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Guitar star takes next step with BFA

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Published: 
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Dean Williams plays at his final recital at Napa, UTT, in fulfilment of his BFA requirements, on May 18. Photo courtesy AARON MAHARAJ PHOTOGRAPHY

What could an established player with over 25 years of practical and performing experience need with a bachelor's degree in music? Ask musician and composer Dean Williams. Williams is a professional electric guitarist who recently graduated from the University of T&T (UTT) with a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) in Western music, with a specialisation in classical guitar. His musical experience includes being a lead guitarist and producer for some of T&T’s biggest music acts—Machel Montano and Xtatik, 3Canal and Destra Garcia. He’s played for Jamaican dancehall artiste Sean Paul and Haitian-American celebrity Wyclef Jean. Williams has performed at jazz festivals all over the region including the St Lucia, Tobago and St Kitts festivals, and also teaches guitar lessons to young and aspiring musicians.  He is also a composer and producer.

 

Parents led by example
For Williams, the drive to continuously pursue a goal of academic excellence in any endeavour began with the early encouragement of his parents. “I grew up in a household where education was very important; both my parents were school principals. To me, it’s not a big issue to go to school at any age, so for this degree, it wasn't anything challenging.” Williams was formally trained in music theory at the Pan Pipers Music School. Always an academic, he excelled at Hillview College in sciences and then later on attended the John Donaldson Technical Institute where he was exposed to the creative career opportunities which led to him becoming serious about the music business. 

 

With the UTT BFA music programme, Williams saw an opportunity to enhance his artistic and operational skills and take his chosen career to the next level.  The discipline of his earlier years at school seemed to prepare him for the rigour of the UTT academic programme. “The classroom experience (at UTT) was very enriching and challenging. It’s not only being able to play the music but to manage the courses and manage your time.”

 

Stretching his talent
The experience also opened up a whole new world of opportunities for stretching his talent in different but complimentary fields. “I have a lot more respect for people who dance and act overall. I also acted in several local films—small parts—and that was done purely because of the training I got. “The acting experience made me much more comfortable to be on stage speaking with my guitar. Before, it was a serious challenge.” He also values the training he received in theatre, as it has opened up a whole new facet of his on-stage performance and the possibilities of what he had do during his solo performances. 

 

Williams’ muse has also been working overtime as he has been enthusiastically composing new work. During his time studying he claims to have written more music and songs than ever before. He composed and performed a short work for full string orchestra with brass and timpani for his recently performed final recital. He was also able to collaborate in composing music for a short film which was being produced at the school. While at UTT he did his first music production for a television series, a full theme and soundtrack for the television production What's Cooking Now by Unilever. The theme song won him a Silver Addy award. “That made me very happy. Second place is not too bad for a first timer.” For Williams, a whole new world of creative expression and commercial marketability has been opened up, allowing him to forge boldly into the future with a renewed verve, energy and goal-oriented purpose. He also intends to generously share what he has learned with his students. 

 

The importance of marketing
The opportunities which came about because of the programme also inspired and taught him a valuable lesson on taking a more focused look at himself as a business and a brand. 
“Marketing and the music business go hand in hand, and looking at yourself as a business is important. I've become more aware and conscious of those things and I am a lot more confident and sure about what I can do and what I want to do.” Hailing additional benefits of increased opportunities for networking and time management, Williams advises any musician, no matter what age or level of experience to invest in furthering their theoretical and practical musical experience. “The more educated you are, the more informed you are about your craft and about the industry. Our industry is growing, changing and evolving and the present musicians need to equip themselves to deal with the changes that are coming.”


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