The Doctor is In! - Inspirations, Pt. 2

Inspirations, Pt. 2

Here is the second and final installment (for now) of just some of the great artists who inspire me. I’ll revisit this topic in the future since there are so many that have inspired me.

Kirk Whalum

Whenever I’m in Kirk’s presence I sense that he has just been with God. He is one of my favorite sax players and one of the most sincere Christians that I know. It comes through in his music whether he’s playing religious or secular music. I once shared an appearance with Kirk at an elementary school’s career day in Nashville, TN. He performed, talked, and read scripture to the kids. Along the way he mentioned that though he’s an accomplished musician, he still practices his horn several hours a day because he wants to be sure that he’s always giving God his best. He’s anointed!

Jason Max Ferdinand
I’m inspired by Jason’s work ethic. Among other roles, he is the director of the legendary Oakwood University Aeolians! I’ve watched him conduct a two-hour choral performance with no sheet music in front of him and never missing a cue. He does his homework! I’ll be directing the vocal jazz ensemble at MTSU this fall. Since this will be my first time directing a student ensemble, I asked Jason for some conducting advice. Specifically, I asked, “how much music should I anticipate teaching in the first semester”? His answer says a lot about his dedication to preparation. He offered more than one approach. One way is to add up the number of minutes of rehearsal time for the entire semester and divide the total by the approximate time that it might take to learn one piece of music. That will yield the approximate number of pieces that the choir will be able to learn in a given semester. Whew! I love the way he thinks!

Russell Ferrante
As a pianist myself, how could I not be inspired by this innately gifted keyboardist and jazz composer/arranger? He is a founding member of the Yellowjackets—the modern jazz quartet of the 21st century! And like everyone else on this list, he is always well prepared for the musical task at hand. As an example, he, along with David Thomas and myself, co-arranged “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” on TAKE 6’s first Christmas recording, “He Is Christmas” (released in 1991). I will never forget him saying at the recording session that in preparation for the musical arrangement and recording session, he listened to 20 – 25 different recordings of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Impressive to say the least!

David Foster
David is one of the most intuitive musicians I’ve worked with. I had the honor of co-writing with David for TAKE 6’s “Join the Band” CD (released in 1994). To say that I learned a lot from this genius is an understatement. I learned so much about composing, arranging, recording, and mixing a pop tune. But what inspires me most about David is how acutely aware he is of his strengths and weaknesses as a musician. His transparency in this area only adds to his greatness. He is one of the most gifted composers of the popular ballad. But ask him to pen a blistering up-tempo dance tune, and he is quick to tell you that that is not his thing. Seeing this quality in David was liberating for me. I’m now more comfortable in accepting my own weaknesses while maintaining a positive self-image. Thank you David!

Cedric Dent is a baritone vocalist in Take 6 and an accomplished producer and music arranger. Dr. Dent is a professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University. He studied at the University of Michigan (B.M., Vocal Music Education), University of Alabama (M.M., Music Theory/Arranging), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D., Music Theory).

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