David W. Hansen
drummer, percussionist, composer-writer/(BMI) and lyricist
Way back when …the early years through today!
- David began Snare drum and full drum set lessons at age eight in 1971 (going into 3rd grade) with Daryl Robinson (home studio) and Vic Guidone (Guidone Music Studios) in his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. Canada.
- A few years later an audition for the elementary school band program on drums/percussion was at first refused with insistence to start on trumpet or sax. David said, “I’ve studied drums with a teacher!” The Band director pulled out some music to play on a tabletop and agreed Hansen should play drums.
- The Abbotsford Concert Band met in the evenings on Montrose and was a fun extra curricular musical experience for many years.
- In 6th grade, David joined Mr. Hystad’s guitar ensemble on drums performing pop songs by Elton John to Gordon Lightfoot.
- The start of 8th grade, David was placed into the 10th grade stage-band, performed in the concert band and from 8th-11th grade on timpani for the 12th grade graduation commencements.
- At fifteen, he took over Daryl Robinson’s students and began teaching 40 students a week at Guidone’s Music Studio on S. Fraser Way in Abbotsford, BC Canada. This was great from September to December. In January, he cut-back and taught 20 students a week until graduating from high school and leaving for college.
- Guidone’s Music Studios is where the band “Duster” (named after the car) was formed with fellow teachers Brent Lauze (rhythm gtr/vocals), Brent Hansen (lead gtr), Esther Vanderham (voc), and a musician, Dave, on Hammond B3. This band provided Hansen with his first professional gig at age fifteen. A highlight included a performance at the Abbotsford Airport, in a rented hanger, where David produced everything. This was a huge learning experience where David rented the hall, printed the tickets, purchased the liquor license, bought the beverages, hired the staff and performed with the band! It was quite a grueling but informative and extremely fun experience!
- During 10th-12th grade he performed in the Concert Band, Stage Band, Jazz Choir on drums and vocals under the direction of Jeff McClellan, and an award winning madrigal choir (singing tenor parts) under the direction of Mr. Wiebe.
- David studied with Vince Ricci at Ray Ayotte’s “Drums Only” store in Vancouver.
- The BC Honor Band was a highlight performance under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor, Dr. Francis McBeth.
- Hansen organized a big band concert for a Provincial scholarship win and chose Malaspina College in Nanaimo, BC where he completed a two-year Diploma in Music (jazz option).
- From Malaspina (now Vancouver Island University/VIU) David transferred to North Texas State University in Denton, TX (now University of North Texas/UNT) where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies/Performance.
- North Texas was an introduction to an incredible level of proficiency. There were 80 to 120 drummer/percussionists each semester auditioning for about 20 performing ensemble “spots.” David performed two semesters in the “One O’clock” Lab Band on percussion. He also performed in the steel drum band, Indian tabla, Javanese Gamelan, African, Cuban, and Brazilian percussion ensembles, and on percussion with professor Dan Haerle’s Penguin’s and Zebra’s keyboard ensembles. UNT became the perfect launching pad into a professional career in performance.
- David will always be indebted to his instructors, including Steve Jones, Collin MacQuarrie, Patrick Carpenter and Jacqueline Droz (from Malaspina), Dr. Robert Schietroma, Ron Fink, Randy Drake, Ed Soph, Dan Haerle, Neil Slater and Steven Friedson from North Texas.
- While at North Texas, David performed with many bands in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Every Sunday he performed at the Reunion Tower (big ball on the Dallas Skyline) with guitar virtuoso, Giampiero Scuderi and then with Tony Hakim at Strictly Taboo. He performed the show “West Side Story” in Dallas. David also performed Friday-Saturday evenings with a jazz quartet at the Hilton.
- Following his graduation from North Texas, he performed nearly four-months with a jazz trio in Rabat, Morocco. The Gulf War started, the trio returned to the USA and David moved to Los Angeles for four months. A move from L.A. came following a call to perform a six-month contract in New Orleans …which was extended, and many years later, David has a music booking agency, four children and a solid reputation as one of New Orleans’ premier musicians.
- Hansen enjoys growing his career and family in the birthplace of jazz.
- David has performed one-nighters with Al Hirt at the Orpheum Theater, Harry Connick Jr. (before he was famous) at Maxwell’s Toulouse Cabaret, George Porter at the Audubon Tea Room and many well-known New Orleans Musicians. David has performed multiple gigs with Clarinetist Tim Laughlin, Tom McDermott (now of HBO’s Treme fame) and many current performing bands. He has established his own groups that include the New Orleans Spice® Brass Band, the Garden District Band and his full 16-piece big band called the New Orleans Garden District Orchestra.
- David has toured and performed in Canada, Japan, Italy, Scandinavia, Brazil, Turkey, Argentina, Malaysia, Ireland, Scotland and many locations in the USA.
- In 2007, David presented a jazz history lecture and performance for the Smithsonian traveling exhibit “New Harmonies, Celebrating America’s Roots Music” and was designated a Music Scholar.
- David presented a 50-minute jazz history lecture and performance for over 2,000 attendees with his nine-piece jazz band for Civitan International, a service organization, where he also presided as the Master of Ceremonies.
- David has led his own bands in New Orleans since 1994 and provided his services as an entertainment director/band-manager for many NOLA companies since 2003.
- 1995 to present started a run of performances world-wide with the continuation of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. (The ODJB dates back to 1916 and was the first recorded jass/jazz band and the first band of all American Citizens of varying ethnic backgrounds to record the first million selling album recorded by Americans …and it was a jazz album!) Hansen says “we met people around the world who knew and loved the bands music …their positive energy, excitement, electricity and standing ovations provided an amazing and unique experience.”
- Hansen says “Music is a never-ending voyage. I still practice, study, take lessons with professionals, and continue to search for the highest musical standards.”
David’s love of music, beautiful children, and music career are an exceptional part of his journey.