Meet Vince Dominguez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vince Dominguez.

Vince, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The day that I received my first clarinet on my 10th birthday, I was overjoyed. My Grandpa Manny and Grandma Lupe had gone out of his way to purchase me a beginner-level instrument on Ebay after my first semester of fifth grade in 2000, a moment I will never forget. My Grandpa Luis was a clarinetist and he often told me about how his days of music-making abruptly ended when his sister accidentally broke his instrument towards the end of high school. He was vocally nostalgic about his unfulfilled music career, and would often make references to jazz icons such as Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington as we sat around the table eating my Grandma Lily’s brisket or tamales during the holidays. I remember watching I Love Lucy with my Grandma Lupe and noticing the sound of the clarinet in the jazz orchestra that would often appear behind Ricky Ricardo, the lead character of the show. Soon after I started playing, I began to notice clarinet everywhere and became captivated by its sound.

In junior high, I received a huge reality check when I realized that I was the worst clarinet player in the band. Not having had a private lesson before, I was unpolished and lacked the technique to keep up with the rest of the section. Thanks to my band director’s constant motivation and my parents unconditional support, I became determined to rise to the top. Slowly but surely, one playing test and chair challenge at a time, I earned first chair in the top band and proved to others that I could succeed. Looking back, I think that this period in my life was really the catalyst that formed my decision to pursue music more seriously. Once I reached high school, I found my stride and began to pursue music more competitively, consistently winning first chair in regional and all-state auditions, immersing myself in the process, and eventually making the decision to start college as a music major.

When I arrived at Arizona State University as a freshman, I remember experiencing another reality check, feeling like I was no longer a big fish in a small pond. The playing level of the graduate students and my professors was both slightly terrifying and very inspiring, providing me with determination to improve. Throughout my undergrad, I had ups and downs, experienced success and failure, made mistakes, and ultimately discovered who I wanted to be. My early 20s were marked by a roller coaster  many new artistic experiences, a conflicted desire to come out, and feelings of trepidation as I made plans to move somewhere new for grad school the following school year.

Having graduated from ASU, I made the decision to start my Masters degree at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2012 receiving a full ride and teaching assistantship. My years in Lexington were wonderful and I met so many people who have now become some of my closest friends. That little blue city quickly became a home away from home as I forged a life for myself outside of Arizona. During this time, I had the chance to expand my musical horizons, perform in many ensembles, compete, travel abroad, and become a leader. During these years, I made a point to say yes to every opportunity that came my way and soaked up every ounce of knowledge I could.

After graduating from UK in 2014, I chose not to immediately start a doctorate feeling some hesitation and slight burnout  so that I could explore my options outside of academia. While my time in Lexington had been stellar and I had accomplished so much, I left feeling a little unsure of how to approach my life once I left the safety net of school. These feelings of unpredictability soon became overwhelming and I knew that I had to make a change. In Fall of 2015, I moved to Chicago to expand my employment opportunities and freelance for a while. I worked seven days a week, managing an insane schedule of teaching lessons, gigs, freelance photography, part-time arts administration work, and making coffee as a barista in Chicago’s West Loop. In the process of this move to the Windy City, I ultimately laid the groundwork for what later became my first management role in the arts.

In May of 2016, I was offered a full-time position with the Lexington Philharmonic as the Marketing & Communications Manager. This job was a huge moment for me as I never could have anticipated working in such a capacity just a few years prior. My time back in Lexington included the chance to rebrand the organization, teach at the University of Kentucky as a guest lecturer, and validate my abilities as a marketing professional filling concert halls with excited concertgoers. As much as I loved my job, though, I felt unfulfilled knowing that I still had dreams of pursuing music as a performer and educator.

In August of 2017, I began the trek back to Phoenix so that I could begin my doctorate at ASU that fall. The decision to come back to Arizona was not easy, but I knew that if I didn’t begin my terminal degree soon, it would soon become too late to start. Having uprooted my life in Lexington, reentering graduate school was actually very difficult, but I quickly found my stride. During my DMA, I have worked as a Teaching Assistant, performed at the International Clarinet Association Conference as a guest artist, established myself as a professional development clinician at conferences across the country, found my voice as a performer, and used all of my lived experiences to begin to pave the way for even bigger goals.

This May, I will earn the first doctorate in my entire family as I graduate from Arizona State University, an accomplishment I am immensely proud of. My DMA project features a series of newly commissioned works by Mexican composers Victor Ibarra, Hilda Paredes, and Juan Trigos, all of which are dedicated to sociopolitical issues in the borderlands. After graduation, my long-term goal is to work my way into a role as a university professor and ultimately become an advocate for other Latino musicians pursuing their arts, just as I have. In the meantime, I’m completing my doctoral work, working on some new collaborations, and planning to write my first method book for clarinet this year. As an old friend once told me, “I’m not in it for the income, I’m in it for the outcome.”

