Award winning jazz educator Michael Dease addresses the crowd after receiving recognition at the JEN conference in January.
Michael Dease fell in love with music when he was a little kid, spinning records from Marvin Gaye, Elvis, Dionne Warwick, and Hank Williams, Sr. In fifth grade, he learned how to play the saxophone and trombone. Now, he is the Jazz Educator of the Year.
Specifically, Dease, professor of jazz trombone at MSU, was awarded the 2023 Ellis Marsalis, Jr. Educator of the Year Award at the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in Dallas. It is a tremendous sign of the respect he and the program have garnered, but perhaps it is not too surprising for a player and educator who, as an eighth grader, started teaching saxophone fingerings, tone production, and how to read music.
Since then, he’s gone on to excel both in his craft as a performer and educator as one of the world’s eminent trombonists, recognized in Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll as Trombonist of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Dease has lent his signature sound to over 250 recordings with artists including David Sanborn, Christian McBride, and Alicia Keys. The Georgia native studied at The Juilliard School, earning a Bachelor and Masters degrees, and has released 16 records, exploring the essence of blues and jazz.
Since then, he’s gone on to excel both in his craft as a performer and educator as one of the world’s eminent trombonists, recognized in Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll as Trombonist of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Dease has lent his signature sound to over 250 recordings with artists including David Sanborn, Christian McBride, and Alicia Keys. The Georgia native studied at The Juilliard School, earning a Bachelor and Masters degrees, and has released 16 records, exploring the essence of blues and jazz.
Receiving this prestigious educator of the year honor is particularly special for Dease considering Ellis Marsalis, Jr. name was the first collegiate guest artist Dease was able to interact with during his undergraduate studies.
“It is humbling to be selected. There are many, many jazz educators I would pick over myself,” Dease said. “It is affirming to learn that I have been able to help students learn about jazz music, and this award will push me to become a better teacher. My hope is that this honor will help encourage the mentors in jazz to keep investing in the youth. I hope that jazz artists who are interested in teaching but cautious, will see my path, and know that both education and performance artistry are possible, and that with guidance, they can complement one another.”
To become a good teacher, one must have great teachers. For Dease, MSU’s Director of Jazz Studies and University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass Rodney Whitaker has been an impactful mentor.
“I’m a firm believer in the African proverb, paraphrased, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’” Dease said. “MSU has been so helpful in shaping me into an effective educator and entrusting me to share the message of this music.”
When Dease auditioned at MSU in the early 2000s at 17 years old, Whitaker was there.
Professor Michael Dease and MSU Professor of Percussion Gwendolyn Dease enjoyed time with their daughters Charly and Brooklyn on their way to the JEN conference in Dallas.
“Watching him is a great template for other younger folks because he really makes a list and follows it as a blueprint for success. He is very dedicated to his career, but also to his students,” Whitaker said. “He is deserving of the award. He has put in a lot of work to build his studio, and to create community for his students. Sometimes, people like that go unnoticed, but fortunately, they noticed his hard work. He’s built an award-winning trombone studio in a short amount of time – probably one of the best in the country.”
Many of Dease’s students are enjoying their own successful careers, appearing on records with Michael Bublė, Bruno Mars, Revive Da Live Big Band, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra led by Arturo O’Farrill. Dease said the most rewarding aspect of his role as teacher is witnessing students realize their potential within the arts.
“It’s fulfilling to see students immerse themselves in their musical environment and steadily unlock all of the amazing benefits of a life in the arts,” he said. “They develop discipline and integrity, learn to communicate meaningfully, and nurture their original musical voice so it will be ever-present when they share their gifts with the world. I see this every day, and it’s a blessing!”
Charly Dease was happy to see her dad on a poster for the JEN Conference while the family was in Orlando earlier this year.
Relationships like these are at the very heart of music, according to Dease. “From the notes on the page to the tension on the string, to the blend of the section, and the dinner and conversation after the gig – in the world of music, every single interaction and experience means something.”
A lifelong love for music led Dease to other long lasting, meaningful relationships, too. He met his wife, Professor of Percussion and Chair of the MSU Percussion Area, Gwendolyn Dease, on campus. Today, they have two daughters, Brooklyn and Charly.
Gwen is proud of her husband’s award and of achieving his goal of mentoring young jazz musicians.
“It is inspiring for me to watch Michael’s dedication to the art of both teaching and performing,” she said. “He is always thinking about ways that he can improve his teaching and reach his students in more effective ways. He does the same with his own playing. He is constantly challenging himself musically by listening to and critiquing his own performances, listening to new music, getting outside of his comfort zone to work with new collaborators, and practicing different instruments.”
Gwen explained that Dease’s upbringing serves as inspiration for him to create an equitable educational setting and industry for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, and female-identifying players.
“Michael is biracial and grew up in a part of Georgia where he often felt that he wasn’t accepted in either the white or black communities,” she said. “His background is a big part of what makes him passionate about creating a jazz community in which people from any background can feel welcome and do not have to go through the same things that he experienced.”
Michael Dease added that he would like to thank the Jazz Education Network for their outstanding contribution to music education, MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff, College of Music Dean James Forger, University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass Rodney Whitaker, Professor Gwendolyn Dease, and MSU Jazz Studies alumnus Chris Glassman, for the long hours of guidance and faith in his work at MSU.
