Teacher Profile: Kevin Slade

About Kevin Slade

Kevin Slade is a classical and jazz bass/vocalist, composer, music producer, and piano instructor originally from South Carolina and currently based in the Washington, DC area. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Howard University, where he graduated cum laude with a focus in composition and a minor in classical performance. Deeply invested in music theory and analysis, Kevin approaches music as both an expressive art and an intellectual craft, and he is committed to sharing that perspective through performance, composition, and education.

Surrounded by music from an early age, Kevin developed his musicianship through choral singing, arranging, and formal theory study. He grew up listening to his father play saxophone and piano and hearing his mother sing in a Baptist Church choir. His early experiences in state and honor choirs, a cappella ensembles, and AP Music Theory laid the foundation for his later academic and artistic work, fostering a strong ear, a love of vocal music, and a lasting interest in how music functions structurally and culturally.

At Howard University, Kevin’s musical voice expanded significantly. After earning the highest score on the music theory placement exam, he was advised to pursue composition, where he explored a wide range of genres including jazz, gospel, classical, atonal, electronic, and film music. He performed extensively as a vocalist across campus ensembles and was a member of Afro Blue, Howard’s premier professional a cappella jazz ensemble. His senior recital featured an entirely original program spanning multiple genres and media, reflecting both his technical range and personal artistic narrative.

Currently, Kevin performs professionally as a choral singer in Episcopal churches throughout the DC area and remains active with Howard University ensembles as an alum. He teaches piano, music theory, and analysis at Piano Lab in Virginia, where he also arranges music for the school. Kevin plans to pursue graduate study in jazz performance and composition, with the goal of continuing to create, perform, and teach music that encourages curiosity, discipline, and emotional connection.