JoDavi

Joshua David had just finished cleaning a parking lot when he talked to SN&R about his upcoming four-song EP, And And And And. An employee of a maintenance company started by his grandfather, David had good reason for both taking the day job and making the album: his special lady.

“After my first time meeting her face-to-face, I thought about stepping to her,” he said. “But I felt like she wouldn’t want to waste her time with me if I didn’t have some things together.”

They’re locked into a serious relationship now, but this original nervousness inspired the Stockton native’s first single, “Hot Damn,” for the EP that will be released at Fox & Goose Pub on April 29. Laid over meandering, then bouncy keys, David’s crisp vocals sell the emotion behind wanting to woo this woman with his self-improvement. He showed her the song a couple of weeks into their relationship, and she soon had it “on repeat.”

“She’s from South Africa, so all of her friends from South Africa were calling me ’Mr. Hot Damn’ for the next few months,” he said with a little laugh.

Lyrically, David likes the clever, thoughtful instincts of Motown, but he genre-hops sonically. On an earlier release, “The Temple,” he crafts a stuttering, then swirling orchestra. And on “Immeasurable” he channels the chilly minimalism of James Blake—showcasing the eclectic vibes that wiggle around the edges of his pop-soul sound.

Besides his parking lot gig, David teaches at The Zion Academy of Music and directs the music at The Congregation of Zion, both founded by his pastor father. He credits playing gospel and contemporary songs at church services for making him want to pursue music professionally.

“That’s where I really learned to play the piano,” he said. “You have a regular gig at least once a week, where you have to learn songs and play in front of people. You really get the chance to grow in that setting as a performer and as a musician.”

He prides himself on his production after studying composition at University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music. This education allows him occasionally to work on arrangements for horns, strings and orchestra for other artists. And when he writes songs, he usually comes up with the melody first, then finds where the words “fit in.”

As Stockton’s go-to soul act, he plays consistent gigs in the city’s growing downtown scene and has opened for names like Anthony Hamilton, who listened to one of David’s former bands in 2013. Backstage, after David’s set, the respected R&B singer asked him if he was signed (he’s not), then complimented his music.

“That, for me, was one of those life checkpoints,” David said. “[It was] confirmation I’m doing the right thing—that I’m on the right path and I got to keep going.”

To make money along the way, he’ll continue his family traditions. The maintenance job may reveal how “gross” people can be, but he appreciates the contrast to the mild ego trip he experiences onstage.

“It keeps me humble and grounded,” he said. “I enjoy it. I was having a good time today, just blasting music in my headphones, cleaning up stuff. It was cool. It’s not all about me all the time.” - Sacramento News & Review (John Flynn)

NBC Nightly News’ Making A Difference segment reported in January 2013 that Stockton California was “a city in desperate need of change” and the focus was Micheal Tubbs, a 22 year old elected to city council promoting REINVENT Stockton, CA. Echoing Tubbs efforts, is another Stockton Son, Joshua David Washington. He too is 22 years old and on a mission to artistically give back and Reclaim Stockton – giving back something beautiful for the city. The Reclaim Concert is dedicated to the city of Stockton in hopes of inspiring its people through the power of music to Believe, again.

The Zion Academy of Music sponsors the Reclaim Concert in Stockton, California featuring pianist Joshua David Washington and special guest Canadian RnB recording artist Joanna Borromeo with Councilman Michael Tubbs as speaker, Friday, April 12, 2013 at beautiful Weber Point. Gates open at 4:30pm and the concert begins at 5:00pm. Admission is free and concert goers receive a Reclaim wrist band good for the weekend at participating supporting merchants, like Moo Moos Burger Barn. Several supporting partners of The Reclaim Concert are: the City of Stockton, Universal Xperience, City Councilman Michael Tubbs and Promoting Purpose Magazine.

Pianist Joshua Washington native to Stockton, California, designed the Reclaim Concert to inspire a city and its people, counteracting doubt and feelings of hopelessness. Washington says, ''The Reclaim Concert is an artistic effort to serve as a catalyst that there is still hope in Stockton, and to regain ownership of our city. We reject any and all forms of apathy toward Stockton and we strive to bring out the beauty that already exists within her. Once the mindset is changed, actions will follow.'' Washington believes that music is a very powerful inspirational tool that can change hearts and attitudes.

Families and their children can expect LIVE music from Washington and his band, Current Personae that includes vocalists, bass, drums, organ and guitars along with a 30 piece orchestra which includes, strings, woodwinds and brass. A large majority of the musicians were recruited from University of the Pacific where Washington graduated in 2012 earning a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition.

Musicians and singers of all ages and skill levels are encourage to bring their instruments and voices to the concert and perform with the orchestra and band in a community play/sing-a-long of 'Change The World' written by multi-Grammy Award songwriter producer Tommy Sims, one of Washington's major musical influences. Sims wrote 'Change The World' at the age of 16 and later collaborated with Eric Clapton earning a Grammy for Song of the Year.

