Meet Memphis Jazz Workshop’s Student of the Month, Donald Chism, Jr.
Donald is a 14-year-old student at East STEM Academy. A multi-instrumentalist, he came to the workshop as a piano player, but these days he shines especially bright when he plays his new instrument, the trumpet.
Music fills Donald’s home life, and many of his family members contribute to his success. His father, who has always been his musical mentor, plays in the church, and his sister sings in the choir at Oglethorpe University.
Donald started playing the piano when he was three and also played percussion in a band. He saw that his cousins knew how to play trumpet, and Donald was intrigued. But when his uncle added that he also used to play trumpet, Donald decided that it was time for him to learn as well.
Donald’s father offered him a challenge: practice the chords to a particular Parris Bowens song on the piano, and he’d be able to buy his trumpet. Donald took him up, and soon he ordered one of his own.
Learning to Play
Asked about the hardest part of learning to play his new instrument, Donald replied, “The trumpet? Getting the sound to go through!”
So he practiced “The Eye of the Tiger” for seven hours that first day (it was April 29, 2022, he’ll tell you) until he was satisfied with the sound. When his mother saw how swollen his lips were at the end, she didn’t let him practice again for two days.
“I have really strong willpower.” He says. “I’m gonna get this.”
He learned to control his embouchure and breathing until he got better. Even though he doubted his skill, when he made it to Summer Experience at the Memphis Jazz Workshop, the instructors challenged him to keep going with the trumpet and leave the piano for another time.
“That’s why I love MJW so much. At MJW, they take you, they hear where you are, and they build you up. They’re really kind here.”
Playing His First Solo
Donald learned a lot about theory and chord changes during the Summer Experience with the Memphis Jazz Workshop, and his foundation as a piano player helped him understand how to convert that knowledge to the trumpet. Now he learns theory during the day and then practices with his combos in the afternoon.
“The first half of the day is where I really learn what I’m going to do. The second half is the combos. We pick songs and practice for the concerts.”
In the Summer Experience, the combo chose “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock, and Donald got to play his first solo. Even though he had only been playing for a few months, he did not let that stand in his way.
“After playing Chameleon and learning how to improve on it, I said, I’m doing it. I’m so thankful. If I was making this progress in a month, imagine what would happen if I kept doing MJW.”
