Celebrating Diversity - Overcoming Adversity part 2: Marcus Roberts by Valerie Etienne- Leveille Marcus Roberts, 1963 – present: Musician, composer, arranger Marcus Roberts was born on August 7th, 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida. He grew up listening to his mother’s gospel singing and the music of the local church. These exposures to music had a lasting impact on his musical style. Marcus began teaching himself to play the piano at the age of five after losing his sight due to glaucoma (1)(2). At the age of ten in 1973, Marcus entered the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB). Marcus did not receive formal piano lessons until he was 12 but he progressed very quickly through hard work and good teachers (2). In the 10th grade, he was mainstreamed in the local St. Augustine high school in the morning, and he went to FSDB in the afternoon for music (3). After graduating from FSDB, Marcus went on to study classical piano at the Florida State University (FSU) with Leonidas Lipovetsky (2). Marcus has won many awards and competitions over the years, but the one that is most personally meaningful to him is the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement. Marcus Roberts is known for his ability to blend the jazz and classical idioms, which focus on specific technical features, to create something new. He is also well-known for his development of an entirely new approach to jazz trio performance (2). His recordings reflect his artistic versatility and include pieces such as solo piano, duets, trio arrangements of jazz standards, large ensembles, and symphony orchestra (3). He launched his own record label, J-Master Records, in 2009 and has released several popular recordings. Marcus is the director of the annual Swing Central Jazz Programs that bring high school students from all over the country to Savannah, Georgia for educational programs and a band competition (3). He also serves as the Associate Artistic Director of the Savannah Music Festival and as an associate professor of music at the Florida State University’s School of Music. Marcus Roberts holds an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Julliard School.

Marcus Roberts at the piano (3). Photo courtesy of FSDBK12.org

He is dedicated to train and mentor younger jazz musicians. With his goal of training and mentoring the youths, Marcus founded a new band called “The Modern Jazz Generation” which is a multigenerational ensemble. He also returns often to FSDB in St. Augustine to work with music students. He performs regularly in the St. Augustine and Jacksonville areas and recently joined the Jacksonville Symphony for an improvised

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performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Marcus Roberts is a highly acclaimed modern jazz pianist, composer, and educator who has been hailed as “The genius of the modern piano “according to Marcus Roberts’s website and a CBS 60-minute interview (2). Marcus Roberts is an inspiration to all to continue to seek one’s dreams and give back to the youths.

References

1. Stjohnsculture.com. (2020, June 24). Ray Charles & Marcus Roberts. https://stjohnsculture.com/news/ray-charles-marcus-roberts

2. Marcusroberts.com. (2018). Biography. https://www.marcusroberts.com/marcus-roberts

3. Johnson, S. (n.d.). Navigating Blindness with Marcus Roberts. FSDBK12.org. https://www.fsdbk12.org/post/navigating-blindness- with-marcus-roberts

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