About
Bio:
David Collins is a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator whose work blends experimental textures with jazz-rooted improvisation. A native of Memphis, Collins developed his musical instincts early, playing standards and classic country alongside his grandfather, Aubrey Morris (pianist for rockabilly legend Eddie Bond). His family home quickly became a hub for jam sessions, where he picked up piano, drums, guitar, and bass. By 15, he was performing weekly and reading music in his school’s band program.
Collins holds a B.A. in Jazz and Studio Performance from the University of Memphis, where he studied under Tim Goodwin, Sam Shoup, Jack Cooper, and Joe Restivo. His wide-ranging career spans touring, composing, arranging, and education, with accolades including grants from Music Export Memphis, the Urban Arts Commission, and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative. His original compositions and arrangements have been featured in public performances, commissioned works, and studio albums—including two releases added to the Memphis Public Library’s Memphis Sound Connection archive. From 2022 to 2025, Collins hosted 2722, an all original sci-fi/ambient radio show on WYXR 91.7 FM.
As a performer, Collins leads the genre-blurring ensembles Frog Squad, Freak Squid, and Stroke Photos, and recently contributed guitar to Deepstaria Enigmatica’s The Eternal Now Is the Heart of a New Tomorrow (ESP-Disk), praised in Downbeat Magazine for its “advanced flow of sensitised improvisation.”
In addition to performing, Collins is a dedicated educator with over eight years of experience teaching students of all ages. He taught at Memphis Music Academy and Lausanne Collegiate School before relocating to New York in 2025, where he continues to balance teaching with recording, composing, and live performance.