Meet DEVO 2.0
Q & A with Nathan, Jackie, Kane and Michael and Nicole
1. We love that you guys play your own instruments. How did you get started?
Nathan: I started participating in school talent shows when I was in 3rd grade and I realized that performing and singing was my dream. Soon after my realization, I started taking guitar and singing lessons. All it took was practice, practice, practice to finally become good at what I do.
Jackie: I have been playing piano since I was 3 years old. My parents gave me some group lessons at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in L.A. The teacher told my mom I should take private lessons. That's how I got started 8 years ago.
I began singing because I wanted to try out for a little summer camp that was doing the musical "Annie." The singing teacher encouraged me to keep taking lessons. I just fell in love with singing.
Kane: I got started playing drums when I visited my dad on the road while he was playing with Steppenwolf. I was one and a half years old and the drummer gave me sticks and a practice pad to play with. I was hooked immediately and never went anywhere without finding two sticks (chopsticks, tree branches, hairbrushes) to play with.
Michael: I've been playing guitar since I was three. I really don't know why. It was just something I was really drawn to. My mom says the first time I grabbed a guitar when I was this little teeny kid, I held it like Elvis! And I've never seen Elvis! I do have a great guitar teacher who's helped me work out every one of my favorite songs by all my favorite groups (like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Green Day, Van Halen, DEVO, AC/DC, Velvet Revolver, Vandals, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and more) and some things I've written myself. I guess that's why playing bass guitar came so easily for me last year when I started picking it up. I had all that knowledge and experience and practice for all those years, so it was just really natural. When I auditioned, they asked me if I thought I could learn this on the bass. Of course I said yes! So I went home, got out my DEVO CD, listened closely to the songs, and picked out the bass part, which I taught myself. When I started guitar lessons, I didn't even really play for awhile, because my fingers weren't strong enough or big enough. It took several lessons with my teacher before I could even press down on the strings. But I stuck with it. And look where it's gotten me!
Nicole: I started to sing when I was about 2 years old and I started to take voice lessons when I was 4 years old. Even though I am the lead singer in Devo 2.0 and don't play an instrument in the group I do know how to play the keyboard a little.
2. How do you feel when you make music?
Nathan: Music is a way of expressing yourself and sharing your thoughts. The feeling I get when I hear or play music that I enjoy is unbelievable! I can't describe how happy it makes me feel-it just does.
Jackie: I feel great. It gives me a sense of pride to know that I have played a piece not just correctly, but with a lot of touch.
Kane: When I make music, whether in front of a crowd or alone in my house, I feel at peace with myself. It's like a meditation. It's like the music is out there in the universe, I just collect it and put it together.
Michael: I feel wonderful. All my problems melt away. I feel like I'm communicating. I feel like something deep inside my heart gets to come out and be expressed. I feel like I'm reaching in and really connecting with whatever is really soulful deep inside me. Sometimes your music can speak for you in ways that your speaking can't. And you can really touch people and move them. It's like with the world. Not everybody speaks the same language. But everybody can enjoy the same songs. I mean, look at the Beatles, for example. I'll bet everybody all over the planet knows at least one Beatles song by now, no matter where they live, and even if they don't speak English. Music is the great uniter and it is so cool for me to have such a great opportunity to make music on a larger scale. I always thought DEVO meant a kind of peaceful uprising. You can do that with music, like you can't with many other things. Maybe that's what our world needs - less war and more music! More DEVO 2.0 music! And I LOVE to sing, so obviously I'm hoping to do some more of that with DEVO 2.0, too!
Nicole: When Devo 2.0 is together and performing it is amazing to sing for a group that can play the music so well and what is so impressive about Jackie, Kane, Michael and Nathan is that they are so young and can play their instruments as well as most professional older musicians in bands!
3. How has music making shaped your life?
Nathan: My life has changed in many ways due to music. It has taught me to be disciplined, it has given me self-confidence, and it has given me a way to express myself.
Jackie: Making music has shaped my life by "opening up" a whole new world of sound, communication, and emotion. Making music has given me confidence and many wonderful opportunities to express myself and perform.
Kane: My whole life is about music. It always has been. I've gotten to meet so many people through music and I've gotten to see so many concerts. My creativity is exercised constantly through music - composing lyrics. Best of all, the friends I have all share my love of music and are also talented. Kids who love sports have teammates. I have bandmates.