Has it been a smooth road?
In all honesty, music has never been easy for me. As a queer person of color, especially, I have been a victim of harassment and marginalization for as long as I can remember. My instruments were also stolen in 2018, and my spirit has been broken more times than I can count. I’ve endured many nights where I wasn’t sure if I had the will to open my case again the next day, reckoning if music was still the right path for me, long-term. Even still, I’ve never once given up.

All this being recognized, I am sincerely grateful for the hardships that life has thrown my way. In retrospect, each experience made me wiser, more determined, and more adaptable to change as the leader I am today. In 2020, I am able to write these words with confidence, knowing that I have been galvanized into never allowing anyone to steal my will to create ever again. It’s my own responsibility to heal and move forward.

While I can only speak for myself, I believe that music is a fickle beast and sometimes you are going to encounter some really rough patches. For anyone reading this who may feel like they are at a crossroads, I want to let you know that you are never alone and that you always have a choice to say no or take time for yourself. Not all relationships are going to go as planned and you can only ever control your own actions. Be kind to yourself and know that you are worth it.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a self-employed creative, my work is multidisciplinary and I love everything that I do.

As a music educator and clinician, I have been teaching since 2011, helping students to find their voice as both performers and leaders of tomorrow. The longer I have taught, the more my students have taught me how to be a better leader. From the studio to the classroom, I take great care in creating an atmosphere that allows independent creativity to thrive, and I believe that technical proficiency begets musical freedom. I provide my students with the tools they need to grow on their primary instruments and develop a sense of musicianship that will carry them through life beyond music. Over the years, many of my students have chosen to pursue music at the collegiate level, won competitions, and carved their paths using music as their north star. I have worked in many capacities, ranging from woodwind instructor to conductor to program manager. Along the way, each role has provided me with new perspectives and approaches to working with a wide range of personalities and learning styles in every lesson I’ve taught. Having struggled with music in my early years, I understand what it is like to work your way up from nothing, and am constantly amazed by the progress that my students make each week.

As a woodwind instrumentalist, I’ve been fortunate to perform a wide variety of music over the years. From small to large ensemble settings, to summer music festivals, to solo performances, my clarinet has taken me around the world and shown me the power that live music can command over an audience. Locally, I perform and sub with a variety of ensembles, including Cactus Chamber Musicians, Harbinger Duo, and The Phoenix Symphony. Outside of Arizona, I sub with orchestras and chamber groups around the country throughout the year. As clarinetists, we are fortunate to have many genres that we can create from, and to me, that is what makes performing a never-ending journey of exploration. While much of my experience falls within the realm of orchestral, chamber, and solo performance, I am beginning to explore new avenues of sound and look forward to continuing to expand my palette in the years ahead.

As a marketing creative, I pride myself in knowing that I am a self-made professional. After graduating from my master’s program in 2014, I began to explore graphic design, commercial & lifestyle photography, and marketing. Collectively, all of the new skills that I cultivated resulted in new job opportunities, networks of people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and a rare chance to see what else I could do outside of music. Now, in 2020, I am a full-time freelancer, specializing in marketing consultation, design, and lifestyle photography. Over the years, I have worked with lots of brands including Google, Fossil, Hershey’s, ZEDD, and more. Lately, I have started to give professional development workshops at conferences and university classrooms, sharing my marketing knowledge with other musicians to be more well-rounded in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. Coupled with my music, this other dimension of my career adds balance to the stress that can come with performing and teaching. Each day that I wake up, I have a new project to work on and a fresh challenge to solve. I enjoy the variety that my work as both a musician and visual creative gives me and am always interested in bringing someone’s vision to life.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
As a native, I believe Phoenix can be a difficult place to live if you are not prepared to handle the long summers, but I do think that it offers a wide range of beauty if you know where to find it. In general, I like that Phoenix has such a wealth of culture and continues to become more forward-thinking. From its vibrant art scene to its creative communities all over the valley, Phoenix has just as much to offer as any other major city in the country.

By the same token, I do think that it can be difficult to live here as a freelancer at times. Because Phoenix is isolated, maintaining regional work as a musician can be challenging at first. At the end of the day, I love this city and it will always be a home to me wherever life takes me next.

Contact Info:

• Website: vincedominguez.com
• Email: hello@vincedominguez.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/vince_dominguez
• Facebook: facebook.com/vincent.dominguez
• Other:  vincedominguez.squarespace.com/creative