Humble and grounded in his spiritual beliefs, Courtland was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia. He is a Dean’s List Scholar, member of the National Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society for freshman and sophomore students, IAJE (International Association for Education), MENC (International Association of Music Education), AAJC (African American Jazz Caucus), JSU’s Jazz Band, and Jazz Vocal Ensemble.
With appearances in the April 2006 issue of the Jazz Educational Journal with the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) All-Star Band, Courtland traveled to Japan with the Gospel Voices of Jackson, performed with the Jackson State Orchestra at the Library of Congress for the U.S. Congress and enjoyed sharing the stage with saxophone masters’ legend Jimmy Heath, the Marsalis Brothers, Gerald Wilson, Chaka Khan, Chris Potter, and the world renowned classical alto saxophonist Otis Murphy and named Best Soloist in the 2006/2008 Alcorn State’s Collegiate Jazz Festival and 2008 Alabama’s Jazz Hall of Fame Collegiate Festival.
Courtland is not resting on his laurels because there is still so much to learn, explore, and accomplish. His spiritual teachings are a major balance in his life because he is aware that one should never forget the Giver of the gift. Future plans include graduate and doctorate studies and a career centered on teaching and performing. Courtland explains, “Music is a feeling. I try to make it happen, bringing everything together, the theory and technique, to create a body of art that stands the test of time.â€
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