Jawanza Kobie would simply like to be known as a composer in the truest sense of the word. Ever since he was young boy he idolized the music of Beethoven, George Gershwin, Aaron Copeland and began learning to notate his compositions at nine years of age. Born and raised in West Philadelphia, he started taking piano lessons in his neighborhood at age six after his mother discovered that he could replicate on his own what his older brother had been taught in his piano lessons right after his brother had finished practicing.
As a teenager, he continued his education in music at the famed Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where he was first introduced to structure and the rules of composition.
He has written music for the “Freedom Theatre” (in Philadelphia), the ‘Elma Lewis School for the Arts’ (Boston) plays and musicals and toured briefly with their productions.
Jawanza would later enroll and earn a Bachelors degree in music majoring in composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston Mass. There he would front a jazz/funk thirty-piece big band playing his original compositions that bore his name. This band would perform concerts and play in theatre productions in the Boston area.
After Berklee, Jawanza played and toured with singer Billy Paul. Then taught music in the public schools, worked as an electrician and later management for 33 years in Mass transit. During this time he also did session work for artist on Warner Brothers, and Philadelphia International records. It was around this time jazz drummer and vocalist Grady Tate took an interest in his talent and became a mentor to him and would come to all his recording sessions while in New York City. Later, Jawanza was signed to Alpha International Records as a songwriter and producer where he would work with some of the top writers and producers in the area like Nick Martinelli. Always wanting to score for film and television, he ultimately got the opportunity to hone his skills on many independent projects in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He has had music aired in various venues on PBS, as well as television and radio stations in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Jawanza was awarded a Jazz Residency at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and is , performed at the Annenberg Center as well as a Teaching Artist and also Teaching Artist in Residence at the Mann Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia Pa. He brings an ensemble of musicians and story tellers into schools and other facilities introducing a young audience to jazz music and the instruments performing original music and story. He and is band currently perform in concert at festivals, and other venues. Writing strong memorable themes and melodies is this composer ultimate objective.
Jawanza discusses jazz and the history of soul music. He encourages EntreMusicians to reach deep within and write first for themselves, while maintaining the discipline of translating their art into commerce that survives the trends of the music industry.
Show Notes
00:00 - Show Open
01:23 - First Recording & Lawrence Welk
03:17 - Classical Roots
05:53 - The Berklee Years
12:00 - Jawanza's Message As a Composer
13:51 - Art & Commerce
21:54 - Billy Paul
24:23 - Warner Bros.
27:00 - Jawanza's Most Rewarding Experiences
36:00 - Music & Marketing
39:00 - Piano or Synths?
43:54 - Accessibility
45:45- Show Close
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