Cu Boulder College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumns
At the College of Music'southward beginning ceremony this Thursday, May 5, we're so excited to welcome alumnus Damani Phillips (DMA '09) back to campus and to present him the college's 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award!
"I'g beyond thrilled to receive this year's Distinguished Alumnus accolade," says Phillips, saxophonist, educator, author and recording artist who currently serves as head of the jazz studies plan and associate professor of African American studies at the University of Iowa. "As you navigate your degree programme, you always promise that once finished and your professional career gets fully underway that you can manage to be impactful in a mode that represents both yourself and the institutions that you attended positively.
"It'due south an incredible feeling to be formally acknowledged by your alma mater as a graduate who has managed to practice so in a noteworthy way. I view this award as a great honor."
A native of Pontiac, Michigan, Phillips earned bachelor and master of music degrees from DePaul University and the Academy of Kentucky in classical saxophone, a 2nd master of music in jazz studies from Wayne Country University and a doctor of musical arts caste in jazz studies hither at the University of Colorado Boulder, becoming the first African American in the state to do then.
"While graduate school is customarily nearly preparing for a very specific type of professional person existence, my experience as a doctoral student at CU pushed across that," reflects Phillips. "While I was well prepared for my obvious career path, my time here at the College of Music afforded me the adventure to develop any number of possible peripheral skills needed for success.
"In brusk, I graduated with confidence in my power to make full many different roles in my professional life—many of which were well beyond the training afforded to my peers nationwide. The versatile training provided by CU has been the cornerstone of my success to date, and has enabled me to practise and be many things well beyond typical expectations."
Indeed, an active performer, pedagogue and lecturer, Phillips has performed, presented and taught around the world. He previously served on the faculty of Grinnell College and Oakland University, and is a sought-later on guest artist, clinician presenter and adjudicator beyond the country. He has performed with artists and groups such as Lewis Nash, Christian McBride, Wycliffe Gordon, Bobby McFerrin, Marcus Belgrave, Terrell Stafford, Hank Jones, Red Holloway and Pat Bianchi, amidst many others. He has farther released 5 albums equally a bandleader; his well-nigh recent album—"No More Apologies," featuring jazz quartet with cord octet—was released concluding autumn.
Phillips is also an active academic scholar, with scholarly presentations at colleges, universities, professional/civic conferences and scholarly forums, both domestically and abroad, to his credit. His research focuses on addressing cultural concerns in the pedagogy of Black music within academia. His volume—"What is This Thing Called Soul: Conversations on Jazz and Blackness Culture"—delves into the difficult withal timely topic of the decline of Black cultural influence and representation in jazz equally traditionally taught in academic spheres.
Phillips' advice for graduating Music Buffs? "In her 2021 New Yorker article—'Black, Chocolate-brown and Beige' recounting the life and work of the groovy jazz composer and pianist Duke Ellington—author Claudia Pierpont remarked that Duke lived his life past the motto 'I demand not need respect if one commands it,'" says Phillips. "This statement reflects just how of import non but what we say, just what we practise , is to making our marking on the globe.
"Acquire as many skills and absorb every bit much knowledge every bit possible at present, as you never know what will be needed on your path ahead. In short, prepare yourself to face the earth, unapologetically be what you are meant to be and do what you are meant to practise. True, meaningful and lasting change in this world wholly depends on information technology.
"Go frontwards and command the respect that y'all accept prepared yourself to earn."
Congratulations on your well-earned distinction, Damani Phillips!
Source: https://www.colorado.edu/music/2022/05/03/meet-damani-phillips-2022-distinguished-alumnus-award-recipient
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