Research Paper Dave Matthews

There are many phenomenal musicians in the world, but very few as diverse and cultured as Dave Matthews. Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1967. Matthews and his family then moved two years later to Westchester County, New York, where his dad went to work for IBM. Then, in the early '70s, Matthews and his family moved to Cambridge, England, before returning to New York. It was in Cambridge where Matthews’ dad died in 1977 from Hodgkin’s disease. After his father’s death, the family moved back to South Africa in 1980. It was here that Matthews went to a few different schools and learned more about the evils of government, there and in general.

Possibly the most favorable move of Matthews’ fans was in 1986 when he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where his parents had lived before he was born. It was in Charlottesville that Matthews took piano lessons before picking up a guitar at nine. After years of practice and dedication to his musical improvement, he became part of the music community and had the idea for his own band in 1990. His first musical performance was a modern dance performance by the Miki Liszt Dance Company, singing "Sensitive Feelings," composed by John D'earth and Dawn Thompson. It was at this point that the need for something more was in Matthews’ mind.

In 1990, David John Matthews was set on casting forth his musical talent into the world and letting others share what he loves. The beginning of his career started as few others do. He didn’t actually want to perform and play his songs for people, but rather have other people sing his songs. “Yet after writing his first few songs, including "The Song that Jane Likes" and "Recently", he began to consider starting his own band” (wikipedia.com). There was only one answer to this Matthews explains. "I didn't really have a vision, or a plan," says Matthews, acknowledging that some of his musical sensibility came from spending time in so many different places as a child. "I'm sure it gave me a little bit of openness. The most diverse music in the world is in America, 'cause there are so many different cultures here, but what tends to be pushed to the top is often a narrow view of what there really is. So maybe (his travels) just gave me a wider pool of listening" (dmband.com). The only option for Matthews was to find the best musicians around and surround him with them.

The Dave Matthews Band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in early 1991, when Matthews decided to put some songs he had written on tape. Instead of simply recording himself with a guitar, he instead decided to bring in some instrumental help to give his musical ideas more depth. His first move was finding the right people to play the parts in his band that he decided fit. He began his search and formed the racially integrated band that is now known worldwide and are continuously ranked in the top five for the largest grossing concert tours of the year. The key roles were soon filled by phenomenal musicians in the area. Dave found assistance in drummer Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore who were both accomplished jazz musicians in the local Charlottesville music scene. Based on the recommendation of distinguished local jazz guru John D’earth, 16-year-old musical prodigy Stefan Lessard came on board to play bass. Completing the band was keyboard player Peter Griesar, who left the band after a couple of years, as well as the talented and classically trained violinist, Boyd Tinsley

The band was finally formed, and they played their first official gig for the newly conceived Dave Matthews Band on May 11, 1991 at a private rooftop party in Charlottesville. Later that year, the Dave Matthews Band played their first public show at the city’s Earth Day Festival which also started their fan base. This was the beginning of a phenomenal band that grew from a small town bar band to one of the hottest bands in America.

The Dave Matthews Band enjoyed huge success in they’re earlier years when they released their first album, Remember Two Things, on its Bama Rags label. The album was recorded live at The Muse Music Club on Nantucket Island, in August of 1993. The album debuted on College charts as the highest independent entry, and went on to be certified gold by the RIAA. During this success, the band kept touring and its fan base continued to grow. By allowing fans to tape shows for their personal use, the Dave Matthews Band created a highly interactive community.

Following the success of the Remember Two Things album was the recording of their second album, Under the Table and Dreaming. Just before the album’s release on September 27, 1994, Dave Matthews Band hit the road for their first official national tour.