Oboe Coach
Damián J Sanchez is a woodwind artist, vocalist, teacher, chef, writer and actor. He grew up in Little Havana, a subsector of Miami, Florida. Damian J is a polyglot of Cuban descent and is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese. He earned his Master of Music,
M.Mus. degree in Oboe Performance, Jazz Studies and Woodwind Doubling from the University of Memphis, being mentored by Dr. Jack Cooper. After being on faculty as a private instructor at the Kendall Conservatory of Music for several years, the pandemic led Damian J to create an online education program named “Dami’s Klassroom Kidz,” geared towards lessons on all the woodwinds, guitar, piano, voice, music theory and his different spoken languages. As the “Saxchef,” his online cooking series “Quarantine Cuisine,” launched in 2020, focuses on empowering viewers wanting to eat healthier during the COVID-19 crisis. Damian J is also the author of “Closer Than You Think,” an e-book novelette published through KDP. The Nashville- based independent movie “Ariadne’s Thread,” released in 2009, features him as the main role of “Theseus.” Besides acting in films and television, Damian J has performed music in all 48 continental states as well as Canada, Japan, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, France, Italy, and Spain. His extensive musical career includes the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the United States Air Force Band of the West. As a polarized improviser, Damian J has recorded with a variety of original artists, including Michael Weiskopf, an Americana/Folk/Indie Rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and Ephniko, a Colombian Hip-Hop/Latin Rap/Electronica composer and lyricist. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Miami-Made Concert Series “Best Band” in 2016 and Buskerfest Miami’s 1st Place Ensemble for several years. In 2013, the “Damian J Project” began as Miami’s open source musical collaboration dedicated to the preservation, development, and education of jazz. Their debut album, entitled “Sessions 33 1/3,” was self-released in 2016.