Michael: Music has always been part of my life. My mom and dad met in college radio - they were both DJs. My mom went on into rock radio as her career. My parents were hippies, so they shared a lot of 60's music with me, from really early, and told me stories about what it meant, whether it was anti-war music or rebellion music or romance music or going crazy music or getting depressed music or feeling better music or party music, or folks music or rock music. There has always been music in my life. They used to play smooth jazz on the radio in my room when I was a baby. We always had a piano and guitars around the house, because my dad plays piano all the time, and my mom has been playing acoustic guitar since she was a kid. My dad likes composing and arranging and is building a recording studio - and I plan to use it! My mom likes to collect unusual instruments like African marimbas and drums, some that she makes. We even have conga drums and a Chinese gong! I love listening to music and singing along, and even trying to write some songs myself. It's just a really great way to express yourself. Music can reach your heart and show emotion that you might not be able to say just in words. Music can be really great for people who can't read or write. They can still appreciate music, and music can still speak to them. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, music always makes me feel better. Sometimes if I've had a bad day at school, or my parents are acting weird or I had an argument with one of my friends, or my dog got into my room and chewed up some of my stuff, I can just turn to music and it makes some of my problems go away. It's like the people in those songs and in those groups somehow just understand. Being able to play my own music is the best of all - there's NOTHING as cool as strapping on your guitar and just letting go! It's the greatest feeling in the world! One of my prized possessions is a guitar that was signed by B.B. King. He's a genius! I got to meet him and watch while he signed my guitar! That was SO cool! That was a highlight of my life!
Nicole: Music has always been such a big part of my life and I know that it will always be.
4. Do you feel that making music has helped you socially, emotionally and academically?
Nathan: I feel that music has many positive outcomes. I have met so many wonderful people through my musical career. Music has also helped me express my feelings, rather then letting them pile up inside. Also, music involves math and rhythm and I feel that having musical knowledge has helped me improve my grades at school.
Jackie: Yes, I have made several new friends both playing piano in the school orchestra and at the Colburn School, as well as singing in the Los Angeles Children's Chorus and the many musicals in which I have participated. My friends and I share a common interest - music, piano, singing.
Kane: Music has helped me socially because most kids love music and since I can make music, I look good. Emotionally, music keeps me calm, which is strange cause it's also exciting. I like to listen to music when I concentrate on my school work, so it certainly has helped with academics - although only at home.
Michael: Yes! Yes! Yes! It made a big difference for me in school last year. Let's just say I'm not the number-one student in my class. And I'm not the number-one kid on the sports teams at school, although I can run really fast. But last year, I got the lead in our school play "Grease," and got to sing the best songs and really let go, and it made a big difference in the way people treated me. And the way the principal treated me, too! That was amazing! All of a sudden she stopped scowling at me, and she started acting like she was really glad to see me. It made me feel great! She's really proud of me doing DEVO 2.0 now, too. It just totally changed her outlook on me. A lot of my friends came to see my play, and they really treated me differently afterwards, almost like they saw me as a whole new person. People from the karate school where I take karate also seemed to look at me differently. It was like I wasn't this little annoying kid anymore. It gave me some real importance! And it was so great being able to stand out doing something I'm actually good at, especially when it's being good at something as cool as that! The year before, when I was in sixth grade, I wasn't old enough to get a big part in the school play which was "The Music Man", so I was in the chorus, but they gave me a solo to sing because they liked my voice. The director of the children's theater company that put on the play told my parents I should be on Broadway! And the year before that, I sang a solo in the children's choir at school, when my sister was graduating and they held a graduation Mass. She got mad at me afterwards because she said nobody paid any attention to her after they heard me sing, and all they did was talk about me and ask her about me. Usually it's the other way around. People looked at me differently after that, and some who weren't nice to me started being nice to me. It really made a difference, and it was great to be allowed to do something I was actually good at - and to be recognized for it. I LOVE to sing and perform and play guitar and do choreography. In fact, the guy who's the best student in the karate school and wins all the big awards at the karate tournaments said he knew this kid who was insanely good on the guitar - and guess what - he was talking about ME! I've had a couple of girlfriends by now, and they seemed to like it that I'm a guitar player. My sister says I won't have to worry about stuff like that because girls like guitar players. So I should be in great shape, because I play TWO KINDS of guitars!
Nicole: I go to a performing arts Magnet school where music is a huge part of all the students' lives. All my friends are singers or musicians so socially we of course talk about music a lot. Emotionally music fills me with a sense of harmony and makes me feel wonderful and I really feel that kids with music in their lives always do well academically. I am very proud to say that I am a straight A student.
5. Why is music education so important for kids?
Nathan: It gives kids the opportunity to discover talents that they never knew they had. It also introduces a great way to express themselves through musical instruments. Who knows, a child could be the next Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, or Beethoven in some school somewhere, but they can never realize their talent because there is no music program in their school. It's so important for kids to receive a musical education, because it has so many positive outcomes and it helps kids realize their dreams.
Jackie: Music education is important because it is a healthy way for kids to express themselves, and it gives kids self-discipline. If kids get really committed to their music, it will help them stay in school and stay away from drugs and alcohol, just like any other big personal commitment.
Kane: Music education is so important to kids because it is a great way to express what you're feeling and kids have big feelings. It also helps kids make bonds with one another. Learning about different music genres gives us insight into other cultures. It also teaches us about people who are no longer living, who have impacted our world with their music.
