David Irving

Professor of Jazz Studies

David Irving, a native of Corpus Christi, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). A guitarist from the age of four, he went through high school and college disguised as a French horn player.

He began his teaching career with a three-year stint as the school band director for the Central-Texas community of Mart. It was there that he started his first school jazz band, learning along with his students and staying slightly ahead of them by reading each lesson of the group's class method book the night before he introduced it to the band. Apparently it worked; during the band's first year of existence it placed at the then-prestigious Brownwood Stage Band Festival.

In his six years as band director in Ingleside he regularly produced first-division concert, marching, and jazz bands. The jazz band he started there was the first public-school stage band in South Texas to rehearse on a daily basis.

He came to Del Mar College in 1972. During his tenure at the school the jazz bands have performed with many of the greatest names in jazz. In 1987 the MWF Jazz Band toured Europe, appearing at Holland's NorthSea Festival and Switzerland's Montreux Festival.

In addition to his duties as jazz band director, Irving teaches jazz appreciation, the history of rock music, and beginning guitar.He has recently completed work on his guitar class method, titledLearn To Play the Guitar in Three Easy Lessons (and Twenty Hard Ones).

Irving is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music, and is an honorary member of Phi Sigma local professional music sorority. He serves as chapter advisor for both organizations.