Elite Student Concert to feature percussionist Jacob Ward

LEVELLAND – Jacob Ward will perform in the Elite Student Showcase at 7:30 p.m.. on April 13 (Thursday) in the Tom T. Hall Studio. His concert, entitled Inclusive," is presented at no charge and the public is invited to attend.

Ward grew up a military child and moved all over the world every three years. He’s lived overseas a couple of times. And he moved to Lubbock from Ogden, Utah, in fall 2021, when he enrolled at South Plains College.

His father, David, was a drummer for the U.S. Navy band. He spent 22 years in the service.

"I pretty much learned everything from my dad up until I started here at SPC, and I got new teachers," he said.

Ward said he heard about SPC when he was a missionary in Ogden for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Four months before he completed his missionary service, his family moved to Lubbock.

"My parents had already moved to Lubbock off of just inspiration, lots of thoughtfulness and prayer," he said. "My dad and my mom told me about Brent and Emily Wheeler and how they connected. They told them about the school and then they told me.

"I was very interested in the Commercial Music Program because it was everything that I had wanted to learn about the music industry now," Ward said. "I was very intrigued, so after I came home from my mission, the next week I came out and had a tour with Brent. It felt right. It was like Candyland—so, so good out here."

Ward is studying commercial music with a specialization in drums and percussion. He said he enjoys everything in the moment that he plays it. He plays everything from metal to R&B to pop. He has played jazz and country—his most consistent gig—as well as classical rock and blues. He said that if he had to play one style and get paid millions of dollars to play for the rest of his life, he would like to play small-group jazz like the quartet style.

"I just love the freedom and improvisation that come with that style of music," he said. "But I would not be upset; I would love being part of a heavy metal band or a rock band or going on tour with Katy Perry, Harry Styles, or someone. Bruno Mars would be a dream! I would love to play with him!

"So, whatever comes my way, because I love to play it all," he said.

Ward will graduate in May 2023 with an Associate of Applied Arts in Commercial Music. He has been accepted into Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in commercial music.

As he looks back at his time at South Plains College, Ward said his biggest challenge academically is his college algebra class.

"I’m finding that I have to work way harder than I have in any of my other classes," he said. "Most of the music classes just come naturally to me. This semester has been the most challenging because I’ve had to deal with a lot more numbers than I’ve been used to.

"I love my live sound class," he said. "I love my performance class that I took a few semesters ago, but the algebra has been difficult because I must work and put in the time. I think I’m averaging a B-minus or C-plus in that class."

Ward said that if he could offer advice that he would share with other students, it would be to do his or her absolute best and be okay with the grades that you get.

"A ‘B’ or a ‘C’ is not going to kill you, at least for a musician," he said. "If you audition for a band, they’re not going to ask you about your algebra grade. I think it’s probably close to 50/50 between skill set and character. That’s another big lesson that I’ve learned at South Plains College. If you’re not a good person, people are not going to want to play music with you. I found that very, very valuable."