Q&A with David Rodgers!

It recently occurred to me that there’s a lot of knowledge shared in conversation between working musicians I know, but there are fewer places where this information is shared more formally or directly. My alma mater, Belmont, now offers a class called something like “The Professional Musician”, which I think is a fabulous idea! But if you’re not at a major music school and are curious about what it’s like being a working musician… Have I got a blog series for you :) I’ve reached out to some of my coolest friends to ask questions about their musical lives, in hopes that I can inform and inspire others. Let me know what other questions you might have for David, and I’d be happy to share a follow up!

Today’s answers are from David Rodgers, a pianist in Nashville. I’m not sure how to begin to convey what a monstrous musician David is, but if you know, you know. He’s well versed in classical, jazz, gospel, Afro-Cuban, and popular music styles. He plays, composes, arranges, produces, and is a really nice dude. I hope you enjoy and learn from his input here!

Name: David Rodgers 

Primary Instrument: piano 

Secondary instrument or other musical skills that factor into your career? B3, accordion, aux keys, string/horn arranger, composer, producer, educator 

Bands or artists you’ve played with in the past: Peter Frampton, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Ricky Skaggs, Gabby Barrett, Gavin DeGraw, Joss Stone, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Kirk Whalum, Keith & Kristyn Getty 

Can you describe what your career looks like right now? I am (almost officially) artistic director for the Nashville Jazz Workshop (official July 1, possibly sooner). That takes up the majority of my time. I still play some live gigs; I do a good amount of recording, particularly remote recording. I have a private teaching studio of 5 students per week. I do a good amount of string arranging, some horn/big band arranging. I produce a handful of tracks every year for various artists. I occasionally compose for commercials and film.

A song everyone should know/learn/study: “I Wish I Knew What It Meant to be Free” by Nina Simone

A practice technique, habit, or specific exercise you recommend: Keep a practice journal. Be specific and detailed in your practice notes and intentionally structure your next practice session off your last. Don’t spend time practicing things you can already do well. “Hug the cactus.”

An app that helps your musicianship or career as a musician: METRONOME!!! (the best one is the one you will open up and use) 

A piece of gear or physical equipment that you like as a musician (specific brand of stand? A pedal? An amp?): a real piano hahaha (not a keyboard/amp person). More universally, I really like the Sony MDR7506 headphones. I use these in our studio all the time https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJIF4E/  

A piece of financial advice for musicians: Learn how to save. Freelance work often results in financial seasons of “feast/famine.” Saving looks different for everyone but it’s necessary. Figure out what works for you and be consistent.

General advice for young or beginner musicians: Spend as much time at your instrument as you can. Find ways to immerse yourself to the point where you lose track of time. Listen to a wide range of musical styles and figure out how to play along. Find music you love and can’t get enough of…live in that for as long as you dare. There is no replacement for the time investment in your instrument/craft. 

General advice for other professional musicians: As best as you can, figure out your “why.” Why do you do what you do? What ultimately motivates you? What’s the purpose of your life? Dig into your heart and motivations. Think about the hard questions. Talk about the hard questions with friends. Ask for help. Also, practice with a metronome.

A type of work you’ve grown out of: I used to tour a lot, but am doing less and less of it. I like being home with my wife and son. Anything that takes me away from that needs to be worth it, and touring is less and less worth it.  

A type of work or a specific gig you hope to do in the future: I hope to continue doing everything I’m doing now! But I would love to do more string arranging. Hearing live strings enhance a track or live performance is a little slice of heaven.

A gig you’re well suited for? A gig you’re not well suited for? I’m well suited for string arranging – I like working from home, I like the methodical problem-solving-style pace that most arrangements I work on require, and we have the studio space to record the arrangement in-house too. Remote recording work is definitely something I am well suited for too bc of these same reasons.

I’m less suited for live gigs – I don’t like bringing gear (yes I’ve been spoiled by real pianos), I’m particular (some might say neurotic!) about live sound quality, and I really value good listening environments. Those aren’t always guaranteed.

A high and low of your career in the last 12 months: I think a high recently was back in November 2023, within a few days, I was asked to do a live taping for NORD as a featured artist, and then I also was part of Cody Fry’s live taping for his acoustic sessions along with an incredible band (including Abi!) – Kate Paradise, Therry Thomas, Greg Breal, Nate Dugger, Aaron Sterling, Scott Mulvahill. That was super fulfilling creatively.

A low was definitely being out on the road for 3 straight weeks overseas 3-4 months after our son was born. I knew I was missing out on a season of his life that I would never get back. 

A habit or habits that help you do your best (could be musical, non musical, have to do with organization… anything): I can easily feel overwhelmed, so I like keeping lists on my phone – to-do’s, things to follow-up on, emails to send, charts to make, etc. It helps me compartmentalize so I can hopefully be more present with each moment. I’m also a big fan of physically distancing myself from my phone and technology. If I can get an hour or two of time every day where my phone is somewhere else (I might even forget where I left it), that’s a win. I’m more creative, more present, more relaxed. It’s a win for everybody. It’s good to unplug. 

A musician in your genre who inspires you: Micah Thomas (pianist) – he is one of the most original and intentional voices I’ve heard on the piano… ever. I love everything I’ve ever heard him play.

A musician in a very different genre who inspires you: PJ Morton and Kim Burrell (I couldn’t pick one!) Unbelievable creativity and masters of their crafts.

A Nashville musician more people should hire or work with (other than me, of course): Katie Blomarz-Kimball is an excellent bass player who is underrated in my opinion. I’ve particularly enjoyed playing with her several times recently – tone, feel, preparation, easy to work with – she’s got it all!

A non-musical hobby or interest you have: I love working out, particularly with weights. I’ve been fascinated by the human body since high school and seeing & experiencing how resistance training affects the body and mind is quite interesting to me. I used COVID as an excuse to assemble a home-gym and that’s helped enable me to stay pretty consistent over the past 4 years too.

Okay, it’s Abi again. Wow, I loved reading that. Things that stick out to me are: obviously I love the shoutout for Katie Blomarz aka KBK. I also think the emphasis on quality time with your instrument sticks out, because you can’t listen to David play without realizing he’s spent A LOT OF TIME on his craft. I’ve recently been thinking about the fact that…. music is difficult. We constantly see performers who execute music with ease and feel like music should be easy. Maybe we feel like there should be some hack, some magical practice technique we just haven’t found. But the truth is, music is challenging, growth takes time, and like David said, there’s no replacement for time spent with your instrument. It’s a good reminder that for every 15 seconds we see on social media, there are HOURS of practice/experience behind it. As musicians and creators, we have to spend a lot more time “hugging the cactus” (love that phrase) than showing off in performance.

Thank you to David for sharing his wisdom, and I look forward to sharing more Qs & As very soon!