During a phase of the music industry, in which mediocrity often yields a profit and artistic integrity is rarely found in the hearts of so-called musicians, many people will not hesitate to label themselves as "artists."
Being an artist is often seen as a means to garner undeserved appreciation, a symbol of hope for those who lack their own colorful characterizations, or simply a way to pacify the holes in empty pockets.
Many people will dive head first into the prospect of being a musician, without ever really knowing the struggles that align themselves with walking the line of excellence, or knowing that artistry is where clichés find their final resting place.
Wayne State senior and 24-year-old music major Jon Dixon is anything but a cliché, and his hard work and unwavering devotion to his craft has constantly propelled him toward success.
Having first received a keyboard at four years of age, Dixon could never separate his dreams of being a musician with reality.
What began as a simple toy for a small child has undoubtedly sparked a journey that has been anything but childlike. For the last 20 years, Dixon has been working hard to challenge his musical abilities, transforming himself from the boy who found a best friend in his toy keyboard to a man, whose mastery of music is so profound that the word "student" can only be used to define his exploration of WSU's School of Music.
Many believe he exceeds the expectations of any music student, including fellow WSU music student and drummer, Nate Winn.
"He's one of the most talented musicians I've ever played with in my life," Winn said.
"I look at him and he's like a diamond in the rough with his talent. I just feel that with the way he's going, the sky is the limit for him … God has blessed him tremendously."
Although Dixon's level of musicianship is widely recognized, his success as an artist can parallel his growth as a man, as it was not always easy to find the voice that he wanted to share with the world.
"I can finally say that who I am and what I play and whatever song ideas I come up with are the ideas that I came up with," Dixon said.
"It's not me trying to mimic someone else, because if you think about it, all of these people who want to sound like John Coltrane, who want to sound like Ne-Yo, no matter what genre it is, you'll only be someone else's copy."
Whether Dixon is playing gospel in a church on Sunday, jazz at Baker's Keyboard Lounge on a Saturday night or experimenting with electronic and house music, he said that he will never be referred to as anyone's copy.
He uses his understanding of human experience and knowledge of music theory as an indescribable force when it comes to communicating with people.
He is eager to share his passion for music with the world because he is fueled by the idea of being able to impact a single person with his gift.
"If I sat here and played this, right when I played those notes, something in your mind occurred," said Dixon as he played a chord on a piano. "I don't know what it was, but when I played these notes, a thought in my mind occurred: It was C-D-G.
"But you, the listener, you hear something completely different. So imagine that with every individual that hears something that I made. It's like there's this picture that I'm drawing musically and they're interpreting it."
Having been blessed with the opportunity to offer musical interpretation to audiences in Japan, Switzerland, Holland, Romania and Brazil, Dixon has been motivated by those experiences and the people that he's encountered, but he also finds inspiration in his own community in Detroit.
"Any and everybody who appreciates my music, or music period, inspires me," Dixon said. "It can be for the good, it can be for the bad. If I'm leaving home and I'm driving past people who are my age and not in school, who aren't doing anything with their lives, that inspires me to make something of myself so that I don't become a product of my environment.
"I could say, 'Well, I lived in this kind of neighborhood, I wouldn't have been able to go to college because no one else in my neighborhood did it.' That's just not true. As an individual, it's going to be up to you to change for the better."
Dixon is currently working on an album with Underground Resistance, a label that produces techno music. Regardless of the genre that he chooses to indulge in, he and others believe his reputation as an excellent musician will never be compromised, including fellow music student and bassist Ian Roberts.
"Dixon is one of the hottest keyboard players I have ever heard … ever," Roberts said. "That's a big statement, but he's one of the hottest in Detroit."
Dixon looks forward to graduating next December, but still enjoys being a student and having the opportunity to share a small portion of himself with the world.
"If anyone ever gets to know me, I promise I'll be the only guy like me, simply because of what I've been through in life, the places in the world I've been, how I was raised, my family and most importantly…music," Dixon said.
Dixon prospers on stage and in school with international flair
Published: Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Updated: Thursday, October 9, 2008
 "Photo: Courtesy Jon Dixon")
Courtesy Jon Dixon
Wayne State senior and 24-year-old music major Jon Dixon uses hard work and unwavering devotion to his craft to propel him to success.
 "Photo: Courtesy John Dixon")
Courtesy John Dixon
Dixon has played in Japan, Switzerland, Holland, Romania and Brazil, and he is fueled by the idea of being able to impact a single person with his music.
 "Photo: Courtesy Jon Dixon")
Courtesy Jon Dixon
“I’ve been traveling around the world for the past year, which is great, to be able to do what you love and visit other countries and see people’s different reactions to music, ‘the universal language’, is great. I’m just happy to wake up everyday, to laugh, to hear music, to see family, to eat, the simple stuff, but the stuff that means the most to me.”
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He is such a sweetheart! very inspiring story.
