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Wearing a fedora, cowboy boots, jeans and a t-shirt, Derek James entertained students in the Lower Hobson Union with his “Mama Blushin’ Old-School Bubble-Gum Rock.”
Students found him very enjoyable to listen to.
“I already like him,” said Shelby Thorstead during the first few lines of his opening song.
The Hobson Union Programing Board (HUPB) invited James to perform at Bemidji State University (BSU) after hearing him sing at a music conference held by National Association of Campus Activities (NACA).
Chinwuba met with James’s agent at the conference and told him James one of HUPB's was one of their favorite people there. James and his agent were very excited when HUPB invited him to come to Bemidji to perform on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
James loved his time in Bemidji, saying the area was beautiful. He also enjoyed the people. He noted that there was more friendliness in Bemidji than found in other places.
“People here are awesome!” said James.
James grew up in a suburb of Manhattan, NY. While he loves the city and its energy, he also loves the country and said he wished he had grown up on a farm with animals. He attended college at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY and majored in Philoshophy.
James started messing around with music during his teen years, but in college he became more serious. Because of a conversation James had with his roommate, James decided to pursue music as a career. He performed his first gig while studying abroad in Australia and will be performing again in Australia this winter. He would love to return to France and play there.
James loves to travel, meet new people and see new places.
“Every time I play it’s like Christmas,” he said.
James has been playing professionally for about six years. He enjoys writing his own lyrics and shared some stories behind the songs.
During his early years as a musician, he worked as a nanny. Living in the basement of a stranger's home, he would hang out with the family’s German Shephard and compose music. “What's That Sound” arose from one of these practice sessions. He also likes to cover Queen, Prince and Tom Petty. James identifies his music as a mixture of rock, folk, reggae and a little bit of swing.
James interacted well with the students during his performance. In between songs he inquired about a students work and asked another how her lunch was. He also had student Drew Kaiser accompany him with the tambourine.
“It’s like a chic coffee house,” said Jessica Schulz. “We should have this happen more often,” added Melody Fellman.
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