We had the good fortune of connecting with David Rodgers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I had a teacher, Dr. Susan Svrček, who told me in high school, “If you can imagine yourself doing anything else professionally, don’t pursue music.” When I started as a music major at Vanderbilt in 2013, I had aspirations to also pursue a double major in computer science. But midway through my first computer science course, I knew that music was my future. I loved it too much to spend any significant amount of time on anything else. At that time, I didn’t know or understand exactly what pursuing music professionally would look like. I certainly couldn’t have predicted where I am today. But it was roughly 2014, ten years ago, when it all clicked.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a creative, I have two primary roles. First, I help other people make their art better. Sometimes that looks like fully producing a song or EP; sometimes that looks like writing a string arrangement for a song to accentuate different emotional highs and lows; sometimes that looks like playing piano, B3, or other keyboards on a track; sometimes that looks like composing music for a commercial or film; sometimes that looks like teaching lessons. My role in this regard is to help other people elevate their art, realize their vision more fully, and use my artistry and creativity to enhance.

My second role as a creative is releasing my own music. I’ve put out several albums with my third album as an artist dropping later this year – it’s called “Home.” I’ve always composed, improvised, and loved creating since I was a young child. I like the challenge of creating something deeply personal from scratch.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Breakfast at Noshville – one of my favorite spots for breakfast. One of the last times we were there, we saw Vince Gill!

Big baseball fan – we’d check out Hawkins Field (go Vandy Boys!) or the Sounds stadium.

Lunch at Ladybird Taco – one of our go-to spots for excellent breakfast and lunch tacos.

Dinner at Etch – consistently great flavors, creative dishes – we’ve always left happy and satisfied.

We’d want to check out whatever was happening at the Nashville Jazz Workshop – there’s almost always an excellent show happening on on a Friday or Saturday evening (7:30p).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve had amazing teachers from when I was a youngster starting piano at 4 years old through my high school years, through college. My Aunt Connie gave me my first piano lesson, Mrs. Nancy Mitchell was my first regular piano teacher, Dr. Susan Svrček lit a fire in my in my high school years that I carried on to college in my students with Dr. Craig Nies, Amy Dorfman, Dr. Bruce Dudley, Ryan Middagh, and Jeff Coffin. I learned a ton on the road with Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal, alongside my good friend and incredible drummer Marcus Finnie. Those individuals shaped my knowledge of and love for music.

My mom is the person I want to shout out though. She didn’t really know much about being a professional musician (nobody in my family is a musician), but she was always looking out for the best teachers for me, seeking educational opportunities that would enrich my life, surrounding me with people who did know the answers to the questions she didn’t. Growing up, she would drive across Los Angeles to take me to chamber music rehearsals, recitals, competitions, lessons, etc. She asked me thoughtful questions, helped me think through big decisions, and filled my life with love and wisdom. Without her support in my life, I wouldn’t be anywhere near the musician I am today.

Website: https://www.davidmrodgers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr4j/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmrodgersmusic

Youtube: http://youtube.com/davidmrodgers

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5CxDMoVQxfjp2fC0FIOTUk?si=7G0tXbHpQVGSIB3jGNsxYA

Image Credits
Will Noblit

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