If you’ve seen David Leve perform, you know he wears many hats—literally, he has a lot of hats. Leve is a jack of many trades in the music world: he DJs under the name Ma3stro, reviews pop music on YouTube, is a professionally trained jazz musician who served as the director of U of M’s Pops Jazz Band, and has conducted performances of Beethoven and Brahms. Now, Leve is adding a new hat to his collection, joining DIME as a Songwriting Instructor. With experience in every genre from jazz to techno, Leve can help students churn out bangers in any style of music. Prior to joining DIME, Leve earned his BA in Music from the University of Michigan, winning funding from the highly competitive Guardian Educational Scholarship. He next went on to Massachusetts and New York, earning his Master’s in Music Composition from Bard College. He has conducted ensembles for woodwind quintets, string quartets, orchestras, and jazz bands. He knows how to transfer songs into the studio as well, having taught courses on recording and production at the Art Institute of Michigan, and music appreciation at Schoolcraft College. From verse one to the final chorus, Leve helps students work with their voices and instruments to create meaningful music that has something to say.