Michael: Because it IS. If you're not good at math or English or science, you just might be good, or even great, in music. Look, people who have been blind, like Ray Charles, and deaf, like Beethoven, have been able to make great music. Music helped them overcome whatever problems they had. It's a language all its own, that everybody can understand. If you're good at music, or you play an instrument, that might help you stand out in school even if your grades aren't that great, or you're not athletic, or you're not in student council or something. And if you're good at it, it feels SO GREAT to be able to play music and understand it and communicate with it - it just makes you feel good and powerful and proud of yourself and capable of doing things. My mom told me about this lady named Shari Lewis and her puppet Lambchop, and she was this really smart lady who was famous and talented and very accomplished. And she told my mom that music instruction in school was one of the most important things you should do for kids, because it helps kids do well in other subjects. It's good for the mind and the brain, and it's like exercise. And you can always express your inner thoughts with music. I mean, if you write a poem or a letter about your deepest feelings, you may come out sounding like a dork. But if you put it to music, it's just completely different. And you DON'T sound like a dork!
Nicole: I think that if every child gets a chance to study music in schools then they can really learn how wonderful music can be. So many kids don't get that chance at their schools and they don't seek it out on their own either and it is a shame that they never can learn the importance that music can offer them.
6. What's your favorite part about performing?
Nathan: My favorite part about performing is the excitement I feel when I'm on stage. Especially, when I'm just playing my guitar and rockin' out.
Jackie: My favorite part about performing is showing people (kids) that you don't have to be a super talented to play music well. Anyone can do it if they work hard. And it's really fun to be on stage.
Kane: My favorite part about performing is the energy between musicians onstage and the tension (good tension) between the audience and the performers. I also love the amplified sound and the heat of the lights and, of course, the applause.
Michael: I think I love it all. I always dreamed of being on stage, rocking out. How cool is that? My mom would tell me stories about the groups in concert that she went to see, and who they were and what they did and what they were like. And I always wanted to be doing what they got to do - THANK YOU DEVO 2.0!!! I LOVE the music. I LOVE going all out and jumping and dancing around on stage. I LOVE singing. I LOVE playing guitar- lead OR bass. I love playing 12-string guitar and acoustic guitar. I love playing and singing for people. I love how it makes me feel, and I love seeing the reactions of people - that they enjoy what I'm doing and what we're doing as a group. I REALLY loved it when we were rehearsing together and at the end, I realized that it was actually US playing the music, and all the pre-recorded tracks were turned down so you could hear US playing everything. And I might say we were pretty good, too! I LOVE all of that!!!
Nicole: I love to see the faces of the people in the audience enjoying our music. It is also such a feeling of such accomplishment that after all the practice and hard work to become really good that people are really loving the music that we perform for them.
7. Do you have any advice for budding musicians?
Nathan: My advice is to practice, practice, practice, be confident, and never give up.
Jackie: My advice is: never give up. If you set your heart to it, nothing is impossible.
Kane: My advice for budding musicians is that they practice and stretch their music as often as possible. Find other kids that enjoy making music and play together. Also, make sure that you find your other talents along the way so that you can always support yourself. That way, you will never have to give up your music!
Michael: Yes. DO it. Try it. You never know what might happen. If nothing else, you'll have a place to put your ideas, your thoughts, your worries, your deepest feelings, your problems, your happiness and your sadness. Your guitar or your piano or your drums or your violin or flute or whatever you play will be your best friend and the one thing that will always understand you, and always be with you and never laugh at you or stop liking you and never not take you seriously. And you never know, even if you're not great in school, that you might be the best at music! You know how there's always one kid who always gets all the A's or always runs the fastest or hits the ball hardest or always scores the most points during a game or always has the right answer when the teacher asks a question? Well, if you're not that kid, and you know music, you can still stand out and be important and special and respected - even with that other kid around. Music is something everyone can understand and appreciate, and if they don't play or sing, you know they wish they could. It's a skill you can become very good at doing, and it'll be something you can do with your friends, and get to know people and expand yourself. It might show you to be a completely different person than people expect. It'll make you feel powerful and good and confident and respected and cool. It'll make you feel like you can say anything and express any feeling and it will be respected, appreciated, and understood. It'll make you stand tall and give you something special and extra that maybe nobody else in your class can do! And hey, look - it's let me start a career and make music for other people to enjoy and go on tour and perform live and meet new people in new places, and add to my skills. How could I be in something as cool as DEVO 2.0 if I didn't love making music? When I started applying for high school a few months ago, this was a big deal, and it helped me make a good impression. I got into the high school of my choice, even though my grades and test scores weren't as good as maybe they could have been. And when I apply to college, this will be an experience I can talk about that not many others can. I know it'll help me there, too. Just in general it's meant a lot and made a big difference in my life and the way I express myself. Music can help you do that, too. It's great to be able to study and appreciate and know a lot about music. But to be able to MAKE music, to play it and write it and perform it, that's just the BEST!!! And that is my story, so thank you for letting me talk about it!
Nicole: You should always practice to perfect your talent so when an opportunity comes along to audition to be a part of a band or to perform you are ready! And never give up your dream of music because it is SO important!
