Alan Chan was six years old when his mother asked him if wanted to learn how to play the piano. They were standing in front of the piano shop that was downstairs from their apartment in Hong Kong. The moment his hands touched the keys he knew he had fallen in love with music.
As he began to dive deeper into music he found that he also liked writing music. Chan said he would spend hours writing musical notes on blank sheets of paper that his father brought home from work.
“I started to fall in love actually very early on about writing music, when I was first taking piano lessons,” Chan said. “I started drawing manuscripts and then started writing notes on them.”
When he was 12 he wrote his first composition entitled “Impromptu,” which he wrote for the piano and the triangle. He began to encounter jazz music when he entered high school. Since pop music was big in Hong Kong there were not many resources for aspiring jazz musicians and composers.
“In Hong Kong jazz is a very small scene,” Chan said. “[I] didn’t have much experience in terms of studying because it’s not available there.”
That didn’t stop Chan from continuing to peruse music. Because resources for jazz music were hard to come by, Chan would listen to soundtracks and arrange them for his ensemble class.
As his passion for music continued to grow, he started taking private lessons by the age of 15 with Academy of Performing Arts teacher, Mr. Lo. Under the tutelage of Mr. Lo, Chan’s passion for music and composition strengthened him to want to study abroad.
In 1997, Chan left Hong Kong and went to study abroad at the University of Miami. In Miami Chan says he began composing for jazz big band with his mentor Gary Lindsay.
“Surprisingly, I didn’t think too much about what to expect. I wanted to study abroad just because I thought it would be a great experience.” Chan said.
After graduating from the University of Miami he went on to study at Kansas City University where he received his masters. He then went to USC where he received his doctorate under Shelly Berg. While attending USC, Chan met friend and contractor Rob Schaer who helped him put together his big band.
“Every performance we play is a different experience.” Schaer said. “It’s a fun experience and it’s because of his openness to collaboration that makes it that way.”
Chan has traveled all over the world preforming and composing music. In 2011, he started his own jazz orchestra where he composed music that was inspired by his travels and life experiences.
“During the time I was writing many of these pieces I was traveling a lot. I would go to artist residences.” Chan said. “I also got inspired by their work and so much of my music is about telling stories.”
Chan’s work ethic and passion for music has inspired many people including fellow band mate, David Hughes, who is a bass player in Chan’s jazz orchestra.
“He is one of the greatest and most inspirational big band leaders that I’ve worked with,” Hughes said. ”He is very precise in communicating what he wants musically. He is a really fun guy which makes the whole experience fun.”
When he is not composing music or teaching, Chan likes to go hiking. Some of the places he has visited are the Angeles National Forest, and the Santa Monica Mountains.
“I keep discovering new places because the landscape of L.A. is so interesting – so many pockets of little mountains. I’ve almost went to most of them.”
