embraces the philosophy that students and instructors alike should share their music with live audiences, according to Stacke.<\/p>\n

Instructors are \u201cconstantly working to get students engaged with the professional circles,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to get out in front of the community because it\u2019s such a joy to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson agreed that Augsburg musicians benefit from the College\u2019s local network, which assists students in finding performance opportunities. He describes each gig as a way to \u201cexpress yourself in front of people who don\u2019t know you, which is a good feeling if you\u2019re on the path to becoming a musician.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live performances and improv opportunities<\/h2>\n
\"Stacke_conducting\"
Robert Stacke, chair of music at Augsburg College<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each performance couples enjoyment with experimental education, according to Canter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re playing with professional people, it raises your experience up to a higher level,\u201d she said. Students are \u201clearning band etiquette, band performance, and band communication\u201d each time they get on stage.<\/p>\n

Jackson plays with the Minneapolis Capri Theater\u2019s Big Band, the PipJazz Youth Program<\/a>, the amateur group Remember the Planets, and a number of other ensembles through informal arrangements.<\/p>\n

Augsburg’s location makes it easy to find a variety of performance opportunities. Jackson has played at the Selby Avenue Jazz Fest and the Dakota Jazz Club as well as the Artists\u2019 Quarter\u2014a venue named in DownBeat magazine\u2019s list of the 150 \u201cbest places to hear live jazz worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson has performed at numerous other engagements in the Twin Cities, and he cites smaller locations including the Acadia Caf\u00e9 and the Red Sea as especially encouraging to student musicians with some previous performance experience. Jackson\u2019s favorite aspect of a show is incorporating improvisation into his performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get tired of just reading what\u2019s on the paper,\u201d he said. \u201cJazz is the music I can express myself with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jazz compositions are simply \u201ca guideline. It\u2019s just written like a bunch of eighth notes, and it\u2019ll say \u2018swing,\u2019\u201d Stacke said, describing the genre\u2019s intended rhythm. \u201cSo, if you play it the way it\u2019s written, it\u2019s horrible. The style is something you learn over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The influence of Augsburg<\/ins><\/h2>\n
\"Augsburg
Augsburg Jazz Band saxophone section<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jackson has found that his first few months at Augsburg have influenced his jazz\u2014and his work ethic\u2014in positive ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cJazz reflects your whole day…from the shower you took this morning to the people you talk to,\u201d he said. And, the College\u2019s \u201cenvironment to improve\u201d has strengthened his dedication to practicing his instruments and to completing his school work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve resolved to not just work hard but to devote all I can into completing my work and finishing a task all the way out,\u201d Jackson explained. \u201cIt\u2019s just the culture at Augsburg College. You gotta grind hard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DeVante Jackson \u201917 performed jazz around campus and across town during his first semester at Augsburg College. Jackson\u2014a saxophone player and pianist\u2014regularly joined the Augsburg Jazz Band on stage in Hoversten Chapel, and had experiences only available to students who study in an urban location. Jackson amplified his formal music education by accompanying professional groups …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[503,820,2012,2300,2468],"class_list":["post-377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-capri-theaters-big-band","tag-devante-jackson","tag-music","tag-pipjazz-youth-program","tag-robert-stacke"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10898,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377\/revisions\/10898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}