Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Gransden.
Joe, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a professional musician. I grew up listening to jazz as my dad is a fantastic jazz piano player and loved to practice! It was also the only music being played on the stereo in our home. I fell in love with all these great melodies at an early age. When it came time to pick an instrument, I went with the trumpet. My grandfather was a pro trumpet player in New York City. When he would come to visit us, I would sit and listen to him play for hours. His sound is with me every time I play.
I studied music all through school and even left college for a year to tour on 4th trumpet with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra! I learned more on the road then any school could teach me. I eventually moved to New York City and worked as a freelance musician there for a number of years. After moving to Atlanta in 1991 and finishing my degree at Georgia State University, it was time for me to start my own band. The Joe Gransden Big Band is something I am super proud of. The group is stocked with 16 of the top jazz musicians and jazz educators in the South East! We have performed all over the country and released a number of cd’s that have helped us gain lots of exposure!
Over the past few years, I’ve had an unbelievable urge to give back to this music through education! I feel that inspiring our youth to study and perform Jazz can benefit and enhance their lives as it has mine, even if they decide not to choose it as a profession. Enter “Joe’s Jazz Camp”! Our camp is in its 2nd year and really thriving! Our Artistic Director Lee Watts has put together an amazing week long program that really takes learning Jazz to a new level! Students learn about improvisation, swinging, ensemble playing, the importance of solid sound production, tools to help them read music, performance techniques, etiquette on the band stand, how to work together as a band to communicate with and audience through Jazz, etc… Lee and I have made sure to staff our camp with only the best Jazz educators from Atlanta and around the country!
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been a few struggles along the way but they have seemed to work out with the help of wonderful folks in our community. For instance:
1. Finding the right location: We needed a place that had enough room for all of the students to be comfortable. We also needed lots of rehearsal rooms and performance venues. Our staff member Ryan Borger who is the Band Director at The Cambridge High School in Milton Ga took our model to his principle who in turn very generously donated as much space as we needed there!
2. Feeding everyone: This was a big challenge as it’s quite expensive to provide lunch to 80+ students and a staff of 15 or more. Once again the community saw the positive vibes of the Camp and came through. Evey day lunch is catered by restaurants here in Atlanta. Chick-Fil-A, Roaster’s, ‘Cue Barbecue, Cafe 290 andnothers have all stepped up to the plate! Lol!
3. Scholarship money: Another big struggle was having extra funds to provide financial assistance. We knew of many students with amazing potential that needed our help.
Our staff hosted a few fundraisers and also reached out to some private individuals. Everyone saw the value in helping and together, we raised enough money to hand out numerous scholarships! My staff and I were so excited and thankful to all that helped.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Joe’s Jazz Camp story. Tell us more about the business.
Our mission is simple:
To educate and enhance our youth through America’s premier art form. Studying, practicing and performing jazz can build a student’s confidence, encourage creativity and inspire excellence! The universal language of music is the gateway to higher thinking! The Sky is the limit!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We hope to continue to grow Joe’s Jazz Camp so that we can educate and enhance the lives of more and more young adults through this wonderful music called jazz!
In years to come, we plan to have 5-6 camps throughout the South East each summer!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://joesjazzcamp.com/
- Email: info@joesjazzcamp.com
- Facebook: @joesjazzcamp
Image Credit:
Jeff Roffman, Susan Rosmarin
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