David Wheeler (GIT '90)

|    Jan 01, 2005

Most people think of a career as a single path, but successful musicians usually find themselves moving in a number of different directions, often simultaneously. David Wheeler’s story is a prime example:
“My name is Vernon David Wheeler, or as I am better known around town, Reverend Dave. I went through the GIT program as a supplement to my BA in Classical Music Theory and Composition. Los Angeles was quite the culture shock to me. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania and rural Maryland and really had no idea what awaited me here. It was hard in the beginning and many times along the way I was not sure if I would make it.
”I used to spend a lot of time at MI in the Coffee House LPW. I think I was the first person to ever get a performance credit for reading a beat poem during that class. This was the beginning of a wonderful path for me. I am a songwriter and a lyricist, and the inspiration and confidence that I gained in this LPW led me to the coffee house scene and poetry. I have hosted a variety of prestigious events, included the famous Midnight Special Bookstore's weekly event and have been published a good deal in the last couple of years. My current catalog of poems/song lyrics is about 2500 pieces thick. I have been busy!
”This exposure led to an opportunity to play in Driving Words, an entirely improvisational band that backs up poets. We worked on a TV pilot for a nationally aired weekly poetry program called "Lyrically Speaking". On top of playing guitar with this project I did all of the pre-production recording and mixing. I’m currently finishing up work on my new studio, which is designed as an inexpensive audio-video recording space.
”Currently, I work a day job at JBL Professional. What a "terrible" job for a musician with 25 years of experience! I get to help people make their gear run, and I also get to learn about the latest and greatest musical tools. On a daily basis I get to talk directly with people like Ace Freehly, Ozzy Osborne, Eddie Kramer and Peter Chaiken, as well as support crews for artists like Bruce Springsteen and Christina Aguilera. Nights and weekends I run a recording studio out of the house that I just purchased five blocks off the beach in Venice, California. I have produced more than eighty discs in the last two years including Tony-award-winner Poetri, spoken-word artist Ivan Smason and legendary LA blues guitar player-singer Billy Bly.
”All in all, I would say that I have had a great deal of success, due in no small part to my experience at MI. Every single day I get up and go to a job where I get paid for my expertise and creativity. I get to spend my nights and weekends making art and playing with the huge pool of talent in the Los Angeles region. I certainly am not "rock star rich" but the music industry has not been unkind to me. Moving to Los Angeles and going to MI was the best career move I ever made! None of these things would have been possible if I had not taken the plunge!”
To get in touch with Reverend Dave, email or call him at 310-399-9479.

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“More and more of the auditions I’m having for recording artists are turning out to be MI class reunions. The graduates of MI have been dominating the new, young music scene in LA”.

- Barry Squire
  Music Industry Talent Coordinator
  MI Hiring Hall Manager



MI alumni are working on stage, in the studio and behind the scenes around the world, with new stories arriving nearly every day. A sample of former MI students who have achieved industry recognition also includes:




Alessandro Cortini
Nine Inch Nails

Kalen Chase
Korn

Dave Kushner
Velvet Revolver

Rafael Moreira
Pink, Christina Aguilera,
Rock Star: Supernova

Mike Ward
Wallflowers, School of Fish

Kevin Hastings
Liz Phair

Pete Griffin
Hanson

Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell,
Scott Shriner
Weezer

Curt Bisquera
Elton John, Mick Jagger,
Bonnie Raitt

Pete Anderson
guitarist, producer

Paul Gilbert
Mr.Big, Racer X

Norman Brown
recording artist

Scott Henderson
recording artist

Oscar Cartaya
Jennifer Lopez, Spyro Gyra

Alex Al
Tupac Shakur, Stevie Wonder

Keb’ Mo’
recording artist

Fred Clark
Chaka Khan, Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder

Dave Weiner
Steve Vai

Jennifer Batten
recording artist, Jeff Beck,
Michael Jackson

Toss Panos
Steve Vai, Mike Landau,
Robben Ford

Frank Gambale
recording artist, Chick Corea

Kevin Dukes
Don Henley, Boz Scaggs,
Jackson Browne

Chad Smith,
John Frusciante
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Clayton Gibb, Les Falconer
Keb’ Mo’

John Shanks
Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt

Allen Hinds
Randy Crawford, Natalie Cole,
Crusaders

Jeff Buckley
recording artist

Scott Travis
Judas Priest

Ray Luzier
Korn, STP, Army of Anyone,
David Lee Roth

Matt Laug
Alanis Morissette, Slash

Ash Sood
Sarah McLachlan

Joacim Cans
Hammerfall

Leah Andreone
recording artist

Irene Gutierrez (DJ Irene)
DJ/producer/remixer/recording artist

T.J. Guger
Göla

Valerie Vega
Zomba/JIVE recording artist (France)

Ernest Tibbs
Alan Holdsworth, Natalie Cole

Toshi Hiketa
David Lee Roth

Travis Johnson
Dickies, TSOL

Jimmy Herring
Allman Brothers, The Other Ones,
ARU, Widespread Panic

Josh Sklair
Etta James, Jeffrey Osborne

Dan Caron
Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown

Jimmy Scott
Little Milton, Solomon Burke

Steve Kerscznic
Tom Jones

Brian Allen
Virgil Donati, Greg Adams

Meja
recording artist

Jesse Gress
music editor, Guitar Player Magazine

Sarah Hudson
recording artist

Chris Maloney
Dweezil Zappa, Lisa Loeb
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