Jazz saxophonist Dave Ellis has recorded and played with his own group, as well as with other groups, including Charlie Hunter, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, The Other Ones, and in the Grateful Dead reunion in the 90's. In June, 2004, his State of Mind CD won the Outstanding Jazz Album category in the California Music Awards.

Music in Schools Today (MuST)
When was the first time you decided music was something you wanted to do?

Dave
I'm sort of famous for my answer to the question of what got me inspired to play music in the first place. One specific event when I was in 5th grade, the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble directed by Phil Hardiman came to our elementary school because Phil Hardiman was doing jazz studies from 4th grade through high school. The high school band at that time was as good as or better than any professional big band. A lot of guys like Benny Green, Craig Handy, and guys who are famous jazz players now in New York, or locally like myself, were in the band at the time.

Being in 5th grade, first of all, the sax players were cool beyond cool. It blew my mind! And then the trumpets came in and blasted over everyone's head with these super-high notes, and it was so tight and powerful and strong. I just remember that day that I decided that's it, that's what I'm doing.

The saxophone was something I was naturally drawn to. It sort of found me. Because Phil Hardiman was directing our jazz band, I could talk to him directly and discuss that stuff with him. He put a saxophone in my hands a little earlier than he was supposed to -- you were supposed to go through your clarinet routine for a year and then get a sax -- but he said 'nah, here's the sax.'

And I can pretty much trace it back to that one event. As a 5th grader, I had no idea that that jazz band was better than just about any other. I mean, you aren't supposed to be that good in high school, and I didn't know any better. That was the standard that was set for me as a young kid, and I just sort of went from there.

MuST
How did music affect your other studies?

Dave
Music for me was the reason to get up and do all the rest of the stuff: to go to school, do the rest of the homework, and make it through the day to get to that period where I could do music. It provided a focus for me that was really necessary in my life. The thing that most people don't realize about music -- especially a jazz ensemble -- is all the things it takes to do that, you can incorporate into other skills.

Like reading music, it's a whole 'nother language, which helps anything. The theory of music is very mathematical. To be able to listen to the people around you who are playing and be able to match their style and volume means you have to keep your ears open and be cognizant of what other people are doing around you simultaneously. And to be able to combine all those things at once and do them all together really was the most challenging thing in school. I started at age nine, and went until I was a senior in high school and beyond.

MuST
Any advice to those seeking a career in music?

Dave
This is something that I understand to be absolutely true -- you just have to keep on doing it. Go with what got you there. Whatever you did that was successful, do it again. Just stay in it, no matter what it is. If it is emptying the trash at the studio you want to work at or playing along with the radio because you like this particular song, whatever it is, just keep on doing it, with the idea in mind of where you eventually want to get to, and you'll end up there.

MuST
Why should we teach music in schools?

Dave
I was fortunate to have an incredible atmosphere and a great set of teachers, but that would have been wasted if the instrument wasn't made available to me by the school system. Before someone between the ages of 8 and 12 gets an instrument in their hands, they might not know that they have a gift to perform or play that instrument.

I have a lot of friends who played music with me early who no longer do it, but we still have that in common. They still enjoy music and benefit from it. To enrich a life is just absolutely fundamental, it's totally necessary. If you don't have that opportunity, you just can't reach the potential you might have. You won't know.

MuST
Did you have any role models when you were a student?

Dave
It was the guys who came before me who I looked up to and respected -- not just how cool they were, but how they played. Then I continued that tradition by providing the role model and the person to look up to, and setting the standard for people below in earlier grades. I saw that happen without fail every year.

MuST
Why do you feel that music is an important facet of our public education system?

Dave
There should always be music in schools. It should be considered as important as math or art or literature or anything else. If you don't include it, you are just short-changing your kids, and who would want do that? It's just counterintuitive. From what I've seen from my own benefit and those I know, it speaks for itself.