Washington and Reclaim supporters seek to make the concert an annual event to inspire through music but to also attract new businesses to downtown Stockton and stimulate economic growth for existing businesses. The long term goal is to develop a national model for Reclaim to be replicated in other cities like Stockton. - Caravan News

Los Angeles, CA – Rising artist JoDavi is back with a powerful new single that will inspire listeners to overcome any obstacle that comes their way. Titled “I Won’t Go,” the song is a powerful anthem that showcases JoDavi’s dynamic vocal range and ability to craft songs that resonate with audiences.

“I Won’t Go” is an empowering track that speaks to the challenges of life and the importance of perseverance.

“I Won’t Go is a song of defiance, aid JoDavi. The message is a statement. It was my way of planting my feet in the earth, signifying that I will not be moved so easily, no matter the consequences. I wrote it while on tour, on a plane ride to a studio in Oakland. This was a very difficult time for me emotionally as I found myself in a place where my convictions were being tested and friends were revealing themselves to be more transactional than relational, and so were deserting me. ‘I Won’t Go’ was pep-talk first to myself, but also to anyone feeling challenged to bow to mass formation psychosis. Plant your feet.”

The song is now available on all major streaming platforms. - Elicit Magazine

JoDavi’s New Song “I Won’t Go” Empowers Listeners to Overcome Challenges

Los Angeles, CA – March 17, 2023 – Rising artist JoDavi is back with a powerful new single that will inspire listeners to overcome any obstacle that comes their way. Titled “I Won’t Go,” the song is a powerful anthem that showcases JoDavi’s dynamic vocal range and ability to craft songs that resonate with audiences.

“I Won’t Go” is an empowering track that speaks to the challenges of life and the importance of perseverance.

“I Won’t Go is a song of defiance, said JoDavi. The message is a statement. It was my way of planting my feet in the earth, signifying that I will not be moved so easily, no matter the consequences. I wrote it while on tour, on a plane ride to a studio in Oakland. This was a very difficult time for me emotionally as I found myself in a place where my convictions were being tested and friends were revealing themselves to be more transactional than relational, and so were deserting me. ‘I Won’t Go’ was pep-talk first to myself, but also to anyone feeling challenged to bow to mass formation psychosis. Plant your feet.”

The song is now available on all major streaming platforms.

About JoDavi:

Often referred to as “Mr. Maestro,” JoDavi fuses his soulful roots with his passion and schooling in orchestration to create what many call “Cinema-Soul;” a sound that likens to Earth Wind and Fire, the 5th Dimension, your favorite movie soundtrack, and his background in gospel, RnB, reggae, and funk.

JoDavi has opened for Grammy award winning artists India Arie, and Anthony Hamilton. He has also backed renowned singer Alex Isley, and has shared stages with Jeremy Passion. As far as his own work goes, JoDavi has released over a dozen albums and singles, including his latest full length album, Zion, which he has premiered in New York, California, North Carolina, Georgia, and many other parts of the US.

For more information on JoDavi, please visit his website at https://linktr.ee/jodavimusic. - The Urban Music Scene

Asa part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing JoDavi.

Often referred to as “Mr. Maestro,” JoDavi fuses his soulful roots with his passion and schooling in orchestration to create what many call “Cinema-Soul;” a sound that likens to Earth Wind and Fire, the 5th Dimension, your favorite movie soundtrack, and his background in gospel, RnB, reggae, and funk.

JoDavi has opened for grammy award winning artists India Arie, and Anthony Hamilton. He has also backed renowned singer Alex Isley, and has shared stages with Jeremy Passion and LaRussell. As far as his own work goes, JoDavi has released over a dozen albums and singles, including his latest full length album, Zion, which he has premiered in New York, California, North Carolina, Georgia, and many other parts of the US.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

First off, thank you for having me! I grew up in a big family; father, mother, and five sisters (I’m number two of six kids). My father is a pastor, musician, producer, and songwriter, and my mom sang and played some piano as well. They’re both teachers, and my father in particular taught me pretty much everything about music. They both home schooled us, and though my mother was more of a teacher in other areas, she actually unintentionally taught me the basics of songwriting through her silly made-up songs, and songs she would make up about certain topics we would learn in homeschool; a short tune for every state in the US and their capitals, for instance.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve always loved music. My parents tell the story of when I was about 4 years-old, we had just finished watching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and I would run to the piano at home and play the theme music to the prologue of the movie. They said what caught their attention was that I didn’t play the more obvious themes of the movie, like the songs many of us know, but I played the opening theme music to the narrators introduction. I don’t remember that day, but what is interesting to me is that my favorite piece in that movie is still that prologue theme. So I guess I’ve always loved it. It’s hard to say what officially brought me to this career.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Early on, when I was in college, my band at the time was asked to open for India Arie for a Black History Month event happening in my former hometown of Stockton, California. I happened to know that she didn’t get a chance to hear our opening set, which was disappointing, but it actually what happened during her set all the more special to me.

