Life & Work with Simon Dunson of Durham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Simon Dunson.

Hi Simon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started playing mandolin when I was around 9. After a few years, I started going to local jams and found that the triangle has a very active, welcoming bluegrass scene. This allowed me to play with many great local pickers and learn so much by hanging around and trying to soak up the great music. In high school, I decided to try something new and went to study at Interlochen Arts Academy, where I studied classical music. However, my friends at Interlochen were really into jazz, and this piqued my interest. After hearing all my friends talk about and play jazz, I took a course on jazz, and I was hooked. Playing jazz on the mandolin presented a unique challenge, and I was hooked on trying to get “good” (whatever that means). Working on jazz led me to New England Conservatory, where I got a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance as the first mandolin player in the department. My time at NEC allowed me to study with several incredible teachers that helped push me toward my goal. To figure out a way to not only be able to play jazz music but to make the mandolin a dynamic, contributing, and essential instrument to jazz music. After graduating from college, I began writing a great deal of music to highlight my style and strengths as an artist in conjunction with the mandolin’s strengths as an instrument. (2019-2020)

Soon after my return to the triangle, I met 3 of my favorite musicians, Charlie Garnett, Kurt Stracent & Matt Laird. This group of musicians was the people I had been searching for. We started rehearsing some of my compositions just for fun, and it was so fun and satisfying for me to play with them that I booked some studio time, and we recorded an album a few months later. Chicken Bridge came out in December of 2021, and I am thrilled with how it turned out. It was all recorded live at Porcelain Records with Steve Bigas, mixed and mastered by Eli Braddock. I still feel very proud of this set of recordings close to a year from the recording date. I love the band, all original music, and I feel like I established the mandolin as an instrument at home in jazz music.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Covid and the current economic situation have taken a toll on music and venues. People weren’t always accepting or inviting when showing up to a jam with a mandolin. Also, there is no money in music, so even though I have a degree and a nice website with fancy quotes, most of my income does not come from music (yet!).

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a jazz mandolin player and think I am doing something unique and different with the ultimate goal of making good music.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think this is a tough question for any artist to answer. Being a musician continues to become harder and harder. CD sales have been gone for a decade. Covid brought music to a grinding halt, and the current and future economic situation seems shaky. Think of how different music’s cultural role was before movies. A century ago, music meant something different to the public than it does now. In these hectic times, I have no clue about next month, let alone a decade, but I try to remain positive. Ultimately what is important is whether you’re making and doing things that are authentic, fulfilling, and make you happy. Where the industry goes is less important since they’ll always be doing something you disagree with, and jazz is niche as it is. Jazz fans seek out jazz.

Contact Info:

• Website: simondunson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simon_dunson_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Musician-band/Simon-Dunson-103949831149961/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FjR5tcsjY41TJLBvyIAvQ
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dbMc2RLCTDJosGuoi1fmm?si=GzAO1FnvQwS-acvjvRTrNA

Image Credits
All photos by – Copper Key Photo Kurt Stracener – Drummer Charlie Garnett – Guitar Matt Laird – Bass