About
Charles Anderson graduated from Arizona State University in Fall 2023
Biography
Born in 2001 in Mesa, Arizona, Charles Anderson started music not long after that. Charles was raised musically, playing in church sanctuaries during worship rehearsals and playing in community bands at the local colleges. Charles started on piano and violin in school, but quickly found a new interest in the trombone. In his elementary school years, Charles joined Young Sounds of Arizona, an after school jazz program held at the Arizona Musicians Union Hall.
At 14, Charles acquired his first guitar, a hand-me-down Yamaha acoustic guitar and fell in love with the instrument. Not long after, Charles built his first electric guitar out of a shipping pallet and electronics bought from the internet. Charles used this instrument to play in the top jazz groups at the Mesa Community College summer band camp.
Completing his GED at 16, Charles went on to study Classical Guitar and music theory at Mesa Community College, under the tutelage of Daniel Davis. After two years of study (and a pandemic), Charles Anderson transferred to Arizona State University to pursue an undergraduate degree in Jazz Performance with an emphasis on guitar.
Under the instruction of Dr. Jeff Libman and head of department Mike Kocour, Charles completed his undergraduate degree in the Fall of 2023. During this time, Charles was awarded an internship by Dr. Clark Gibson with the education and outreach program at The Nash, Arizona’s premiere Jazz Club.
As an intern for The Nash, Charles has had the opportunity to perform over 40 times at schools around the Valley. In 2024, Charles was appointed lead intern, where he hopes to continue spreading the word about Jazz in Arizona.