
Chad Michael Jervis '18 always felt that Nashville, Tennessee, would be an inevitability in his musical career. I remember when I was 18 I was trying to decide whether I wanted to go to Boston, or whether I wanted to go to Nashville, Jervis says. He wound up deciding to come to Boston, to study music at Berklee. But I always thought: there will be a time when I make it out there.
It turns out he was right. After several years honing his craft as a vocalist and songwriting major at Berklee and grinding out a career in a nationally touring band, Jervis took a risk and accepted an opportunity that arose during Career Jam 2018. Legendary country music producer Robert Deaton recruited him to join a new band, King Calaway, which was coming together in Nashville. When I heard about that opportunity, he says, I thought: It's now or never.
Unlock Your Career Potential
Learn more about Berklee Career Jam. The road to that moment was a winding one. Jervis came to Berklee as a songwriting major in 2013. After two semesters, he took to the road fulltime with his former band, The House on Cliff. The band crisscrossed the country in a 10-passenger van, and released two EPs plus a handful of singles from 2014 through 2017, when Jervis returned to Boston and decided to resume his studies at Berklee. In the fall of 2017, Jervis also auditioned in Boston for a spot on the next season of American Idol, which he earned, and wound up spending time that fall traveling to California to participate in the competition.
Coming back to Boston was a whirlwind for me, Jervis says. But since he was in the city, he wanted to make sure he was taking every opportunity to progress as a musician-even as he was also pursuing musical opportunities such as American Idol. I had the opportunity to pick up where I left off [at Berklee]. I could be learning more, I could be getting better at harmony and ear training. I could be doing so much with my time in order to better my craft. Why not take advantage of that?
Jervis says his artistry and musicianship benefitted greatly from his coursework, including classes in harmony with Winnie Dahlgren and Daniel Smith, in DAWs for songwriters with Daniel Cantor, and in songwriting with Mark Simos. He remembers in particular the impression made by his his private voice lessons with Jodi Jenkins, which helped him transform his vocal talent from a natural skill into a true instrument to be tuned and refined: Jodi gave me a drive to practice every day. I had to develop discipline in order to get better.
Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to make things happen for yourself, especially in this industry.
-Chad Michael Jervis 18
Ultimately, when Jervis decided to move to Nashville and join King Calaway, it was the culmination of years spent absorbing knowledge, practicing, chasing opportunities, and learning from each new gig. Flash forward to September 2018 and Jervis was rehearsing and recording King Calaway's first EP at the famed Castle Recording Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. The band is composed of six members, all of whom play their own instruments live, and three, including Jervis, sing lead vocals. They worked hard to find a fresh sound that fit them, and that all country fans could enjoy while noticing something different about them.
We wanted to create our own lane in country music, Jervis says. We wanted to have authentic, sort of rustic harmonies, and a live band playing everything. One of the early reference points the band found for that sound was Stephen Stills's Love the One You're With, which the group considered such an important touchstone that they included a cover of the song on their first EP, which was released in January on Stony Creek Records (part of BMG/BBR Music Group). Since its release, the band's lead single, World for Two, has amassed nearly a million plays on Spotify, and the band has been named one of Billboard's 7 Country Acts to Watch in 2019.
If you would have told me years ago that I'd be in this position, I wouldn't have believed you, Jervis says. It was because of Berklee that I got this gig. Well, Berklee, and some guts: Meeting Robert and getting this opportunity was all about having to put myself out there and making myself a little uncomfortable. Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to make things happen for yourself, especially in this industry.
Watch the music video for King Calaways lead single, World for Two:
Video of King Calaway - World For Two
Related categories:
News
Most Popular
Missy Elliott, Alex Lacamoire, and Justin Timberlake to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee Commencement Berklees commencement ceremony takes place on Saturday, May 11, at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.
Latest
From Berklee to Nashville with Chad Michael Jervis Chad Michael Jervis 18 followed a Career Jam opportunity that led him to King Calaway, a new country band already making noise in Nashville.
Ysa e M. Barnwell to Be Honored at Berklee's Urban Service Awards The composer and bass vocalist will receive the 2019 Legacy Award.
As Beantown Jazz Festival Ends, Berklee to Partner with BAMS Fest The collaboration strives to break down racial and social barriers to arts, music, and culture across Greater Boston.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Berklee Blogs
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Snapchat
Soundcloud
Spotify
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...
12/03/2025
New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...
12/03/2025
Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...
12/03/2025
ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
12/03/2025
Consumer show back following hugely successful first series
10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...