Daily Inspiration: Meet Gavin Worland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gavin Worland.

Hi Gavin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started playing the trumpet back in 4th grade under the direction of Mr. Bill Wilkinson. Almost instantly, I was thrust into the world of jazz learning the blues scale before middle school. Throughout my middle school and high school career, I thought I was going to become a meteorologist and chase tornadoes for a living until I had the chance of a lifetime to travel Europe and play music as a Colorado Ambassador of Music.

I got a job at 16 and paid for this trip all myself and when I finally went, my world was opened to so many different cultures and areas of the world I never thought I would get to see, all while I was playing music and seeing the visible positive reaction folks from these areas had with the music I was making. From then on I was sold on becoming a musician. I immediately attended MSU Denver as a B.M. in Jazz & American Improvised Music, right after high school.

The only downside to this is that I spent half of my bachelor’s program online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout that time I developed a lot of the skills that I am now enhancing and improving upon at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Strengthening my skills as a trumpeter, improviser, composer, arranger, bandleader, and all-around musician.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One major challenge that I face as a musician in the 21st century, currently in higher ed, is the ability to believe in the future. I have a hard time trusting myself that everything will be ok and will work out for the better. The fear of the unknown, everything from something as micro as the slotting the next high note I play, or the next solo I take, or some anxiety-ridden questions as big-picture as “What’s after school?” “when’s the next gig” or “How am I going to make it with so many other great musicians out there?”

While it’s hard some days to not be anxious about these things or, in general, because of the climate of the world with all of the hatred and war I remember that I am such a lucky individual that I am getting to do what I love on a day-to-day basis. No, I’m not saving lives in an active war zone but I’m helping keep morale, confidence, and faith high within my community through my music. As a good friend and someone I’ve looked up to most of my career has said: “Do what you love, and the rest will work itself out”.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a trumpeter, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and producer, which is as much work as it sounds! I do as much as I can within the music industry varying from free jazz to big band, to composing and arranging and even teaching privately.

One of my strengths as a trumpet player is my ability to play well within the upper register of the instrument. I’ve been playing “lead trumpet” in the Lamont Jazz Orchestra and throughout my entire time at MSU Denver while doing some gigs when I’m available outside of school playing up there in bands varying from mariachi to video game music to big band!

In addition to this, I have become a bit of a nerd for big band writing and arranging, and I take a lot of pride in getting the most out of any band that I write for. Being fortunate to have studied with some of the best big band writers and arrangers such as Adam Bartczak, Zach Rich, Annie Booth, and Remy LeBoeuf has strengthened my knowledge tenfold.

I’m most proud of my work as a big band leader for my band the “Gavin Worland Big Band”. It’s something that takes the most amount of work and time to put together a show or write for but is one of the most gratifying things I do because it’s a band of good friends of mine that believe in me, while collectively keeping the traditions of a large jazz ensemble alive and well!

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Over the next 5-10 years, I see the music industry only flourishing becoming even bigger and stronger, BUT, I think at some point music corporations will have to be able to fairly treat their artists better, whether it’s streaming services or whatever it might be. A surge in artists going to platforms such as Patreon, Bandcamp, and ArtistShare is almost inevitable.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people value live music so much more and music venues are becoming more of a hub for people to socialize and spend free time in, which will only benefit local artists and the music they make. New venues are popping up left and right as we speak and established ones are renovating to meet the new demands of nowadays.

Spacial audio and the technological advancements using AI as an aid in mixing/ mastering music will skyrocket. Spacial audio could easily become the new standard, and the things AI is capable of doing within a DAW in 2024 are incredible time savers. I believe these tools won’t put audio engineers out of work it will probably get them even more work if there is less turnover time between projects they are working on!

Jazz music is going to keep blurring the lines between genres and will usher in new styles and genres that we haven’t even thought of yet. Such as the surge in the popularity of video game music and the styles that make music from companies such as Nintendo, Sega, and others so popular and fun for younger jazz musicians.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.worlandmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worland.music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gw1923/

Image Credits
Jack Sasson Photography and Matthew Baena Photography