Meet Gavin Worland | Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader, Producer, Educator

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

Hi Gavin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Music was in my life starting at a young age even though neither of my parents are musicians, they always played music and taught me what “good music” was early in my life. I started playing music in 4th grade. I had to choose between band and choir, and I ended up gravitating towards the trumpet. Almost instantly I was introduced to the world of jazz and big band music by my band director Bill Wilkinson. At the time I didn’t think too much of it until one of the “cool kids” got into the middle school jazz band, so I ended up doing the same. Even throughout most of middle school and high school, I didn’t think music was going to be my calling in life. I thought I would be a severe weather meteorologist doing crazy things like chasing tornadoes. It wasn’t until I was nominated as an “Ambassador of Music” in my junior year of high school and got to travel Europe playing music that I thought music would be a serious consideration for a career path. That trip truly changed my life and gave me a whole new perspective on things. Since then, I have had a drive and motivation to create and be a part of as many aspects of music as I can. Whether I’m performing in a big band, a mariachi, a wind ensemble, or a tribute band being a part of music as a whole is what gives all musicians, including me life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a musician I love being a part of as many aspects of music as possible but, one of my personal favorites that I love being a part of are big bands. Since 4th grade, I’ve been immersed in the art of big bands, whether it’s the swing of Count Basie and Duke Ellington’s bands or the ingenious harmony and orchestration of modern bandleaders such as Darcy James Argue or Remy LeBoeuf I am enamored by the limitless possibilities and power this ensemble has.

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, I was working on my undergraduate degree online, I started toying with the idea of writing music for this style of ensemble, and I came back to school in person with some very rough sketches of some charts I had worked on. Ron Miles and Dawn Clement were two people who were thrilled to hear this, pushing me to finish these charts I had messed around with and ultimately get the MSU Denver Big Band to perform them. When I heard my music played live by a real band that’s what got me in love with what I’m doing today. I started writing and arranging as many charts as I could instead of my music theory homework and just kept learning on my own, as much as I could from scores of the great writers before me.

Towards the end of my junior year at MSU, I got a phone call out of the blue from a prominent jazz venue in Denver asking me if I would like to headline a summer-long big band feature series. I didn’t have a big band, just some charts I had written. Turns out my professor Dawn Clement recommended me and told this club I would be a great fit, this venue and my professor were quite literally taking a chance on me. So throughout the summer going into my senior year, I compiled my own 19-piece large jazz ensemble made up of some of the finest young musicians in the Denver metro area and put on a sold-out big band show on our debut performance.

Now here we are today, over a year later, I continue to run this ensemble almost exclusively by myself. Writing, arranging, booking, conducting, and the whole 9 yards. It is by far one of the hardest and most time-consuming projects I am a part of, but one of the most gratifying musical experiences I get to do. There isn’t a feeling quite like standing in front of a big band with as much power, style, skill, charisma, and hard work as mine does (yes, I’m a little biased) and hearing the music I started writing months ago at 2 am on my computer being skillfully played by some of my best friends. I am almost entirely self-taught when it comes to running and managing a big band. People such as Remy LeBoeuf, Annie Booth, Christian Wiggs, Steven Feifke, Elliot Deutsch, and the support, feedback, and understanding of the members of my band have all helped me mature and become the band leader and writer I am today.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned as I have become the bandleader I am today is that valuing and treating your musicians as people with feelings, thoughts, and input goes a long way. I value them by paying them of course but little things too, like writing their names in the parts, getting them all custom shirts for the band, or free headshots have reminded me that at the end of the day, no matter how skilled of a musician one might be, we’re all human. We all want and need the validation and reminders of worth here and there, and the fact that a lot of the members of the band have been with me since our debut show means a lot to me as the bandleader but as a friend as well. The Gavin Worland Big Band isn’t about Gavin Worland, it’s about the collective musical effort that 19 people, led by Gavin, create beautiful music and great performances for everyone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, as a native of Longmont, Colorado, there are some go-to spots up here where I’d have to take my friends. The Roost (for the bangin’ cauliflower), the 99 Saloon (for the Chicken and Waffles), and Quarters Arcade and Bar for the great drinks and to beat them at foosball. Next, I’d probably go up to Lyons, and show them my old high school and the amazing views of the mountains up there. A few other spots up in my neck of the woods are all conveniently located in the historic downtown Longmont area such as Crackpots, the Longmont Theatre Company, and the Firehouse Art Center. A 100% must-do in Longmont is to enjoy the walk around McIntosh Lake and Golden Ponds, the view of the twin peaks from there is perfect!

After that, I would take this said best friend down to Denver, show them my college campuses (MSU Denver, and the University of Denver), and take them to La Belle Rosette Coffee and the Pioneer Bar. Head up to the business district and grab some sushi at Blue Sushi Sake Grill. Walk up and down the 16th Street Mall before heading to Dazzle to watch one of the amazing acts there (maybe even the Gavin Worland Big Band!). After the show, depending on the day we would for sure go catch a jam session at either the Meadowlark, Herb’s, or the Mercury Cafe. I would for sure go to a Rockies game if my friend is in town during the season, certainly not because of the outstanding baseball the Rockies are known for but for the amazing atmosphere and the views from the rooftop, plus, as a musician, I can afford a Rockies game!

But ultimately, I would love to take my friends around Colorado and show them the amazing, creatively robust, and awesome music and fine arts scene we have here, whether it’s up in Ft. Collins, Longmont, Denver, Lafayette, or even Colorado Springs there is amazing artists all over the place here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I simply can’t mention one individual who has had an exclusively important role in my journey as an artist. The best I can do is to recognize and shout out to the educators who have impacted my life. Bill Wilkinson, Dr. Karen Gregg, Dawn Clement, Shane Endsley, Greg Gisbert, Ron Miles, Remy LeBoeuf, Gabe Mervine and so many more that have helped shape me into who I am today.

Website: www.worlandmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worland.music/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gw1923/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR2-24sW1-Vdv6YHYHwsn-w

Other: Gavin Worland Big Band Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavinworlandbigband/

Image Credits
Matthew Baena Jack Sasson Photography