meet evan
Jazz Workshop Alum & Volunteer
Evan G. is a high school junior who “enjoys music pretty much more than anything else, which is saying a lot.” Playing classical piano to ragtime and instruments ranging from saxophone to bass, Evan determined that he wanted a new beat, so he enrolled in CSMA’s summer jazz workshop. “Basically, I wanted to get started playing jazz, and it was a nice environment with other kids. It was supportive, and it was a good opportunity for me to start.”
Evan took jazz workshops for two consecutive summers, and still talks about his experiences. “It was a bunch of kids with a big difference of skill level who all played instruments. All people who wanted to get an immersion in jazz. It was pretty remarkable how well we worked together. As a whole, it was a really great way to learn music with a bunch of people who were all in more or less the same position as you.”
A breakthrough came on the day Evan learned to improvise under the tutelage of CSMA alumnus and two-time Grammy nominated Taylor Eigsti. One note at a time, Evan was encouraged “to improvise at a very basic level.” He realized, “OK, that’s easy. I can do that!” This “really helped me get started as a jazz musician” and “opened the doors for me to learn a lot and pursue jazz further.”
Today, he is doing just that, both in advanced classes at Stanford University and with his own jazz ensemble, Late Notice. Evan also volunteers at CSMA’s current jazz workshops “to give back a little.” “It was a natural thing for me to do,” he explains. “A good opportunity for me to help younger kids who were at the same place I was.”
“I think everyone has at least a little bit of some kind of passion for artistic endeavors,” he concludes. “It doesn’t have to be a career or main interest or anything, but just providing that opportunity is really important. And that’s one of the great things about places like CSMA.”
“I credit the CSMA workshop with getting me started.”