JESSICA MERTURI
Staff Writer
Da Shiek Woodard received a practice room key in 1993 when he was merely a freshman at Pepperdine. After his performance during his 10-year reunion at Homecoming, he was determined to see if it worked.
“We’re going to find out today if this is working,” Woodard said as he dangled in the air the key he had saved for so long.
When Woodard attended school at Pepperdine from 1993 to 1997, he used the key to gain access to the practice rooms of Ahmanson Music Building to play piano. Woodard, a music major, was the only official piano major at Pepperdine. While going to school, he played at a number of events including Songfest, talent shows, and Coffee Houses. Woodard said he maximized his opportunities in college by 100 percent.
“At the time I didn’t realize I was doing it,” Woodward said.
Woodard continued studying classical piano at Cal State Northridge. He then ran the music library at the Grammys and even played at some of their special events.
“The Grammys were the gateway into the [music] industry,” Woodard said.
He later spent some time working with Dream, a group on Diddy’s Bad Boy Records label. Woodard got the opportunity to work and engineer for producers like the Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins and Kanye West.
“I was getting paid to learn their secrets,” Woodard said.
It was a couple of years ago that Woodard decided to maintain his own studio. He recently finished his first album, “Urban Renaissance,” which is mix of R&B and pop tunes. Woodard said his sound is comparable to the music of Jamiroquai and Seal. Three months ago, he began circulating the CD through everyone he knew.
When the CD made its way into the Alumni Office, Tara Lawrence, manager of Homecoming and Reunions for Seaver College, said she knew it would be a good fit for the crowd at homecoming.
“It was something the whole family could enjoy,” she said.
Since it was also Woodard’s 10-year reunion, it would be a good way to integrate him in the reunion as well as include him on the main stage, she said.
Woodard said performing was terrific, and he was surprised that so much of the faculty remembered him.
“I thought I slipped out of the loop,” Woodard said, “but then Hung Lee (associate vice president and university registrar) saw me and gave me a hug. I realized it’s still family.”
Woodard said he was also excited to see old friends at the luncheon, especially those he hadn’t seen since they threw their caps in the air.
“Some are married with children. Some aren’t and are following their dreams,” he said. And although they had grown up, being together still made him feel like he was back at school. “It feels like we should be going to convo,” he said.
Woodard he plans to continue promoting his album and performing to take his career as far as it will go. “I’m trying to celebrate all the small accomplishments along the way rather than some end result that may or may not happen,” he said.
To complete his back to school experience, Woodard made it to the Music Building for the moment of truth. He inserted the key to the practice room, and after 10 years, it still worked.
02-22-2007
