Josh Karas

Class of 2022
Major: Jazz Studies            

For many people, music is a powerful tool to move through times of difficulty and hardship. Vanderbilt senior Jazz Studies major and Business minor Josh Karas took this one step further during the 2020 – 2021 academic year, creating his debut album The Root of the Thing amidst a pandemic. Hailing from just an hour outside of New York City, music, particularly the piano, has always been a source of passion for the Bedford, NY local. With a background in classical music, Karas began to explore different genres of music, signing up for an after-school rock ensemble and forming a band with friends, before finally joining a jazz quartet – a genre of music he instantly loved.

“I really enjoyed that element of things because it has the sophistication of classical music, but also the fun, live energy of rock and popular music,” states Karas.

As Karas looked towards his time at a university, he was drawn to Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music due to the flexibility offered by the program to study subjects beyond music, allowing Karas to pick up a business minor during his time at Vanderbilt. Unbeknownst to Karas, his decision to pursue studies at Vanderbilt would ultimately allow him to find and pursue his true creative passions through one of Blair’s newest programs, Jazz Studies.

Karas explains that he initially joined Blair as a classical major because “that's what I've done my whole life, but once I got into the program, I realized I really, really loved to play jazz.” Karas joined the Blair Big Band during his first year, participated in jazz combos, and took jazz lessons with Professor Bruce Dudley. During his junior year, Karas officially made the switch from classical to jazz studies.

Also during his junior year, Professor Ryan Middagh, director of Jazz Studies, suggested that Karas consider creating an album of original music. Just like that, Karas was hooked. Professor Middagh became a mentor and advocate for Karas, encouraging him to always think bigger and to step outside his comfort zone. When it came time to recruit other musicians for this album, Karas initially leaned towards his own Vanderbilt community, but Middagh encouraged him to consider the many local musicians who were out of work due the pandemic.

“I realized he was right. This is a good opportunity to reach out to the Greater Nashville community and form connections with them. And really push myself musically to reach higher than I originally thought I could,” explained Karas.

Professor Middagh, already an established musician within the Nashville music scene, helped Karas with making connections. Slowly, the live music scene also began making a return in Nashville, allowing Karas to venture out into the city and make his own connections with local musicians. Still, Karas relied on the resources available within his program at Blair. Karas cites his composition lessons with Professor Middagh, jazz combo rehearsals with Professor Jeff Coffin, jazz lessons with Professor Dudley, and ability to workshop his compositions in class with his professors and peers as key elements of his preparation for this project.

“I really appreciate that the jazz program feels very student-led. So students are encouraged to bring in their own compositions to combo rehearsals and big band rehearsals. And you get them read and you get feedback.” explains Karas.

Karas also received funding from the Joe C. Davis Fund, which supports Immersion projects in the Nashville community, as well as funding from the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy’s Creative Catalyst grants.

The recording process also became a team effort, with Professor Middagh, the Curb Center, and many Blair students jumping in to assist Karas with details and errands for the project. Karas explains that this large-scale project would never have been possible without the collaboration and teamwork he found within this creative community.

The overwhelming support and encouragement that Karas received during this project was also reflected in the album itself, with each song written to represent a different person or group of people who have been important to him. Speaking about one of the first releases from the album, “Jimmy,” Karas explains that the tune was written for his friends back home and named after their favorite deli sandwich. Another song on the album “Inward Morning” was written as an introspective piece about his past and future.

As Karas looks to the future, he plans to begin a freelancing career in Nashville, enjoying the community and connections he has built here during his time at Vanderbilt. Reflecting on the completion of his Immersion project, Karas acknowledges that this experience was an excellent way to integrate the knowledge he received from his Jazz Studies degree.

“This was just as educational as what I’m doing in school because it is exactly what school is preparing me for. Putting myself into this situation was educational in and of itself and finding ways to incorporate my schooling into the project was a great way to prepare myself,” he explains.

For students considering similar projects, Karas has some departing words:

“Think big and realize that the Office of Immersion Resources can help,” he says. “If you’ve ever wanted to do some big project, this might be your last chance to have these easily accessible resources within an institution. Take advantage of it.”

The Root of the Thing is now available on Spotify and Apple Music.