A new era for the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music at Anderson University: meet Dr. Derick Cordoba
There is at least one thing that The Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music Director Dr. Derick Cordoba didn’t mention in his more than hour-long interview for this magazine story: that his work with a band was nominated for a Dove Award.
So, in addition to everything you’re about to read about Dr. Cordoba, add one more thing: humility.
Ever since he was a teenager, Dr. Cordoba has been traveling, learning and playing music in new places. As the director of the Anderson University Commercial Music program, Dr. Cordoba strives to instill within students the need to be open to new experiences and serve in a variety of capacities in their commercial music careers.
Along with his wife, Dr. Tanya Cordoba, an assistant professor of education, and their two sons, Dr. Cordoba arrived in Anderson in June 2020. That’s when Dr. Cordoba took the helm of The Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music at Anderson University.
The family had lived in Illinois since 2011, when Dr. Derick Cordoba began earning his Doctor of Musical Arts in jazz performance, and later running the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Unit One music program in the school’s Residential Life Learning Communities. That job entailed coordinating more than 280 music lessons each week as well as hiring and training music instructors.
But before Dr. Derick Cordoba was leading The Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music, he was a 12-year-old who was blown away by a concert in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. Going to that concert, an hour’s drive from his home in New Jersey, inspired him to become a musician.
“The energy and the sheer scale of the event” impressed young Cordoba, who had just begun playing the electric bass. Dr. Derick Cordoba learned to play the instrument while hanging out with his older cousin, who also played. He switched to electric guitar a year later, he said.
When Dr. Derick Cordoba was 16, his family moved to south Florida, and he gained more performance experience as part of the Pine Crest High School jazz band. And while he initially went to college in Rochester, N.Y., to study electrical engineering, he transferred to a university in Jacksonville, Fla., to major in music and jazz studies under the guidance of legendary guitar educator Jack Peterson.
After graduation, Dr. Derick Cordoba and two business partners started a music instruction business in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which he helped run until he joined the band Further Seems Forever and began touring full time.
As a guitarist for Further Seems Forever, Dr. Cordoba toured in the United States, Europe and Japan from 2000 through 2007. While Dr. Cordoba was part of the band, the group recorded two albums. And one, How to Start a Fire, sold 100,000 copies. The group’s video for its song Light Up Ahead was nominated for a Dove Award in 2005.
After Dr. Derick Cordoba earned a master’s degree in music with an emphasis in jazz, he and Dr. Tanya Cordoba— now married—headed off to Europe, where Dr. Tanya Cordoba got a job as a teacher at the Bonn International School in Germany. While the couple lived in Bonn, Dr. Derick Cordoba taught private guitar lessons at the school.
While they lived in Bonn, Dr. Derick Cordoba became the contemporary music director of the American Protestant Church. The church was diverse, and 30 percent of its hundreds of attendees were from African countries, he said. Other Americans attended the church alongside the native Europeans.
Dr. Derick Cordoba is most proud of his wide range of experiences in his career: from music instruction studio owner and teacher, and touring musician, to a contemporary worship music director and a professor. He hopes to instill this openness to serving in different capacities as AU’s commercial music students graduate and start their careers.
The couple also led mission trips with the church to Egypt and Kenya. Through Dr. Derick Cordoba’s myriad trips as a touring musician, living in Europe and co-leading mission trips with his wife, his perspectives on life and music grew.
“Being in all the places and situations put me in contact with many musicians, musical styles, performance opportunities, and life experiences. All those things impact the music I play and write,” Dr. Cordoba said. “It also gives you a great appreciation for the variety of people, music and perspectives in the world. You also see how connected we all are through our faith, music and the human experience.”
After the Cordobas’ first child was born, the couple moved home to the States to earn doctorates in their fields.
After earning his doctorate, Dr. Derick Cordoba worked as an adjunct professor at several colleges and was then hired for a full-time position at the University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign. He taught guitar for seated and online courses, including Technology, Music Appreciation, American Popular Music and Non-Western Music. Before joining AU, Dr. Derick Cordoba served as Unit One Music Coordinator and taught Jazz History and Appreciation, Digital Recording and Composition, Popular Music History, Introduction to the Music Business and Popular Music Ensemble.
These myriad roles in teaching, directing, performing and designing courses prepared him for his robust role at AU. As Director of the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music, Dr. Cordoba teaches commercial music and improvisation classes, advises and mentors students, directs the touring music group AUthenticity, tweaks and designs courses, connects students to professionals in the industry and represents the Center in promotional and fundraising settings.
Back when the couple was preparing to return to the States, the Cordobas thought that teaching at a Christian university would be a great place to work and a great setting to raise their children. They have two sons: Joe, age 11, and Julian, age 6. A song, J & J, on Dr. Derick Cordoba’s forthcoming jazz guitar album is named in honor of them.
Dr. Derick Cordoba is most proud of his wide range of experiences in his career: from music instruction studio owner and teacher, and touring musician, to a contemporary worship music director and a professor. He hopes to instill this openness to serving in different capacities as AU’s commercial music students graduate and start their careers.
“Be open and willing to shift focus,” Dr. Cordoba said, and “learn from different settings.”
Dr. Cordoba has done just that, and it shows in his music. His jazz album, recorded as Derick Cordoba and G.E.L. (Groove Elation League) is scheduled to be released in September during Furnace Fest, a music festival in Birmingham, Ala. And in May 2022, Dr. Cordoba plans to be off again for a musical visit. This time to Japan.
To hear Dr. Cordoba’s recordings, visit his website at: www.derickcordoba.com/recordings