India played what I call to this day, the most beautiful, soul-grabbing set of music that I have ever heard. From beginning to end, it was just perfect. Sometimes I would forget to clap, and would just sit in awe after some of her songs. One song in particular, she pointed her microphone to the crowd to sing these repeated “oh” lines. I was in the front row with my band and some other VIPs, and I sang out with all my heart. I’m in a sea of about 2,000 people, so I don’t think she can hear me, but lo and behold, she locks eyes with me at that moment, hands me her microphone, and tells me to keep singing while she danced on stage.

With each time around, my confidence grew, until she eventually held her hand out to get her microphone back from me, and I handed it back to her. Then a friend of mine, after the show came to me and told me that was all a sign for her that I’m ‘next.’ The fact that India was elevated, but I wasn’t far behind. The fact that she handed me the mic as if she was passing a baton. The fact that I used my voice while she simply enjoyed it. I will never forget that moment. I also think I’ve been chasing that feeling she gave me and trying my best to put it in my own music; not necessarily the sound itself, although I have taken lots of elements I’ve gotten from her, but the spirit of what she does and how she made me feel. I want to make people feel the same way.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early on, with the same band from college, I was 19 as were some of the other members, and we felt like we were on top of the world. I remember that we were working on our first EP, and our percussionist asked when we were going to record his parts. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully finding a good time to record, I simply said “well it’s ok, we don’t really need percussion that much anyway,” to which my colleague added, “yeah, I mean it’s really that essential.” Even thinking about it now, all I can say is oof.

Luckily our percussionist was a very outspoken individual. He was older than us by about 12 years, so there was also that dynamic. His countenance changed quickly, and he responded to basically to take us to task for saying he wasn’t essential. In that very moment, I knew I messed up. Not only did I dismiss a person to their face, I massively undervalued the importance of real percussionists playing real percussion. At the time, I was more privy to percussion tracks, I was trampling on pearls.

Needless to say we quickly apologized, and the three of us were all good. I learned a valuable lesson that day; and one that my father always taught me even before that incident, which is to “always treat people right.” Also, live percussion is really dope.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My father for sure. Not just because of the music lessons, but modeling what a hardworking, faithful, God-fearing man looks like. I had a gift, but was often lazy. My father wasn’t afraid to tell me about myself, and push me to do better; and he didn’t care if he had to be my worst enemy to do it. My work ethic comes from him, and he continues to be one of my anchors.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One of my favorite scriptures. Proverbs 18:16

A man’s gift makes room for him

and brings him before the great.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Two things:

I’m working on an EP and I have a full orchestra on two of the tracks. We will release it on vinyl and I will tour with it on my first world tour. The first stop on the world tour is Jerusalem, Israel. I’ve been a couple of times, but never as JoDavi and I am over the moon.
In 1997, my father and mother started a music school called Zion Academy. In 2008 I began teaching piano in it, and in 2013,I become the director. We closed down in 2020, but I have relaunched it here in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s not called the Zion Academy of Music and Arts.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I believe in what I like to call organic diversity. I believe if we truly identify talent and excellence purely for what it is and not who holds it, we will organically have a very diverse bunch of people. I’ve never been for simply choosing someone because of their skin color, whether White or Black. I personally want to know that I was chosen for something because I was the best — head and shoulders above the rest — not because someone decided they need another Black face. I felt that way being admitted into my college, and it took a long time for me to shake that feeling.

I believe our culture will be affected positively if we stop with the politics of “we need to cast that White lady because the public will not accept if we got someone Black,” and “we need to bring on that Black guy because we want to show we like Black people.” Choose the absolute best person suited for the position, and diversity, both of thought and appearance, will naturally occur.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I wish someone would have pushed me to travel more for music.

Other than that, I don’t have regrets. The mistakes I’ve made are unforgettable lessons, and I prefer learning my lessons the awkward, sometimes painful ways that I learned them rather than by someone simply telling me things and me likely forgetting them.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Have your anchors. I think of a kind of corny, but memorable quote from the Disney Channel Original Movie ‘Brink.’ The main character’s father told him “skating is what you do. It’s not who you are.” People can dissect that in many ways, but I took that to mean, at the end of the day, you need to have your retreats. Mine are my wife, our two boys, my parents and sisters, my prayer life, summer walks, and watching some old animated superhero series. Take time and rest. When things seem to be slow at the moment, take the opportunity and embrace it. One things pick back up, there’s no telling when they’ll die down again.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I already have one. - Medium